The history of glass in New ZealandCrown Crystal Glass products in New ZealandThe Auckland Bottle companyContemporary New Zealand glassAppendix: Crown Crystal Glass in Australia.

The second in the London Lampworkers series, this book offers a definitive guide to identify and learn more about Pirelli Glass.Chapter 1 - the people who worked at Pirelli Glass and the history of the company and its products. Chapter 2 - how Pirelli came to work so closely with the famous Scottish paperweight makers Vasart, including the range of Pirelli/Vasart products.Chapter 3 - all the Pirelli glass models from the 1959 company catalogue.Chapter 4 - the glass animal cartoon figures made under license from Disney; and commissions for the Guinness Company, Ferguson and others. Chapter 5 - later glass models from the 60s/70s, known from a later catalogue, from Pirelli advertisements, by their Pirelli labels, or confirmed by the glass artists who made them (Bob Martin/Mick Munns).Chapter 6 - Pirelli Glass decorated tableware and barware. Appendix A- the original 1959 Pirelli Glass catalogue pages. Appendix B - Pirelli Glass original prices.

The purpose of this book is to introduce paperweight collecting to those people who may be interested in these fascinating and mysterious small glass objects, but are not quite ready to start a collection without some basic knowledge. Back in 1969, when my husband and I first became interested in paperweights, information was at a premium. The limited number of books about paperweights were often hard to come by. Occasionally, articles were published in magazines, and once in a while, an article appeared in a newspaper. You were lucky if you heard about the article and luckier still to find a copy! Some wonderful books were published as far back as 1940 when paperweight collector Evangeline Bergstrom’s book Old Glass Paperweights first appeared.* In fact, many old books, paperweight journals, newspaper and magazine articles have become valuable in their own right, now sought after as collectors’ items. The positive side about this paucity of literature was that you read everything you could get your hands on, good, poor or terrific. Today, even the very best of these publications, many still considered top notch, contain at least some information that could be updated and corrected as a result of recent findings. Still, many of these books and articles remain as valuable resources. Since the “Paperweight Renaissance” in the mid twentieth century, the number of available books about paperweights has increased explosively. To consider acquiring and/or reading all of them creates a heavy burden on reader, purse and bookshelf. Some are wonderful, containing well documented information; some are even extraordinary, the result of careful research; and a few are mediocre and will probably end up on the back shelf, the pages barely worn. Before a potential paperweight aficionado becomes confused or overwhelmed by the vast number of books, it seemed there was an opportunity to provide a general view of the topic that could be easily read and referred to at just the right time. It was to meet this perceived need that “Glass Paperweights 101” was written. As the title suggests, this book about glass paperweights is intended as an introduction to and overview of the subject. Should this book inspire readers to delve into these more scholarly works, I will personally consider this introductory volume to have been a great success. After digesting the contents of this purposely limited volume, I hope readers who are new to this area of collecting or perhaps just thinking about it, will be inspired to become impassioned paperweight collectors who will develop a discriminating eye. Great adventures are in store for the new paperweight collector. *This was one of the earliest books published a about paperweights. Although the Bergstrom book contains many inaccuracies, considering the scarcity of available information about paperweights at the time, it is amazing that so much that was written is correct.

"Waterford Crystal - Irish Brilliance" is the story of world renowned lead crystal known as Waterford Crystal and a guide for collectors. The company gets its name from its home in Waterford Ireland. The book covers the company's history from 1783 until its bankruptcy in 2009 along with how the lead crystal is made. Included are most of the suites (patterns/designs) made in Ireland. It is the first complete collector's guide ever printed about the magnificent lead crystal pieces manufactured by Waterford Crystal. It features 101 suites along with detailed drawings that shows each ones distinct pattern, history of their names, date when the Suite was first released. Also illustrated by photographs are the specialty pieces such as trophies, paperweights, sculptures and many "one of a kind" pieces. Price estimates of selected pieces found at the time of the book's publication are included. The Appendix contains details such as names of stemware parts, individual cut names along with pictures of each cut and a Quick Identification Guide for the Suites. The author is best selling author Sharma Krauskopf who lives in Michigan USA. Sharma's vast knowledge about Ireland was gathered by many trips to the country and extensive research needed for her best selling book, Irish Lighthouses. She also is a collector of Waterford Crystal so the book is developed from collector's perspective.

Suppose I were to begin by saying that I had fallen in love with a color . . . A lyrical, philosophical, and often explicit exploration of personal suffering and the limitations of vision and love, as refracted through the color blue. With Bluets, Maggie Nelson has entered the pantheon of brilliant lyric essayists. Maggie Nelson is the author of numerous books of poetry and nonfiction, including Something Bright, Then Holes (Soft Skull Press, 2007) and Women, the New York School, and Other True Abstractions (University of Iowa Press, 2007). She lives in Los Angeles and teaches at the California Institute of the Arts.

Our most popular book! This compact and informative guide provides all the basic information one needs to enter the world of paperweights. It includes histories of the great French glasshouses during the classic period, as well as the revival period of the 1950's, and the current paperweight renaissance. The latest biographies of prominent paperweight artists are provided, with sections about collecting and making paperweights. The insightful 120-page text is generously illustrated with over 200 full-color photographs. All About Paperweights will increase your knowledge and appreciation of this specialized art form. Buy it for your own reference and enjoyment, or as an introductory gift for a friend. Full color.

For 500 years, the world's greatest makers of costume jewelry have hidden, anonymous, in the heart of Europe: Gablonz, Bohemia. This groundbreaking, beautiful book exposes the jewels, craftsmanship, technological development, and history of Bohemia. Almost 400 gorgeous color photographs illustrate the area's artistry, its most significant designers and manufacturers and their contributions to the art of jewelry, button, and bead making. Bohemian glass dynasties lasted for centuries, until the middle of the 20th century, when the entire community of German-stock craftsmen was expelled from the area in the turbulence of World War II. Though Gablonz will forever feel the loss of these great craftsmen, their artistry has been meticulously researched and documented by Sibylle Jargstorf for this book.