History of Lampworking
When I first got started glassblowing, I had to make a choice: go big or go home. Just kidding, actually the choice was between lampworking and furnace work, and I picked a third choice: go small. The smallness of working at the torch appealed to me, both as a meditation and also I liked the precision and gentleness it required.
The earliest known vessels were called "core formed", and were created by placing materials such as grass and dirt at the end of a metal rod, forming the interior of the vessel. This dirt core would act as a mold when the glass was placed over it and also prevent the glass from sticking to the rod.
You can learn more about the history of glassblowing here, and maybe I'll go over the history of the torch in more detail later.
Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash
A Brief History of Lampworking
Early Glassworking
We can go further back though before my story ever began. The earliest torches weren't torches at all, but rather small furnaces with an opening at the top that all the heat was forced through. In this small heated hole, glasswork could be done. Such torches go back thousands of years.The earliest known vessels were called "core formed", and were created by placing materials such as grass and dirt at the end of a metal rod, forming the interior of the vessel. This dirt core would act as a mold when the glass was placed over it and also prevent the glass from sticking to the rod.
The Blowpipe
At some point around 0 B.C., someone discovered that if you gathered the glass with a tube instead of a rod you could blow into the tube and cause the glass to form a vessel. Being able to blow vessels rather than core form them allowed for far more intricate shapes and artistry. At this point, glassblowing was born.The Lamp
You might be wondering, why is it called lampworking anyway? The reason is the very first torches were, in fact, oil-burning lamps. By forcing a stream of air through the flame, the flame became much hotter and more focused. This "torch" could now be used for glassblowing. These were eventually replaced by modern torches, which combine oxygen and propane to form a highly focused flame.Borosilicate Glass
Borosilicate Glass, commonly known as Pyrex, was the next major innovation in glassblowing. Invented in Corning, New York, this new form of glass was more stable, less heat-sensitive, and lighter than the glass previously used. This is the kind of glass I use today!You can learn more about the history of glassblowing here, and maybe I'll go over the history of the torch in more detail later.
Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash