Early American Glass History
GREETINGS FROM MALLORYTOWN: WELCOME COLIN CHEVARIE
MATT JOHNSON: BOSTON & REDWOOD
MATT JOHNSON AND AMASA MALLORY: THE MALLORYTOWN GLASS WORKS, ONTARIO, CANADA
MATT JOHNSON AND JOHN RICE: THE HARRISBURG GLASS WORKS HARRISBURG NEW YORK
MATT JOHNSON & DELLA CURTIS: THE HARRISBURG LILY PAD DECANTER IN AQUAMARINE
MATT JOHNSON: REDFORD, KEENE, STODDARD AND NEW JERSY: TO BE CONTINUED:
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Mallorytown aqua jug 1839 to 1841
GREETINGS FROM MALLORYTOWN: WELCOME COLIN CHEVARIE
We would like to welcome Collin Chevarie, from Mallorytown, Ontario, Canada, to the wonderful world of Glass collecting. Colin is 26 years old, a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, who at present just happens to live next door to the Mallorytown Glass Works site, literally next door. This glass works has been steeped in mystery for years, experts doubted its very existence prior to 1940, but exist it did! I got a call from Collin who explained that he was looking for glass made at the Mallorytown Glass Works.
I explained that was a tall order, but I just happened to have something in my collection that I refused to sell over the years, a simple aqua hat, but what a hat. I purchased the hat nearly 35 years ago from elderly antiques dealer who lived in the vicinity of Watertown, NY. The hat was represented to me as Canadian, I knew nothing of Mallorytown, so when it was explained that the whimsy came from the Canadian village of Mallorytown, I assumed it was taken up there from New York where it was made.
Colin is actively seeking out glass made at the Mallorytown factory, he is also intent on collecting glass from upper New York State, especially Redwood, Harrisburg & Redford, we wish him all the luck in the world and happy hunting! We are hoping to collaborate with Collin in efforts to organize a dig at the Mallorytown site sometime in the near future. We would like to ad that Collin was able to provide some early historical account of Mallorytown, which makes mention of gaffer Matt Johnson and his relationship with Amasa Mallory and his role at the glass works. This new information ties into the account of The Harrisburg Glass Works , NY, imparted to the McKearins by Della Curtis , the descendant of the owner of the Harrisburg Glass ; we thank you Collin for the important information, I assure you it will be well received by all! Who says Millennial’s only buy IKEA?
We would like to welcome Collin Chevarie, from Mallorytown, Ontario, Canada, to the wonderful world of Glass collecting. Colin is 26 years old, a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, who at present just happens to live next door to the Mallorytown Glass Works site, literally next door. This glass works has been steeped in mystery for years, experts doubted its very existence prior to 1940, but exist it did! I got a call from Collin who explained that he was looking for glass made at the Mallorytown Glass Works.
I explained that was a tall order, but I just happened to have something in my collection that I refused to sell over the years, a simple aqua hat, but what a hat. I purchased the hat nearly 35 years ago from elderly antiques dealer who lived in the vicinity of Watertown, NY. The hat was represented to me as Canadian, I knew nothing of Mallorytown, so when it was explained that the whimsy came from the Canadian village of Mallorytown, I assumed it was taken up there from New York where it was made.
Colin is actively seeking out glass made at the Mallorytown factory, he is also intent on collecting glass from upper New York State, especially Redwood, Harrisburg & Redford, we wish him all the luck in the world and happy hunting! We are hoping to collaborate with Collin in efforts to organize a dig at the Mallorytown site sometime in the near future. We would like to ad that Collin was able to provide some early historical account of Mallorytown, which makes mention of gaffer Matt Johnson and his relationship with Amasa Mallory and his role at the glass works. This new information ties into the account of The Harrisburg Glass Works , NY, imparted to the McKearins by Della Curtis , the descendant of the owner of the Harrisburg Glass ; we thank you Collin for the important information, I assure you it will be well received by all! Who says Millennial’s only buy IKEA?
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Matt Johnson lily pad Sugar bowl with rare superimposed horizontal band around the lid with reverse lily pad type 2/swag decoration; this decoration is identical to the decoration on the diminutive olive green decanter.
1-MATT JOHNSON: BOSTON & REDWOOD
Matt Johnson would have undoubtedly reached master blower status in Ireland as a young man, a talent on the rise. Going to America was probably not a cold call, more than likely he was sent for, or in communication with persons in the business of glass making. In 1831 Matt Johnson left Ireland for Boston. While in Boston, it s possible he worked at either the Boston Glass Manufactory, the Cains glass Factory, or the New England Glass Works. After several years in Boston, Johnson would have undoubtedly been exposed to the notoriety of Boston’s Thomas Cains, perhaps influenced by his work. That this new journey may have caused Johnson to adapt new techniques and perfect his skills are logical, especially the applied swag technique as well as gadrooning. There may have been some prior connection with John Foster who once operated at the Boston Glass Manufactory. Foster was a maker of “Window Glass”, working in the early days at the Vermont Glass Factory and Later Chelmsford, eventually Foster would go to Redford. In 1833 Foster built and opened the Redwood Glass Factory upon leaving Redford. For reasons unknown, Matt Johnson left for the wilds of upper New York State sometime between late 1833 and 1834. His destination was the newly constructed glass house at Redwood ! This is further evidence of a possible connection between Foster and Johnson. What transpired over the next four to five years at Redwood is unknown, but there were probably serious problems between Foster and Johnson in regard to Johnson’s behavior, namely his drinking.
Matt Johnson would have undoubtedly reached master blower status in Ireland as a young man, a talent on the rise. Going to America was probably not a cold call, more than likely he was sent for, or in communication with persons in the business of glass making. In 1831 Matt Johnson left Ireland for Boston. While in Boston, it s possible he worked at either the Boston Glass Manufactory, the Cains glass Factory, or the New England Glass Works. After several years in Boston, Johnson would have undoubtedly been exposed to the notoriety of Boston’s Thomas Cains, perhaps influenced by his work. That this new journey may have caused Johnson to adapt new techniques and perfect his skills are logical, especially the applied swag technique as well as gadrooning. There may have been some prior connection with John Foster who once operated at the Boston Glass Manufactory. Foster was a maker of “Window Glass”, working in the early days at the Vermont Glass Factory and Later Chelmsford, eventually Foster would go to Redford. In 1833 Foster built and opened the Redwood Glass Factory upon leaving Redford. For reasons unknown, Matt Johnson left for the wilds of upper New York State sometime between late 1833 and 1834. His destination was the newly constructed glass house at Redwood ! This is further evidence of a possible connection between Foster and Johnson. What transpired over the next four to five years at Redwood is unknown, but there were probably serious problems between Foster and Johnson in regard to Johnson’s behavior, namely his drinking.
2 - THE MALLORYTOWN GLASS WORKS, ONTARIO, CANADA
In 1839 Matt Johnson met Amasa Mallory who had a farm in Mallorytown, Ontario, about 45 minutes away from Redwood by car. Johnson upon hearing rumors about the building of a glass operation across the border went up to Canada to seek out Amasa Mallory. Johnson convinced Amasa to hire him and fund the entire operation. This new glass venture, not far from Redwood, N.Y., was destined to become Canada’s first Glass Works.
Mallorytown in 1839 was not an ideal location for a glass factory. While the local sand and limestone were of good quality, poor transportation made the project more difficult, and the factory was established in a structure which today would be considered virtually impossible to work in. It was a tough time to start a glass factory in this area out in the wilderness with poor transportation, no railways to bring in coal, no railways to move your product to market, no railways to bring in the soda or lime or even the Potsdam sandstone that they used. Trying to set up something like this was a very tough job. Amasa Mallory, then 20 years old, was not going to be stopped. He had log buildings assembled; three main furnaces installed, and thus started his glass factory.
Could you imagine working out of a log cabin, continuously burning wood to make glass? It must have been “Hell.”! You can only try to imagine running a glass factory with a couple thousand degrees of glass cooking in the oven, and doing this in a log structure? Betty Crocker this was not! The temperatures inside for working were horrible, which tended to make things in general more difficult. Yes indeed! Johnson and Mallory stayed away from window glass production. It was agreed that they would make utilitarian ware, tableware, and whimsies. Occasional bottles & flasks were made but not to any production standard. We don’t know exactly how long the glass factory actually existed, but it was about one year and certainly no more than two. It is said that the unreliability of Johnson closed the glass factory in the end. One of the reasons given as to why the glass house closed was… “It closed because Matt kept showing up for work in an inebriated state or just didn’t show up at all, and finally Amasa Mallory decided he had enough and said ‘we’re done’.” Sadly, there were no other experts in the area that Mallory could get that could take Johnson's place. Redwood’s people were proficient in the art of crown glass making; they were not tableware or hollowware experts. Mallory and Johnson were done, it was1841, where did Johnson go next????
In 1839 Matt Johnson met Amasa Mallory who had a farm in Mallorytown, Ontario, about 45 minutes away from Redwood by car. Johnson upon hearing rumors about the building of a glass operation across the border went up to Canada to seek out Amasa Mallory. Johnson convinced Amasa to hire him and fund the entire operation. This new glass venture, not far from Redwood, N.Y., was destined to become Canada’s first Glass Works.
Mallorytown in 1839 was not an ideal location for a glass factory. While the local sand and limestone were of good quality, poor transportation made the project more difficult, and the factory was established in a structure which today would be considered virtually impossible to work in. It was a tough time to start a glass factory in this area out in the wilderness with poor transportation, no railways to bring in coal, no railways to move your product to market, no railways to bring in the soda or lime or even the Potsdam sandstone that they used. Trying to set up something like this was a very tough job. Amasa Mallory, then 20 years old, was not going to be stopped. He had log buildings assembled; three main furnaces installed, and thus started his glass factory.
Could you imagine working out of a log cabin, continuously burning wood to make glass? It must have been “Hell.”! You can only try to imagine running a glass factory with a couple thousand degrees of glass cooking in the oven, and doing this in a log structure? Betty Crocker this was not! The temperatures inside for working were horrible, which tended to make things in general more difficult. Yes indeed! Johnson and Mallory stayed away from window glass production. It was agreed that they would make utilitarian ware, tableware, and whimsies. Occasional bottles & flasks were made but not to any production standard. We don’t know exactly how long the glass factory actually existed, but it was about one year and certainly no more than two. It is said that the unreliability of Johnson closed the glass factory in the end. One of the reasons given as to why the glass house closed was… “It closed because Matt kept showing up for work in an inebriated state or just didn’t show up at all, and finally Amasa Mallory decided he had enough and said ‘we’re done’.” Sadly, there were no other experts in the area that Mallory could get that could take Johnson's place. Redwood’s people were proficient in the art of crown glass making; they were not tableware or hollowware experts. Mallory and Johnson were done, it was1841, where did Johnson go next????
3 - 1841 MATT JOHNSON AND JOHN RICE: THE HARRISBURG GLASS WORKS HARRISBURG NEW YORK
Written by George McKearin
In the year 1841 John Rice became acquainted with a man named Johnson, a skilled glass Blower by trade. They agreed to start a glass works, Mr. Rice to put up the capital, and Johnson to do the work. Early that fall Rice built a log factory a short distance from his home. A brick oven was constructed in the glass house; the sand was drawn from Dexter, a distance of 30 miles. Mr. Rice took Mr. Johnson and his family, consisting of his wife and two children, into his home and boarded them as he did also one, sometimes two hired to work at the factory. He had an understanding that Johnson would work without pay until the cost of the materials was met and they would then share alike on any profits. No window glass was made but glassware such as pitchers, sugar bowls, sauce dishes, and similar tableware’s were made for local sale. A good share of the glass was disposed at Watertown. They had a great many visitors from different places, who were given some pieces and who purchased others. It was a paying project at first but in a short time Johnson would make an excuse that the blowpipes or other tools needed fixing in the nearby blacksmith shop and would wind up in a hotel near the shop where he would become intoxicated, leaving lass material that had been placed in the oven to burn. Frequently, Mr. Rice would return from Dexter or Watertown with materials for the works and provisions for both families expecting to find quantities of glass ready for market only to find that Johnson had been on another spree (Bender) and the glass in the ovens ruined. Matters continued thus until the late Spring of 1842 when Mr. Rice stated he could no longer stand the financial loss. Mrs. Rice would plead for the sake of Mrs. Johnson and the children another trial be given and Johnson would promise to do better. However, in a short time he would slip away again paying for his liquor with pieces of glass. After several trials Mr. Rice abandoned the project.
Written by George McKearin
In the year 1841 John Rice became acquainted with a man named Johnson, a skilled glass Blower by trade. They agreed to start a glass works, Mr. Rice to put up the capital, and Johnson to do the work. Early that fall Rice built a log factory a short distance from his home. A brick oven was constructed in the glass house; the sand was drawn from Dexter, a distance of 30 miles. Mr. Rice took Mr. Johnson and his family, consisting of his wife and two children, into his home and boarded them as he did also one, sometimes two hired to work at the factory. He had an understanding that Johnson would work without pay until the cost of the materials was met and they would then share alike on any profits. No window glass was made but glassware such as pitchers, sugar bowls, sauce dishes, and similar tableware’s were made for local sale. A good share of the glass was disposed at Watertown. They had a great many visitors from different places, who were given some pieces and who purchased others. It was a paying project at first but in a short time Johnson would make an excuse that the blowpipes or other tools needed fixing in the nearby blacksmith shop and would wind up in a hotel near the shop where he would become intoxicated, leaving lass material that had been placed in the oven to burn. Frequently, Mr. Rice would return from Dexter or Watertown with materials for the works and provisions for both families expecting to find quantities of glass ready for market only to find that Johnson had been on another spree (Bender) and the glass in the ovens ruined. Matters continued thus until the late Spring of 1842 when Mr. Rice stated he could no longer stand the financial loss. Mrs. Rice would plead for the sake of Mrs. Johnson and the children another trial be given and Johnson would promise to do better. However, in a short time he would slip away again paying for his liquor with pieces of glass. After several trials Mr. Rice abandoned the project.
4 - MATT JOHNSON & DELLA CURTIS: THE HARRISBURG LILY PAD DECANTER IN AQUAMARINE
In Glass International’s Auction Number 2, a lily pad decanter was sold to the late Michael Brown, curator for the Houston Museum of Art, Bayou Bend. The decanter sold for $ 24,000. What is interesting is, who consigned it, and what we were about to learn. This unique type 2 lily pad decanter was given to us by the great grandson of Della Curtis, of Watertown NY; Della’s grandfather was John Rice the owner of the short lived Harrisburg Glass Works, Harrisburg, N.Y. Apparently this decanter had surfaced in the 1960’s at an estate sale around Watertown which is a hop skip from both Mallorytown, Ontario, Canada, and Harrisburg, New York. It was Michael Brown’s mother who tried to buy this in the 60’s, so when Michael saw the ad for the upcoming auction and read the description, as he put it, “every word was true.” Michael bought this bottle for his mother first and foremost; she must have been shocked upon the news that he had purchased it at auction for her. Anyway, Michael’s mother passed away about 11 years ago, and unfortunately Michael recently passed away as well, probably three years ago. The decanter is today in the Houston Museum of Fine Arts Bayou Bend, gifted to the museum by the Brown family, accession number B-2015.5, attributed to none other than Mathew Johnson.
If not for Della Curtis, McKearin would not know about Harrisburg, therefore, nether would we; it was Della that told George McKearin all she knew.
In Glass International’s Auction Number 2, a lily pad decanter was sold to the late Michael Brown, curator for the Houston Museum of Art, Bayou Bend. The decanter sold for $ 24,000. What is interesting is, who consigned it, and what we were about to learn. This unique type 2 lily pad decanter was given to us by the great grandson of Della Curtis, of Watertown NY; Della’s grandfather was John Rice the owner of the short lived Harrisburg Glass Works, Harrisburg, N.Y. Apparently this decanter had surfaced in the 1960’s at an estate sale around Watertown which is a hop skip from both Mallorytown, Ontario, Canada, and Harrisburg, New York. It was Michael Brown’s mother who tried to buy this in the 60’s, so when Michael saw the ad for the upcoming auction and read the description, as he put it, “every word was true.” Michael bought this bottle for his mother first and foremost; she must have been shocked upon the news that he had purchased it at auction for her. Anyway, Michael’s mother passed away about 11 years ago, and unfortunately Michael recently passed away as well, probably three years ago. The decanter is today in the Houston Museum of Fine Arts Bayou Bend, gifted to the museum by the Brown family, accession number B-2015.5, attributed to none other than Mathew Johnson.
If not for Della Curtis, McKearin would not know about Harrisburg, therefore, nether would we; it was Della that told George McKearin all she knew.
5 - REDFORD, KEENE, STODDARD AND NEW JERSEY: TO BE CONTINUED:
In a quick summary, between the years 1842 and 1854, Johnson worked at great deal of that time at the Redford Glass Works. One of his greatest contributions is the quality and quantity of glass he made at Redford: mostly high end window glass was used. Those 12 long years probably saw him in South Jersey; most assuredly at the Waterford glass Works and the early Millville Glass Works. The reasoning for this lies in examples of his work that can be directly attributed to those particular glass works. That Johnson made pitchers and sugar bowls in New Jersey for a brief period is unquestionable and can be proven by comparative analyses of his work; about eight pieces are known, seven pitchers. in about 1855, we find Matt Johnson in Keene. There even exits an account in the public record with Matt being arrested for public drunkenness, disturbing the peace, and hoisting a flag. Here too, regarding his time at the Keene Glass Factory, are the examples of his work that can be directly connected to glassware produced at Keene. In 1860, Matt Johnson was employed at the Stoddard Glass Work, Stoddard, New Hampshire. He had just turned 50 years of age that year and brought his entire family along with him. His oldest son was also a glass blower at Stoddard. Johnson was at Stoddard for about four years, gone in 1864! There can be little doubt that Johnson’s creations at Stoddard were the epitome of perfection and define his entire career, his type -3 dark amber pitchers made at Stoddard are beyond the scope of anything made before or after in this genre.
In a quick summary, between the years 1842 and 1854, Johnson worked at great deal of that time at the Redford Glass Works. One of his greatest contributions is the quality and quantity of glass he made at Redford: mostly high end window glass was used. Those 12 long years probably saw him in South Jersey; most assuredly at the Waterford glass Works and the early Millville Glass Works. The reasoning for this lies in examples of his work that can be directly attributed to those particular glass works. That Johnson made pitchers and sugar bowls in New Jersey for a brief period is unquestionable and can be proven by comparative analyses of his work; about eight pieces are known, seven pitchers. in about 1855, we find Matt Johnson in Keene. There even exits an account in the public record with Matt being arrested for public drunkenness, disturbing the peace, and hoisting a flag. Here too, regarding his time at the Keene Glass Factory, are the examples of his work that can be directly connected to glassware produced at Keene. In 1860, Matt Johnson was employed at the Stoddard Glass Work, Stoddard, New Hampshire. He had just turned 50 years of age that year and brought his entire family along with him. His oldest son was also a glass blower at Stoddard. Johnson was at Stoddard for about four years, gone in 1864! There can be little doubt that Johnson’s creations at Stoddard were the epitome of perfection and define his entire career, his type -3 dark amber pitchers made at Stoddard are beyond the scope of anything made before or after in this genre.