New American Cut Glass Catalog for 2011

John Hoare's Scrapbooks

John Hoare, with partners, established a cutting shop in Brooklyn, NY in 1853.  He obtained blanks from (undoubtedly there were other sources) the Brooklyn Flint Glass Works.  His firm produced terrific cut glass for 68 years!
The Brooklyn Flint Glass Works, shortly to move and become the Corning Flint Glass Works, offered space for a cutting shop to Mr. Hoare’s firm as an inducement to make the move to Corning with them in 1868.  The relocated Hoare cut glass firm was a major success and it was in business in Corning, NY and Wellsboro, PA for many years, producing much of the finest American Brilliant Cut Glass before going out of business in 1921.

One of the treasures in the collection of the Rakow Library (an arm of The Corning Museum of Glass and the world’s Library of Record for things glass related) is a pair of very large and heavy scrapbooks that the Hoare firm used for years to save photographs and drawings of their wares and often the wares of their competitors. The first scrapbook fell victim to the Flood of 1972 and is no longer extant as such.  It was re-assembled in four new volumes in 1985 by ACGA volunteers.  The second scrapbook was donated to the Rakow by ACGA members, Jim and Carol Parks and survives intact, if fragile.  The Rakow Library granted the ACGA a rare opportunity to digitize selected material from both scrapbooks, and this material forms the basis for our new catalog.  The illustration is a teaser – it’s a kerosene lamp cut by Hoare, 26” tall.  Its wholesale price in the late 1890s was $70.

To order, fill out the form below and mail it along with your check to Mrs. Kathy Emmerson, ACGA Executive Secretary, P. O. Box 482, Ramona, CA 92065-0482.  More information on the ACGA can be found on our website, www.cutglass.org