Encyclopedia of Glass Paperweights, The
by: Paul Hollister, Jr.
1969, Bramhall House, NY, NY
318 pages, $60. hardcover
also 1986, Paperweight Press, Santa Cruz, CA softcover $24.50
flyleaf: “Until this book, there has been no comprehensive study of glass paperweights. Encyclopedic in scope and copiously illustrated, it surveys the entire history of the subject, from an exploration of the origins of millefiori techniques in the 18th Dynasty Egypt to the latest paperweight developments the world over.
A dozen major discoveries enliven the pages of this important book. These include the pinpointing of men and glassworks that did and did not make paperweights, and the discovery of Bohemia-Silesia, as an initial source of paperweights. Many types of paperweights are identified for the first time.
Within sections devoted to paperweight-making by country are histories of all major and most minor glassworks, with detailed studies of every type and variation of paperweight they made. A significant chapter on the Great Exhibition of 1851 relates paperweights to the culture of the Victorian period. Other chapters deal with sulphides, modern paperweights, and the scientific examination of paperweight glass.
A complete glossary of terms, an exhaustive biography of pertinent glass literature, and a list of museums with paperweight collections are indications of the vast amount of research required for this book. For collectors, scholars, or anyone interested in the decorative arts, it will become the standard text.”
This book, published 40 years ago is still one of the most referenced book in the field. It is a must have for any paperweight or glass library!
