Glass Door Handles | The History Of Antique Glass Handles

The History Of Antique Glass Handles

The idea for using glass as furniture handles began in England. Early glass handles were made of molded-cut glass. During this time, people preferred to have very unique designs. But Deming Jarves of the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company in Sandwich, Massachusetts refined the cast-glass process in America which allowed for quicker production. While all antique glass handles in the US did not come from Sandwich, the majority did. The molds used to press glass had been carved by hand, which opened the door to imperfections. Even those of the same design differed a bit in detail.

While the technology for creating antique glass handles had been around for nearly 100 years, they did not increase in popularity in the US until they had entered World War I. Bronze, brass, and iron had previously been used to create handles, but during the war were needed to manufacture necessities such as airplanes and ammunition instead. But there was still an abundance of sand to make glass. Handles made of glass and crystal remained popular from 1920 on through the 1940s. But into the 1950s, Americans began to prefer the more modern look of metal handles.

Violet, red, white milk glass, amber, emerald, and Vaseline glass (which got its color from a small amount of uranium) were the most rarely created handles. Of the colored antique glass handles, cobalt blue was the most popular, followed by robin’s egg blue and soft pink. However, the most commonly manufactured handles were clear and featured six, eight, or twelve facets. The standard shapes were variations of squares, ovals, spheres, or octagons.

Over time, those made with quality glass and crystal became much too expensive to continue producing wide-scale. Manufacturers began looking elsewhere, into cheaper methods of mass production. Acrylic glass became the preferred textile, which opened the door to many more color and design opportunities. Clients were able to customize their own design based on their individual tastes and pocketbook allowance. Handles made with acrylic glass were much easier and cheaper to repair or replace. But with mass production, some of the quality and beauty suffered. However, these new commercial glass handles allowed for security, something those created previously had not been designed for.

True glass door handles became a rarity. Only those of wealthy stature kept them in their houses and they became a symbol of upper class. They were not practical for safety’s sake, so were used for decorative purposes only. They adorned the doors of closets, storage rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms alike. Mercury and other metals often lined the inner core of the handles, which allowed light to reflect off them beautifully.

Today, the early glass and crystal handles can be found various places. Estate sales, antique stores, flea markets, and online auctions are the most common routes used by collectors. Rare antique glass door handles can rack up quite a price. But one must make sure that what they are bidding on is authentic, and not a facsimile or knock-off. Many hardware stores carry new faux glass handles, but those that are genuine vary in both elegance and distinction from the newer, commercialized ones. They have a somewhat watery look to them, as opposed to the crystal-clear look of the current items on the market.

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