COMPOSITION
Sandwich glass was made of silex, ash, nitre, pig lead, and other ingredients but the secret of the bright surface on old pressed glass, a characteristic which differentiates it from the modern pressed glass, was the use of barytes. This was introduced into the molten mass and gave the beautiful silver tint that we find in early glass. The New England Glass Company omitted this barytes from its glass with resulting dullness. Its specimens are all crude and heavy in comparison with the lacy examples of early Sandwich.
NOTES FOR COLLECTORS
1. A small pocket lens is invaluable in studying the designs on Sandwich glass.
2. The mounting of specimens on black satine brings out a higher refractive quality of the glass than when mounted on velvet.
3. Specimens that show signs of wear may be touched up and made brilliant by a slight application of the banana oil lacquer.
4. “Rust” a term for the scum that rose to the surface of the pot and had to be thoroughly removed by skimming, often appears on specimens making them less valuable for collection. A weak solution of acid will improve the glass in such cases.
Many interesting facts concerning Sandwich glass have been gained from contact with owners of inherited specimens in the remote districts of New England—in many cases the descendants of glass blowers whose knowledge is real, not based upon hearsay in going from shop to shop.