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Posted 14 years ago
edesign32
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I can't find any info on these window panes that were removed from a home built in 1880 in Southern Wisconsin. They are each a different pattern - smooth backed, molded design… if anyone has ever seen this before please let me know what the history is - Thanks!!
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Absolutely gorgeous antique glass tiles! Architectural art glass. Called Prism Glass Tiles.
I think that they may be made by an art glass company, but when I researched antique glass tiles, I didn't find an exact match. Maybe someone who specializes in a certain glass company will know more.
Here's what I did find out -- hope it helps.
Possibly made by LUXFER -- this is what I found so far:
From this neat glass website --
http://glassian.org/Prism/Gallery/Tile/index.html
They say: The most familiar type of prism glass is "Luxfer tiles" (actually made by several companies, like this American 3-Way Prism Company signature tile). More correctly "prism tiles", they were introduced in 1897 by the Luxer Prism Company, using Pennycuick's 1885 patent. The idea was very successful and the tiles widely used. Plain tiles without a pattern on the front are common still, as are a few patterns, notably panel and raindrop, but some are very rare. Frank Lloyd Wright penned 41 designs for Luxfer, however only one was produced, a stylized flower; fortunately, it's also fairly common.
Then I read: http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/luxfer-prism-glass-tile-frank-lloyd-76394683 -- which says:
The Luxfer Prism Company started in Chicago on October 1896 as the Radiating Light Company, founded by James G. Pennycuick to commerialize his patent of 1882 for "an improvement in window-glass". His improvement was the addition of horizontal prisms to the back side of square glass tiles, which redirected sunlight from windows w it was plentiful, back deep into rooms w light was scarce, reducing the need for artificial lighting and light wells. Luxfur prism glass advertised that it could double the amount of light that entered a room when compared to a normal glass window.
In 1897, Frank Lloyd Wright patented a style of prismatic glass tile designed to refract and diffuse light into the building from the outside for maximum lighting efficiency. These tiles were generally used in store fronts as the transoms to the larger plate glass display windows. The combination of magnified natural light and a highly decorated ceiling made each storefront a dazzling place to visit.
Luxfer Prism Company, named for the Latin words lux (light) and ferre (to carry), propelled itself to the forefront of the prismatic glass market. The small panes of glass were four inches square, smooth on one side, and formed with horizontal V-shaped ribs on the reverse. The ribs were angled to throw light at a specific angle. Each pane was numbered for its specific angle of refraction that allowed the installer to tailor the direction of the flood of light. Depending on the lighting needs, a combination of prismatic panes were selected much like an optical prescription. Prismatic glass was touted as a fireproof way to light a building and was soon specified for new construction. Luxfer promoted prismatic glass as the "Century's Triumph in Lighting".http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/MainStreet/techinical_1.html
Penn Station in 1938 was a glorious example-- the glass roof lets in sunlight which then falls through the glass floor and illuminates the tunnels below.
Penn station pix site: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:tS7q3HcvWb4J:www.nyc-architecture.com/GON/GON004.htm+penn+station+glass+tiles&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
thank you soooo much!! I will look into it some more - The home was in my family and I'd like to lead each panel as gifts and include a history - can't thank you enough!!
Ellen
I've seen those sorts of figured glass tiles before, but not too often. They are not prismatic since there are no prisms on the back sides; they are purely decorative. I only specialize in the prismatic stuff, so they are outside my knowledge-- sorry, I can't shed any light on who made them. I don't think Luxfer or American 3-Way did as their focus was on prismatic daylighting, and I've never seen such tiles in any of their catalogs or ads.
If no collectorsweekly readers come up with an answer, I suggest posting your query on glassmessages.com, whose numerous and very informed readers know everything about decorative glass.
These sort of tiles are also mentioned in Bob Alexander's so-called "book" on glass tiles that he touts on eBay sometimes. I don't know what he has to say about them as he is persona non grata and I'm certainly not buying his "book". Bob's eBay id is "guardfrog", but in insulator collecting circles he's known as "guardfraud". Be wary!
--ian
Okay - thanks Ian!! This is great, all the info I am getting…
Those glass tiles were made by the Addison Glass Co.
They made a number of designs in a variety of colors.
A number of them are pictured in my book "A collectors Guide to Glass Advertising Tiles"
Available from me at guardfrogdesigns@yahoo.com
Almost all know tiles are listed in this book.
Ian Macky? you once again proved that you don't know much about these tiles
Lo, the frog croaketh! No, I don't know anything about the purely decorative tiles-- I just collect prism glass. Bob: best of luck with your "book" which you "scanned".
Have you tried glassmessages.com yet? If you get more information, please post it back here!
I know these as Addison Pressed Glass -- and I need a pane! I have a window made of them (though the center egret is purple glass) and I need an amber side pane (when I bought my 1904 Wisconsin home and had a broken pane replaced the handyman actually chipped a different pane.)
I don't know but it is beautiful glass. You might could check out Kokomo .com and they can probly tell you.
Fostoria (Ohio) Glass, company later purchased by Addison Glass in NY. Fostoria has a downtown glass museum where there are many tiles on display and plenty of homes in NW Ohio from late 1890s to early 1900s have windows and doors with the tiles.