The Herald Dispatch features an article today about Owens Corning's need for more recycled glass. The article titled, Ohio Seeks More Recycled Glass, tells how Owens needs more recycled glass in their fiberglass insulation manufacturing process. They state, as we learned this summer, that using recycled glass brings down their production costs. They also state that it has become part of their business model and the recycled glass helps with their energy-certificates.
They plan to target bars and taverns to get their patrons to recycles their glass (beer) bottles. Currently, over 90% of those bottles go into the trash.
This blog will explore the history of glass and ceramics production in West Virginia and the surrounding area. The blog will be used in classrooms in Cabell County Schools and other West Virginia classrooms.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
Fiesta Dinnerware on American Restoration
I was watching some DVR events today and came across an episode of American Restoration where they were refurbishing a uranium detector. They consulted with the National Atomic Testing Museum on the detector and even got a sample of uranium to prove to the owner that the detector was in good working order. The museum gave them a red Fiesta dinnerware cup and saucer to test the detector. As we discussed in our study, much of the ceramic dinnerware produced prior to the 1970's used uranium oxide in its red dinnerware. As a result, there was a detectable amount of radiation in the dinnerware.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Blowing Pittsburgh Glass Center Away
We finished up our week long trip exploring glass and ceramics at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. There we were able to watch skilled artisans make glass art and blow our own glass art creations. This was a great culmination to our trip as we go to create glass ornaments in any color combination we chose.
1. You see Kelly and Bekka blow an orb or glass ball ornament above. How do you believe the art piece above was created?
2. Why would glass models be useful to scientists?
Mural on the outside of the Glass Center |
There were many colors of frit that could be chosen for our ornaments |
Kelly provides the blowing power for Bekka's ornament. |
Glass artists adhere a new glob of molten glass to hone the bottom of the ornament |
A speckled ornament that is being blown |
A new piece of glass is pulled into a handle to hang the ornament |
1. You see Kelly and Bekka blow an orb or glass ball ornament above. How do you believe the art piece above was created?
2. Why would glass models be useful to scientists?
Friday, July 19, 2013
Phipps Conservatory
Our second trip of the day saw us visit the Phipps Conservatory of Pittsburgh. Phipps houses botanical gardens spanned several continents and included a butterfly exhibit.
Question:
1. Chihuly and other artists glass sculptures are on display in the conservatory. What are some other non-traditional places that you can imagine glass art being displayed?
Beautiful orchids |
Wonderland display of glass figures |
A butterfly in the conservatory |
Thaw by the Pittsburgh Glass Center depicts a glass woolly mammoth skeleton |
Desert flower |
Celadon and Royal Purple Gilded Fiore Dale Chihuly |
1. Chihuly and other artists glass sculptures are on display in the conservatory. What are some other non-traditional places that you can imagine glass art being displayed?
Carnegie: Hero or Villain
We visited the Carnegie Natural Science and Art Museums today. As we have studied, they were endowed by Andrew Carnegie, the steel magnet from the Guilded Age. Carnegie made his money building a trust that kept wages low and crushed his competition. He eventually sold his steel company to J. P. Morgan for $408 Million. With the fortune he made from his business he built many libraries, Carnegie Hall, founded the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Carnegie Institution for Science, Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, Carnegie Hero Fund, Carnegie Mellon University and Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.
Question:
After reviewing the links to the philanthropic organizations Carnegie endowed and reviewing how he made that money answer the following question: Was Andrew Carnegie a hero or a villain. Justify your answer.
A plea to patrons to give to the museum to continue its mission. |
A prehistoric exhibit in the natural history museum. |
Modern Zombie art: can you tell which are zombies? |
Carnegie Music Hall |
Water Lilies by Claude Monet |
A few pieces of glass art on display |
Question:
After reviewing the links to the philanthropic organizations Carnegie endowed and reviewing how he made that money answer the following question: Was Andrew Carnegie a hero or a villain. Justify your answer.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Hello Pittsburgh!
Our final destination Thursday was Pittsburgh, Pa and Station Square. Station Square celebrates Pittsburgh's past and serves as a place to gather with friends or make new ones. I was blessed to be there with my Cabell County friends and we had a good time geocaching, talking and of course, eating.
A retired Bessemer Converter on Station Square |
Two of my partners in crime, Dan and Steve! |
A view of a bridge over the Monongahela River |
Dan and Steve search for a geocache |
Lungs of a blast furnace |
A car on the Monongahela Incline |
Upon return to our hotel we were treated with a sighting of the world famous Oscar Mayer Weinermobile! |
Goodbye Oglebay, Hello Mosser Glass
Thursday saw us leave Oglebay and head for our new home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On the way we stopped at Mosser Glass in Cambridge, Ohio and saw a different kind of glass factory.
Questions:
1. Compare and contrast the three different ways we have observed glass collected and processed in glass making (Blenko, Wismach and Mosser).
2. Are there any advantages or disadvantages you see for any of the three processes?
The morning at Oglebay provided a lot of fog which lent itself well to me capturing sun flare! |
A gather boy collects a large ball of molten glass on the end of the pipe. |
The molten glass is then cut precisely as to fill the glass mold. |
A large lever is then compressed by hand to push the glass into the mold and form the glass pitcher. |
The worker must exact the proper amount of pressure to ensure the glass fully fills the mold. |
A carry boy then takes the glass for final preparation. |
After three hours in the annealing oven the glassware is ready to be sold. |
While they only had two lines running on our visit, they have many molds they have made or acquired from other companies over their more than 30 year history. |
1. Compare and contrast the three different ways we have observed glass collected and processed in glass making (Blenko, Wismach and Mosser).
2. Are there any advantages or disadvantages you see for any of the three processes?
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Hot Trip to Homer Laughlin
As Tony Cavalier is fond of saying, today was hazy, hot and humid. We started our day with a trip to The Museum of Ceramics in East Liverpool, Ohio. What we found was the history of ceramics in northern West Virginia, primarily Homer Laughlin and its subsidiaries.
After the museum we took a trip to Homer Laughlin, home of Fiesta Dinnerware. While there we toured the factory and saw how china is made. A video is linked here that shows the process in the 1930's. While it is more modernized and mechanized today, the process remains the same.
Questions:
1. Jiggers and others in ceramics manufacturing worked piecework. What do you think piecework means?
2. The picture above shows an entire family working to make china. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of using an entire family?
3. Look around your house and talk to you guardians. Ask them where they use china and if they have any Fiesta Dinnerware.
Until modern times, pottery and ceramics were hand spun on a wheel as Chris is demonstrating here. |
This is an original and complete set of Homer Laughlin Fiesta Dinnerware. |
A display in the museum of a family throwing clay and creating china. |
A reenactment of a sagger carrying china on his head to the kiln. |
Betsy Chetwynd of the Ceramics Museum giving us the history of the pieces on display. |
A display of ceramic mugs from a barber shop. Barber shops were the center of a town's life through the mid-Twentieth Century. Regular customers often had their own personalized shaving mugs. |
Questions:
1. Jiggers and others in ceramics manufacturing worked piecework. What do you think piecework means?
2. The picture above shows an entire family working to make china. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of using an entire family?
3. Look around your house and talk to you guardians. Ask them where they use china and if they have any Fiesta Dinnerware.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Marble King
Marble King, also located in Paden City, was the second stop of the day and proved to be a lot of fun. We learned about the process of making marbles (unfortunately their operation was down) and got to learn about how Marble King has adapted and changed in its more than 100 history.
The oven that Mable King uses to make its marbles. It was engineered by students from WVU. |
While this is a picture of Wismach, they send the cullet from their factory to Marble King. |
A barrel of black marbles. |
Beri Fox, President of Marble King discussing how they are using marbles today and how they are keeping the age old game of shooting marbles alive. |
A recent news article about the annual marble shooting competition sponsored by Marble King in New Jersey. |
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