Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
Goblet, 1876
Gillinder & Sons
Philadelphia
Glass
Gift of Miss Margaret Currie
In 1861, William T. Gillinder, an experienced glass manufacturer born in England, established the Philadelphia Flint Glass Works. He moved his enterprise to a new location in the city and renamed the business the Franklin Flint Glass works. Edwin Bennett became a partner until Gillinder’s sons, James A. and Frederick R., bought out Bennett’s interest and the business was known as Gillinder & Sons. A successful and growing company in a city with a number of glass manufacturers, Gillinder & Sons became a “feature” of the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. They built a 96 x 109 foot “glass house” at the Centennial Exhibition Grounds in West Philadelphia. Every day Gillinder craftsmen demonstrated the techniques of blowing and pressing glass and decorating by acid-etching, engraving, and cutting. A shop was also in the building where visitors could buy pressed glass souvenirs made on the spot such as canoes, little slippers, toothpick holders, paperweights, and small statues like milk glass busts of Benjamin Franklin. Tablewares were also available including bread plates with a bust of George Washington. A featured item was a glass version of Memorial Hall, the Centennial Exhibition Art Gallery depicted on a printed souvenir handkerchief on view in the Saco Museum main gallery. Visitors to the glass house could even have their purchases personalized with names and dates!
