Victorian Glassworlds: Glass Culture and the Imagination 1830-1880

470 Pages·2008·14.72 MB·English

by  Isobel Armstrong

VICTORIAN GLASSWORLDS

VICTORIAN
GLASSWORLDS
Glass Culture and the Imagination
1830—1880
ISOBEL ARMSTRONG
1
3
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A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S
Mydebtsareextensive.Theskillandknowledgeofarchivistsandlibrar-
ians has underpinned this work. Dinah Stubbs guided me through
invaluableinformationfromtheChancearchiveatPilkington’sInforma-
tion Management and Storage department, St Helen’s. Anne Clark,
University of Birmingham Information Services Special Collections,
provided me with information about Harriet Martineau’s visit to Osler.
Marilyn Ferris, Local History Librarian at the Stourbridge Library, sent
methekeytotheFlintGlassMakers’Emblem.J.A.Henshall,University
ofWarwickLibrary,madehardcopyfromthemicroWlmoftheFlintGlass
Makers Magazine readable. Chris Cotes advised me about information
held at the TUC archive at London Metropolitan University. Chris
Woolgar,HeadofArchivesandSpecialCollections,UniversityofSouth-
ampton, advised me about the Wellington archive. Roger Dodsworth,
Curator of the BroadWeld House Glass Museum, Kingswinford, kindly
directed me to the Webb and Richardson pattern books at the Archive
Centre, Cosely, and went to great lengths to help me with images
of nineteenth-century glass. I thank Michael Smith, Archivist, Royal
Doulton,Stoke-on-Trent.HeidiHerr,SpecialCollectionsandArchives,
the Milton S. Eisenhower Library, Johns Hopkins University, organized
theWlmingofimagesfromtheSpecialCollectionoftheGeorgePeabody
Library. Librarians at the British Library and the University of London
SenateHouseLibrarywereunfailinglyhelpful.
IowethegenesisofthisbooktoLauraMarcus,whowasemphaticthatthis
wastheprojecttofollowmybookonVictorianpoetry,andreadpartsofthe
book. Throughout this project Birkbeck colleagues have been consistently
supportive. I have been lucky to beneWt from Michael Slater’s constant
generosity and meticulous advice. I thank Laurel Brake, Steve Connor,
Lynda Nead, Stephen Clucas, and Jim Mussell. David Feldman gave me
mostgenerousadvice.BirkbeckSchoolofEnglishandHumanitiesawarded
mea grantforresearchassistance,carriedoutbyBarbara Rosenbaum with
great perfectionism in the early stages of the book. Anna Brown’s staunch
research assistance enhanced the second part of the book. Ithank Heather
Tilleyforhermeticulouswork.
Iam particularly grateful to colleagues who spared time to read parts of
themanuscript.JosephineMcDonaghreadandcommentedonpartsofthe
book,andIamwarmlygratefulforherstringentandthoughtfulreadingand
for her insights and suggestions throughout the book’s progress. I thank
Emma Mason for reading and responding to the Introduction, and Mary
Hamer for the alacrity and insight of her comments. Tender thanks to
BarbaraHardyfortheLondonwalkthatledustoJohnClaudiusLoudon’s
house.
My aYliation with Victorianists at the University of Exeter has meant
thattheylistenedtopartsofthebookgivenaslecturesatitsformativestage
and made invaluable comments. I beneWted from the advice of Regenia
Gagnier, Sunie Fletcher, Angelique Richardson, Rick Rylance, and Paul
Young. To the scholarship and insight of John Plunkett and Ana Parejo
Vadillo I owe more than I can say. Their constant generosity, help, and
willingness to provide information at unreasonable times has materially
improvedthisbook.Johninductedmeintothewonderfulresourcesofthe
UniversityofExeter’sBillDouglasCentre.ThelateChrisBrookeprovided
proliWc bibliographical information.
Teachinghasbeenasourceofinspiration.GillianBeeraskedmetogive
a seminar to her graduates in Cambridge. I taught a class on elements of
this book to the impressive doctoral students of Birkbeck’s London Con-
sortium programme on three occasions and appreciated their insights.
Both at Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University the thought-
fulness and enthusiasm of students who attended courses on Optical
Culture and Victorian Poetry helped the book forward. At Harvard
Anna Henchman’s intellectual wisdom was invaluable.
Over the course of the writing of this book many friends, colleagues,
and participants at lectures and seminars have come up with wholly
original insights and facts unknown to me. I am unlikely to be able to
list all this help, but I hope those whose names are not here will
remember the delighted conversations rather than omissions: Amanda
Anderson, Kevin Attel, John Birtwhistle, Sarah Blair, Svetlana Boym,
John Burrow, Cath Burlinson, Sally Bushell, David Button, Toby
Chance, Alison Eldred, Nick Fisher, Erik Gray, John Gregg, Catherine
Hall, Neil Hertz, Martin Hewitt, Chrissie Iddon, Amanda Kent, Ruth
Leys, Peter Middleton, Linda Peterson, Liz Prettejohn, Clare Pettit,
Jonah Siegel, Larry Switsky, and Mark Wright.
viii Acknowledgements
Mysister,UrsulaJones,readpartsofthemanuscript,andDianaWynne
Jones donated the enamelled glass vase photographed by Kate Hardy,
whose photographic imagination has shaped a number of the images in
this book.
I treasure the learning, unequalled intellectual elegance, and loving
encouragement of the late GeoVrey Martin.
IthankAndrewMcNeillie,equallygiftedaspoet,critic,andeditor,for
his buoyant good sense, enthusiasim, and imagination.
My most challenging reader, Michael Armstrong, has my enduring
gratitude.
Acknowledgements ix