that when Augustus Caesar took the country in 26 B.C., he ordered
that the glass be a part of the tribute imposed upon them as a
vanquished nation. The Roman people were so pleased with it that
soon orders began pouring into Egypt for more and more glass
objects. In 14 B.C., Egyptian glassworkers were lured to Rome.
Quickly, the Roman artisans not only learned the trade, but improved
upon it to such an extent that they soon became the leaders in
the world in the industry. Glass goblets took the place of the gold
and silver drinking cups which had been used for state dinners,
glass imitations of gems and cameos were turned out in large numbers,
and even glass replicas of foods were made.
With Middle Ages, the glass trade moved first to Constantinople,
and from there back to Venice, Germany, Bohemia, France, Belgium,
and England.
The first manufacturing enterprise in North American was the
glass factory build in Jamestown, Virginia in 1608. This was
a bottle factory built in the woods about a mile from the
settlement. In 1683, another glass factory was mentioned in
a letter from William Penn to the Free Society of Traders.
Other factories were built along the Atlantic coast during
the next two centuries, with the Middle West and West following
as the territories were developed. In 1806, the first glass
factory was erected in Millville, New Jersey. On this same
site, one of the Whitall Tatum factories now stands.
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In the early Eighties, the best
freight route between Millville
and New York or Philadelphia was
via water. This drawing shows a
Whitall Tatum Schooner at the
factory wharf, being loaded with
glass products.
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