Owners of historic buildings and restoration experts take great pride in antique window glass. With its occasional wave, bubble, and characteristic imperfections, it testifies to the history of an old structure, exuding the charm and character of by-gone days.
The making of window glass began in the 7th century with the development of mouthblown Crown glass. The 11th century saw the invention of the Cylinder glass method of producing mouth-blown antique window glass, first developed in Germany. Today, Cylinder and Crown glass are two types of authentic, mouthblown antique window glass found in fine American buildings built from the 17th to early 20th centuries.
When old window glass is broken or damaged, building owners and restoration professionals often go to great lengths to find a perfect match in order to preserve the historical integrity of a building. Finding the right glass can pose a significant challenge, considering the relatively wide-spread production of antique window glass ended after the invention of the first mechanical method for “drawing” glass, to be later followed by today’s ubiquitous “float” glass.
Window glass salvaged from another old building can be one replacement option. However, it can often be challenging to find it, remove it from its old frame, cut it to the required size, and clean it.
An excellent alternative is to purchase cut-to-size “new antique” window glass made today utilizing the same techniques and tools used to make mouth-blown glass centuries ago. Authentic Restoration Glass®, produced at Germany’s Glashütte Lamberts, is crafted by skilled glass masters. The factory has preserved the mouthblown production methods through generations, guaranteeing the historic accuracy of this glass. As a testament to its authenticity, Restoration Glass is found in our country’s most prestigious restorations, including the White House, George Washington’s Mount Vernon home, and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.
To match precisely the original structure’s time period or the desired glass appearance, building owners and facilities managers can select one of two varieties of Restoration Glass – “Full” or “Light.”
Full Restoration Glass is more distorting and accurately represents antique window glass made in the 17th and 18th centuries. Its distinct, somewhat “wavy” appearance makes it an excellent choice for colonial-style windows.
Light Restoration Glass is less distorting and is an excellent match for glass found in structures built in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its slight distortion is more pronounced when viewed from a distance, in reflected light, and over a large area, making it ideal for use in windows and doors.
If uncertain about the appropriate amount of distortion, professionals can request samples from Bendheim or send a piece of the original glass to the company to determine the best possible match.
“New antique” window glass offers additional advantages by blending historically accurate aesthetics with modern capabilities and standards. Today, Restoration Glass can be laminated with a special resin interlayer to provide an impact-resistant safety glass, which will remain in place if broken, as well as provide enhanced sound control. Current building codes require safety glass to be installed in doors and sidelites, among others.
Jen Miret is a Communications Manager with Bendheim.
