Black glass

[erik winkler]

When Kelly, Pat, Inga and I visited the Czech Republic, a few years ago, we saw some beautifull black glass tombstones and shopfronts.
Since then I have searched the whole world to get this black glass, but it seemed to be not available anymore for decades now.
Only one company in the us promoted this glass in a recycled form from old buildings.

After a lot of inquiering and searching, I have been able to get my hands on this beautifull glass and now sell it.
It can be placed as wallcovering for bathroooms, kitchen splashbacks, table tops, sandblasted and then gilded for many signage related objects etc.

I made a newsletter on my website where my conclusion on the history around this glasstype is written down.
There you can find some of the photo's I made, found and were given. Some of them, Czech Republic, where made by Kelly who was so kind to give them to me.
Hope you find it just as intruiging as I do.
Article on black glass

If you have any extra information about this type of glass it would be greatly appreciated.

[Kelly Thorson]

Nice Eric, I'm glad you managed to find a source. There is no supplier in North America, but Dasha had told me there were two left in Europe.
The black glass is beautiful and nothing I've seen can come close to making gilding pop like it does! I've managed to find some salvaged pieces for the projects I need but it is pricey. However I'm sure shipping it from Europe would also be. You've really embraced this glass work and your progress is a treat to see.

[erik winkler]

Kelly it so beautfull seing it gilded.
Pat will be stocking this type of glass in the us and will be the American wholesaler.

[Kelly Thorson]

Try glue chipping some for me, I've always wanted to see how that would turn out. I'd suspect if you chipped it, it wouldn't look as nice because of the areas that would stay blasted would have too much contrast, but if polished or etched with acid after I think it would look lovely. Mica acid etching might be pretty sweet as well. It's a whole other game when you take away the opacity, but I think there could be some real potential for sandblasting etching too. I'm glad to hear Pat might carry it.

[erik winkler]

I saw one photo on the angelgilding site and found another one through google..

black glue chip.jpg (16.7 KiB) Viewed 11399 times

black_glue_chip.jpg (60.73 KiB) Viewed 11412 times

[Billie DeBekker]

Read your post on FB.. That glass is AWESOME.. I can not wait till Pat gets some.. I will definitely be ordering some from Pat as soon as he gets some in.

[Kent Smith]

Nice to see this glass again, I will keep it in mind for future projects.

[pat mackle]

This black glass has a lot of potential. I look forward to conducting some tests in bending, slumping, as well as either fusing or stack gluing it in preparation towards cold working into glass elements and art pieces.

[erik winkler]

Here a name plate I made with some 23,75 carat gold leaf.
Lovely medium to work with and in real it looks very chique.

[pat mackle]

There is a 1950's jewelry store front here in town and the front of the building is clad in a glossy black glass that was popular on store facades, it was a product called "Vitrolite" and came in a range of colors and a textured backside to hold the mastic adhesive. Sometimes these glass panels were deep etched with store names and art deco motifs.

[Lee Littlewood]

Is this what LeBlanc called "Carrera Glass"? he said it was good to gild on, for building directories and such.

I didn't know it was rare, although it seems it was most fashionable in the 40s/50s. I've seen building fronts in black, blue and a dusty red. I'll bet it is hard to salvage - prying glass off a wall.....

[erik winkler]

Yes it is

[Kent Smith]

Nice classic signs Erik. Carrara was a trade name for Vitrolite, also a Libby-Owens Ford trade name if I remember correctly.