Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article
April 10, 1988
By Jan Buffington
Vigo County Historical Society
Bright memories are etched into silvered glass treasures
Mercury glass, also known as silvered glass, first appeared toward the end of the 17th century.
The first silvered glassware was made into large hollow balls that were used to brighten rooms in English or Continental houses. The balls were made by pouring a mixture of bismuth, lead, tin and mercury into hollow, hand-blown glass balls. The liquid then was sloshed around to coat the inside.
After the excess liquid was poured out, the opening was plugged or sealed to protect the coating from atmospheric conditions.
As the years went by, several methods of protecting the interior were tried. One chemist coated the interior with varnish, but this process dulled the finish and the coating rapidly deteriorated.
On Dec. 19, 1849, two Englishmen, Fredrick Hale Thompson and Edward Varnish, registered a patent for silvering glassware. Their method of silvering was beautiful, and it was successful for their company, Varnish and Co. of London. They developed the process of making a double wall of glass into which the silvery liquid was sloshed. The walls were easily sealed, protecting the silver finish.
There were two ways of producing double-wall vessels. The first was to blow them in one piece, so there was only one seam to seal. The second method was to blow or mold the walls separately, one smaller than the other. This process left two seams to seal.
Two mercury-glass vases are featured this week as the treasure from the museum. The vases are decorated with etched floral wreaths surrounding pictures of women. The woman on one vase holds a shepherd’s crook, and the woman on the other vase holds a spade.
One of the vases has been broken at the base. The double-walled construction can be seen in the break.
Mercury glass objects are very lightweight. They are also beautiful. The glass surface is easily decorated by engraving, cutting, coloring the liquid, etching or painting. The vases in the museum were donated by Ruth Wilkin Frazier. They are on display in the Victorian Parlor.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.