Glass History Overview and Almaguer's Connection

Ancient historian Pliny gives us reason to believe that the Phoenicians first made glass as far as about 5,000 BCE. But the earliest archeological proof of glass being made was from Mesopotamia and Egypt at about 3,500 BCE. Even though glass has such a long history, it wasn't until the first century BC that glass was first blown in the Roman Empire.

The first evidence of Venetian glass is actually not from Murano or the main island of Venice but from the Island of Torcello, one of the other isles of the Venetian lagoon. The glass was found from as far back as the 8th century. Torcello at one point was an even more powerful trading center than the Venice. At some point the main island of Venice was the focal point in the world for glass art. The commonly accepted thought is that in 1291 the Venetian Republic moved all the glass furnaces to the Isle of Murano due to fear of fire and destruction to the city's mostly wooden buildings.

Though some wonder if they moved the artists onto the Isle of Murano to keep the skills protected from being shared with others because of the great wealth that the glass brought to the Venetian Republic. Some consider this theory since artists were not allowed to leave the Isle of Murano without the fear of death or the death of a family member.  

Almaguer's first glass blowing maestro from Venice, Livio Serena, has a long line of glass blowers in his family.  But, he is the last in his family line of 1,100 years to blow glass.  He was so glad to share what he knew with students, Almaguer being one of those students.  John took a summer glass class with Serena on the Isle of Murano at Abate Zanetti School of Glass while he was a college student during the summer of 2007.  John later returned to Murano in 2010 to apprentice under Maestro Oscar Zanetti at Zanetti Murano Studio.  During this time was also given access to learn under Arnaldo Zanella, and the Pino Signoretto.   Almaguer is so honored and grateful for the honor to learn from these amazing glass artists and dear friends.  


When the first settlers came to America they settled in Jamestown, VA in 1492. This original settlement in America had production handmade factory glass blowing. One of Almaguer's first glass blowing instructors worked at the historical reenactment location of Jamestown, VA. They are probably the only American glass studio that still does the journeyman apprenticeship program.

Image Credit to Debbie Bailey

Americas history of glass from that point until the 1960's was that of the same, production handmade factory glass blowing. There was no individual artists who did furnace glass blowing through a private personal studio.

In response to this lack of individual personal glass studios Harvey Littleton, Son of Jesse Littleton, later started a movement called the American Studio Glass Art Movement. Harvey Littleton's Father Jesse was a Corning Glass scientist. His father Jesse first discovered what we call Pyrex or Corning-ware, a glass with a resistance to high temperature. Harvey became interested in glass while visiting his father's work. He even had opportunity to make art there and play with the medium at different times. He became interested in glass and wanted to see it become more accessible to the individual artist. He took this idea of individual artists being able to have their own glass studios and after much work he started classes that would then become the beginning of a movement. In 1962 Harvey was able to provide workshops in glass at the Toledo Museum of Art. This is believed to the the birthplace of this American Glass Art Studio Movement. Harvey also taught college level courses at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.  After returning from Murano Italy to America, Almaguer was able to work for the son and daughter in law of Harvey Littleton for a short time.  John Littleton and Kate Vogel make beautiful one-of-a-kind art pieces. 

In the first class Harvey taught at the University of Wisconsin one of his students was a man named Dale Chihuly.   Chihuly became highly influential in the studio glass art movement. He apprenticed in Murano and shortly after brought back Venetian Maestros to visit and teach glassblowing techniques in America to students.  The two distinct artists that came were Lino Tagliapietra and Pino Signoretto(who is mentioned above).  He also later established Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State. Chihuly is also the artist who first inspired Almaguer to want to blow glass after seeing his work as a young teenager.

The American Studio Art Movement and many other movements around the world have brought forth amazing glass art and glass artists over the decades. The most amazing collection of glass art in the world is found at the Corning Museum of Glass. Corning's website also is a great resource to learn more about glass if you can't make it to the Museum in person.  John also studied at the Corning Museum of Glass from another Venetian Maestro in his early years of glassblowing.