Week Four

Watch the video below:


Glass Test from Wes Neal on Vimeo.

Why do you think the different glasses made different sounds?  Do not be tempted to simply say that they are different sizes and shapes.  Use what we have learned so far about glass making, as well as your own research to draw your conclusions.  Using this information, why do you think that different glass looks different.  Be specific in your answer, record it as a video or AudioBoo, and post it to your blog.

Glass Towns: Salem, WV

Salem, West Virginia has a long past of glass making beginning with Salem Lamp Chimney Company in 1901. This soon lead to various other glass factories opening in the area, specializing in chimney and window glass. Over the years, glass companies began production of other products including stemware, barware, lighting ware, novelties, and art glass.

Salem glass factories over the years include:

     Salem Lamp Chimney Company (1901-1907)

          lamp chimneys 

     Rand Lamp Chimney Company (1903)

          lamp chimneys

     Salem Window Glass Company (1905-1907)

          window glass

     Salem Co-Operative Window Glass Company (1908-1925)

          window glass

     Modern Window Glass Company (1910-1927)

          window glass

     Alliance Window Glass Company (1915-1928)

          window glass

     Paramount Window Glass Company (1920-1924)

          window glass

     Salem Flint Glass Company (1922-1925)

          lamp chimneys, electric globes and shades

     McBride Glass Company (1927-1962)

          tableware, stemware, lamp chimneys, novelties 

     Alley Glass Company (1928)

          novelties

     Harrison Glass Company (1928-1930)

          perfume and boudoir items

     Glass Products Company (1958-1965)

          lamp chimneys, electric shades and chimneys, milk glass

     Alco Glassware Corp. (1958-1979)

     The Salem Glass Company (1958-1966)

          lamp chimneys, stemware

     Minners Glass Company (1966-1976)

          tableware, stemware, vases, lamp chimneys

     Harglo Glass ( 1976)

          tableware, stemware

     Judel Glass (1985-2005)

          tableware, barware, stemware

     K&R Glassworks (2010-   )

          paperweights, novelties 

Water Street, Salem, WV

Like many glass towns, most of Salem's factories closed down decades ago.   Judel Glass was the last factory to produce any notable quantity of glass.  Specializing in high quality tableware, barware, and stemware, for hotels, bars, and restaurants, they closed their doors in 2005.  

Judel Glass, 2008

What are some specific reasons that these glass towns have become no more?  Think about what we have learned so far, and apply that to specific towns such as Salem.  Do some outside investigation, and choose a glass town where the industry has dried up, presenting your findings in a post similar to this one.  Be sure to include the town's history, the companies that have come and gone, as well as any surviving remnants of glass manufacturing.

Week Three

This is an interesting video showcasing the state of many glass factories in the country today: dilapidation and decay.
Glass House from rustyjaw on Vimeo.
Knowing what you've already learned about the early glass industry in West Virginia, why do you think that glass factories have been reduced to the state shown in the video compared with their former glory. Remember to address issues such as natural resources, environmental concerns and economics in your answer.

Week Two

This week I have provided an Audioboo giving a brief overview of what we have done in class over the past two weeks. Not only is this my first Audioboo, it is my first podcast. Generally speaking, I hate hearing recordings of myself, and that much has not changed. Be that as it may however, I did not wholly hate this experience; in fact, I think it could be really helpful for students. Just as blogging in general was not particularly comfortable for me at first, I have become used to and enjoy it now. By getting students out of their comfort zones, they are forced to try new things and become better at adapting. A simple task such as Audiobooing (is that a word?) not only hones students' communication skills by forcing them to articulate JUST what they want to say (they only have three minutes, remember), but they also have to practice embedding it into their blog. Hopefully as they practice these skills, things will flow rather than succumb to being random thoughts flung onto the screen.

listen to ‘Week two post’ on Audioboo

Week One

Glass manufacturing has a storied history in West Virginia. While coal is definitely the industry most associated with the state, in the past glass factories employed a huge number of workers, and contributed greatly to West Virginia's economy. Research West Virgina's glass history, and compare the number of factories there were in the past to the number that survive today. Where were these factories located, and why? Think about natural resources, as well as the transportation at the time. What ecological impact do you suppose these factories had? Again consider transportation, raw materials, fuel supplies. Finally, why do you suppose this industry has all but dried up in recent year?   

Respond to these questions, and include a map placing some of the prominent past glass factories to better illustrate your arguments (in regards to the reason they were there in the first place). Remember that West Virgina's unique geographical features have lent themselves to its history; focus on them, but do not discount other factors such as culture.