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This 1:45 Min. video is an appropriate introduction to this study of American cut glass.
Our study looks at the outside forces that affected those that made the glass. We look at the daily turmoil and travails of the workers; their dreams and aspirations, along with the daily grind and boredom. The owners faced larger problems; huge sums invested in a luxury commodity, manufactured during a fickle economy resembling a yo-yo; five tariff changes; a recession or depression in every decade; a dependant work force and always a continual payroll to meet.
To make it more interesting, we tie in a little backgrounds of the cut glass companies' interaction with one another. We learn that industrial espionage is not new to our generation. For example, you will learn how H.P. Sinclaire, while the highest paid employee at Hawkes, met surreptitiously with Dorflinger at a neutral site for the express purpose of sabotaging Hawkes' plans for his company's future. We will evaluate his grievance against Hawkes to see if this drastic action was justified.
Furthermore, we tie the whole story together with a two-sided matrix hand-out. You can follow the information on the TV screen, plus use the matrix as a handy reference without replaying the entire video. The hand-out covers politics, congressional control, populations, tariffs, economics, inventions, music, sports, cut glass, patterns, and the key events each year that impacted on this fragile industry.
If you love american brilliant period cut glass - an understanding of how the workers and owners lived their lives will make your appreciation even greater. |
