The glass kilns heat to 2000 degrees. In the late 1500's and early 1600's England had pretty much deforested the land using the wood heat their kilns. So I would venture to say, that the early colonists eyes must of lit up when they say the huge forest awaiting them in Virginia when they landed in 1607. By 1609 they had a glass making in Jamestown was in operation.
We take for granted in our world today the ready availability of glass... and the use of natural gas to heat the kilns rather than cords and cords of wood!
This is a replica of the 1609 kiln
This gentlemen is starting the process of a cobalt blue vase....
Here he blow the center open, and then transfers this to another worker who then shapes the object....
In just a matter of minutes the orange glow is gone and the blue is showing, but the glass is still soft. Here he is forming the spout....
A hot glob of glass is being transferred to form the handle...
This whole process took about 5 minutes...and yes the glass was still to hot to handle.
They made glass in three colors...we were there on "Blue Day"
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