Glass is something we in the 21st century take for granted. Think of everything in your life that is made from glass: glass bottles, glass light fixtures, and the glass in your door from Your Door Our Glass, a maker of the best glass door inserts in Temecula. But just where did the idea come from? Why create a substance that you can see through? In this blog post, we’ll see if we can answer that question. Contact us today for your custom decorative glass for your door!
Where Did the Idea of Glass Come From?
Believe it or not, a type of glass does occur naturally in nature. Known as obsidian, this volcanic glass has been known and used by men since the Stone Age for weapons, jewelry, and as a form of barter and exchange. Archaeologists have found glass objects that date back to at least 3500 BC in ancient Mesopotamia with known glass containers having been around since at least 1500 BC. In ancient history, glass showed up for bottles from ancient times, including ancient Egyptian and Biblical times. But where did the idea come from to make a clear substance to see through?
Perhaps from looking in a lake and seeing one’s reflection, or looking into obsidian and wondering if something clearer could be made. Your Door Our Glass in Temecula, a glass door company, notes that it will probably never be known where the idea of glass came from. In the end, all that matters is that it is here, and glass enriches our world.
When Did the Manufacturing of Glass Begin?
Again, like the idea for glass, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the formal process of glass-making began. Pliny the Elder, a famous Roman historian, credits the ancient Phoenicians with the formal invention of glass manufacturing, and by the first century AD, glass blowing had been invented, which forever changed the glass industry. This is when glass use began to spread, and glass itself was no longer deemed just for the wealthy. However, what would be considered clear glass wasn’t created until around 100 AD by glass blowers in Alexandria, which is when the Romans began to use glass as decorative purposes rather than utilitarian. This is when glass windows first began to appear in ancient Roman buildings.
Revival of Glass
For many reasons, knowledge was disregarded in the Middle Ages, and glass-making was no exception. Your Door Our Glass, the best maker of glass door inserts in Temecula, notes that no more innovations were made and very few glass vessels were produced. However, with the advent of stained glass windows in Medieval cathedrals, the art of glassmaking began to revive and become important once again.
Various advances were made in the next few hundred years (from the addition of lead oxide to molten glass in the 1600s to The Crystal Palace, which was built in 1851 in Hyde Park, London) that made glass the glass that we know and love today. With the Industrial Revolution, the price of glass continued to decrease, making it the ubiquitous product that we know and love today.
HOW YOUR DOOR OUR GLASS IMPROVES YOUR LIFE
There’s no doubt our homes and our lives are much improved due to the invention of glass. Your Door Our Glass has taken this glass making process to a whole new level and applied it to your front door, where you and all who come to your home can enjoy the beauty that glass affords. We offer premium choice, designers choice, iron with glass, or custom glass door inserts. Contact Your Door Our Glass today for your custom glass door inserts!