Product Description

Twentieth-century glass is going from strength to strength, its key appeal being the current availability and affordability of the pieces. The difficulty with this booming collecting area is that the glass rarely bears marks that identify its maker. For the first time ever, this guide identifies over 2,000 pieces of readily available glass, shedding light on a previously un-identified mass of highly collectable glass. A comprehensive introduction gives tips on identification, collecting, buying, and a review of the history of 20th-century glass and country-by-country developments and innovations. Key factories are then explored, presented in alphabetical order, each with a key facts box. Within each factory, the work of their main designers is presented in stunning visual timelines that provide a unique at-a-glance view of their development. Those who want to take a further step and trace the work of specific factories and designers as they progressed over the decades will find this feature invaluable. The book highlights important factories such as Holmegaard (Denmark) and Iittala (Finland), and celebrated designers including Per Lutken, Timo Sarpaneva, Nanny Still, and Alexander Hardie Williamson, alongside less well-known but increasingly collectable makers. Photographs include marks and original design drawings and advertising, and value codes are provided for each item.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #276063 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 144 pages

About the Author
Andy McConnell is a journalist and leading authority on antique glass. His hoard of some 20,000 pieces of glass probably ranks as the world's largest private collection. Andy's recent, critically acclaimed book, The Decanter, An Illustrated History of Glass from 1650, provides a definitive guide to the history of European and American glassmaking. He writes regularly for numerous magazines and serves as the glass specialist on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow and the 20th Century Roadshow.

Customer Reviews

A MUST-HAVE BOOK....
If you go round car boot sales or antiques fairs or surf on Ebay and are interested in 20th century glass you really HAVE to buy this book. The photography is wonderful and unlike most other books which concentrate on the high end stuff you never can find, Andy McConnell includes the type of thing you really will find when you are out and about. He has gone back to the factory archives too so many previously unrecorded pieces are now identified. This really is a wonderful book and who knows, you might recoup the cost of it with your first find!

The best book on the market covering this subject
If you want to find out about 20th century glass, indentify where and when it was made, and get a rough guide to its value, you will be had pressed to find a better book than this.
Andy is the BBC Antiques Roadshow expert, and with a personl collection of several mthousand glasses, really knows his stuff. he also cares about the everyday glass used by our parents and grandparents, not just the magnificent pieces locked up in dusty museum cabinets to gawp at!
I have yet to find a better book on the market covering thsi subject with a wide trawl of British, Scandinavian, East European and American Glass. His appreiation of the many talented designers is evident as is the love of his subject and his enthousisam.
It deserves to be published in a paperback edition and be on the bokshelf of all glass collectors as the ieal reference book!