Hand made glass

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Kourtney, glass is made today by pouring the molten glass out on a puddle of molten lead or mercury. The glass sheet floats on top of the molten metal, hence the name float glass. There is no transfer of the metal to the glass and the process actually is continuous.

Before this process was available, glass was made in batches and poured out onto a metal sheet. Only one side was sort of flat and there were many dirt inclusions and bubbles in the glass. Another aspect is that the size of the batches was small and the larger the piece of glass, the more expensive it was. That's why old windows have many small panes of glass (called lights) than the bigger panes we have today.

Because of the "defects" in the old glass, many people with old houses replace their broken glass with other glass that is as old. You can easily see the difference. Places that handle architectural antiques may deal in old glass. If you want to sell yours, or just get a price, start by checking your phone book or search the internet for architectural antique dealers in your area.

Henry in MI