Sherry Glass 1882 - 1887

Editor: Here we have an elegant Sherry Glass, dating from around 1882-1887, crafted by Hobbs, Brockunier and Company. The glass, a symphony of delicate curves and subtle hues, strikes me as quintessentially Victorian, don't you think? What draws your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: My attention is drawn to the means of production and consumption. Hobbs, Brockunier, and Company mass-produced pressed glass at a time of significant social stratification and industrial advancement in the United States. I find it compelling that the company made the luxury of owning exquisite glassware accessible to wider segments of the burgeoning middle class. Consider also the chemical processes needed to make a transparent amber or ruby glass. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn’t considered. I was so focused on its aesthetic appeal that I overlooked the technological and societal contexts of its creation. Do you see the repetitive indented pattern as contributing to the democratizing potential you’ve mentioned? Curator: Precisely. The pressed glass technique enabled intricate designs, often mimicking higher-end cut glass, at a fraction of the cost. What materials were used, how were they processed, who labored to make it, and for whom was it intended? These questions situate a sherry glass as both a beautiful object and a material index of consumption and class aspiration in the Gilded Age. Editor: So, by understanding the material and the means of production, we can see how this glass blurred the lines between high art and everyday object? Curator: Precisely! This sherry glass allows us to reconsider standard hierarchical categorizations and ask meaningful questions about labor, materials, and access during that time. Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way before; this piece holds so much more meaning when you consider its manufacturing and cultural context. Thank you!