American Manufacturers

American Glass Factories

Most of the workers at the American Glass Companies originally came from Europe, where they had apprenticed and worked at French, Bohemian, or British glassworks. They brought with them the skills, techniques, and aesthetics the French companies employed in making their paperweights and other glassware.

American glass companies started in New England and along the eastern seaboard. Deming Jarves became famous for the New England Glass Company and the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company, both of which he helped to found in Massachusetts. Another glassworks represented in the Barker Collection are Whitall Tatum Company in Millville, New Jersey, where Emil Larson worked for several companies. West Virginia also boasted several glass companies, such as Morgantown Glassware Guild and Gentile Glass Company. Other individual American artisans with weights in the collection are Charles Kaziun of Brockton, Massachusetts and Ronald Hansen of Mackinaw City, Michigan.