Special Interest Day - “5000 years of Glass” Andy McConnell from the Antiques Roadshow here at the Steyning Centre!
10.00 - 3.30
SYNOPSIS
The Special Interest Day comprises 3 lectures with appropriate breaks for coffee and lunch. Employing his distinctly light, humorous and spontaneous approach, Andy guides participants through three Ages of Glass through an all digital presentation.Some examples from Andy’s 30,000-piece collection, brought for the Special Interest Day, will be passed amongst those attending at relevant points during the talks.
The separate sessions are:
1: The Introduction
- Introduction about Andy [journalism, Antiques Roadshow, etc.]
- The Dawn of Glass, how it was first made in the Middle East, c3000BC.
- The discovery of glass-blowing, c50BC.
- The spread of glass from the Middle East to Venice, c1400, then on to Britain.
2: Georgian & Victorian Glass
This session examines the growth of fine glassmaking across Europe, but most specifically in Britain, between1700-1900.
Lunch
3: Swedish Glass
The 20th century witnessed the greatest transformation in the role of decorative glass since it was first formed 5,000 years ago. Historically, glassware had been the preserve of the wealthy but industrialisation, improving technologies and the enrichment of the working classes combined a point where it was given away free at petrol filling stations. This talk examines the emergence of new but significant glassmaking nations and the stylistic development of what was known as ‘fancy glass’ over the course of the 20th century.
4: Appraisal of pieces brought along by guests attending.