Waterford crystal: its history, its excellence
The Waterford Flint Glass Manufactory, as it was originally known, was established in Waterford, Ireland, in 1783 by two local brothers, George and William Penrose. Being of an enterprising nature, Penrose brothers had seen a huge demand for both plain and ornamental flint glass internationally. However, with neither brother having any glass working experience, one of their first priorities was procurement of a skilled glass worker. Fellow Quaker, John Hill, originally from Stourbridge in English West Midlands was to take up this opportunity and head factory's workforce, which, by now numbered over fifty.
Business was good. John Hill drew on his many years of experience and very soon factory was turning out glass products of a quality never previously witnessed in England or Ireland. Ships packed to gunnels with flint glass were leaving Waterford Quay bound for Spain, West Indies and North America.
By turn of the nineteenth century, triggered by William Penrose' decision to sell, the factory changed hands and ownership was transferred to local town's people: Ramsey, Gatchell and Barcroft. It was decided by the new management that a retail outlet should be added to factory and one was opened on city's quay supplying reasonably priced glassware to the local public.
Fifty years later, company was in severe financial difficulty, due, at least in part, to heavy taxation imposed by British government on all glass products and, thus, was forced to cease trading. The company's swansong was a superb entry in Great Exhibition of 1851 at Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London.
Just after end of Second World War, a small glass factory was opened once more, just outside Waterford and manned by a small workforce of mainly immigrant workers from war-torn Europe. The enterprise was a huge success. So much so that very shortly company, now called Waterford Crystal, re-located to its current home on a forty-acre site.
The excellence of Waterford Crystal is achieved by their in-house trained, highly skilled workforce. Uniformity is achieved by applying a precise amount of air into each piece of molten crystal at very specific points thus ensuring that each piece is as near perfect as physically possible. Once molding stage is complete, each item is then allowed to cool very slowly in a specially designed annealing oven to reduce risk of damage.
Having completed cooling process, each piece then has its facets and flutes hand-cut. A cutter's apprenticeship takes five years to complete during which time every cut on every piece from Waterford range will have been practiced over and over. A cutter completes his or her apprenticeship by cutting of the sort-after apprentice bowl. These bowls showcase every type of cut used throughout Waterford range and, needless to say, are highly prized by any enthusiast.
Each piece from Waterford Crystal is named after something of beauty, either a reference to Ireland itself: Powerscourt, Kenmare or Lismore, or a girl's name: Colleen, Alana or Sheila.
Waterford Crystal has, for many generations, been lead crystal choice of upper crust of European society. Their chandeliers can be found in Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle. In USA, centerpiece of each New Years Eve celebration is Waterford Crystal Ball.
