# Marylands third  Glassworks The New Bremen Glassmanufactory .



## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

I have collected glass attributed to John Frederick Amelung now for the last three years.While 100 percent attribution is virtually impossible traits, colors and where the glass objects were found along with geneological ascension help narrow down the certainty.This post will not be completed today but I will show the glassworks locale from a google sattelite map image with text added showing where the works were located, the mansion John Frederick Amelung lived in, and the location of the works he purchased from Conrad Foltz, and George and Balsar Kramer. These were Maryland's greatest glassworks and produced some of the very best American made glass in our countrys beginings.Matt (Guntherhess) you must also live pretty close to these works .It looks as though a baseball diamond is located just to the west of the Glass house site.Are these grounds privatley owned or are they part of some park system.It would be great to revist thje site of the 1962 Corning/Smithsonian archaelogical dig and scour around for maybe some fragments from the buildings.Heavy rains as you know can brings things to sufaces long forgotten.I will post some glass which has real strong historical connections to the area of the original German settlements in the Urbana district.


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## GuntherHess (Jul 18, 2010)

That site is a bit further from my house, maybe about 10-12 miles SE of here.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

Matt could you take a ride over there when you have some spare time and check it out.It looks like a road dirt in nature runs right along the area. Maybe you could park by the ball field and walk back to where  I show the site.Here is a drawing showing the view from amelungs house to the glass works.It is deffinatley travelling down hill as described.The Monoacy river rose 10 feet above its banks and also did considerable damage to the glass works during their time of operation.


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## GuntherHess (Jul 18, 2010)

I think Phil mentioned something about wanting to go scope the place out. 
 I need to check my old frederick map collection, not sure they show that far south.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

Matt I based the glass works site in proximity to a map I have scanned and on the description in the original deed of land of the site.I am very confident that where I show the factory buildings on the aerial picture is in deed where they are.Here is an original map showing the location of the mansion and two factory buildings still standing in the early 1800s.


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## JOETHECROW (Jul 18, 2010)

Pretty interesting thread already,...I love maps,...especially one showing ancient glass works locations.


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## GuntherHess (Jul 18, 2010)

That map seems fairly accurate.


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## GuntherHess (Jul 18, 2010)

Article from the 60s discussing the dig on the Amelung site...


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

I have shown this bottle here before but Ill show it again.This bottle I aquired from an auction in Maryland not far from Frederick two years ago.
 The bottle is a case bottle,blown in the half post method.The engraving on the front and back is of a tulip which appears on a lot of early German glassware.
 The pontil has an orange substance in it which a lot of Amelungs bottles had.I have been told the soil is that color and the gaffers would dust the end of the punty rod in the red soil to help break the rod from the glass when ready.The bottle is ten inches tall 4 inches wide and 2 and a half inches thick.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

The date inscribed on the front and back of the bottle reads 1792 which would put it in Amelungs range of operation.
 This bottle remained with the same family in Germantown Maryland for over 150 years.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

The date in close,this was taken with an inferior camera two years ago.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

The orange substance which looks like red dirt in the pontil area and in some of the bottle.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

The last picture of the the top of the bottle in close.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

Amelung produced some of the finest glassware this country ever made.A trait in Amelungs work on fine tableware I have noticed and I have not seen it elsewhere is a flat cylinder shaped foot with a hollow flat cone shaped support which rests on the foot and looks like an upside down bowl.Here it is on an early glass candle stick attributed to Amelung.This piece sold for 20,000 dollars at auction in 2005.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

I have a couple of early vases with the same foot and support system.I originaly thought both of them to be early South Jersey but have since changed my mind and I am now leaning towards Amelung as the manufacturer.Here is a bulbulous vase with plenty of dirt and potstones in it indicative of it was an end of day product.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

The vase again the center piece in the picture.Notice the similarity in the foot and support.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

Various pictures of Amelung glass in my collection.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

Another group picture.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

The purple flat onion flask.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

The purple flask again in close.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

The base of the purple flask.It is a terrible picture but you can see the oarang or red colored matter in the pontil area.
 I will take a better picture of this one this week.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

A wine glass with a known pattern used many times in Amelungs engravings on glass.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

A chestnut Bottle in light green glass with a hint of smokey gray.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

One of my favorite flasks a light grayish purple twenty two ribbed pocket bottle.This is a beautifull flask.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

A very unique Square squatty case bottle with applied rigaree at the corners again this bottle has traces of the red dirt in the pontil.The bottle was blown again in the half post method.This bottle was picked up at the same auction as the first decantur I posted with the 1792 date.You can see on the lower sides where the gaffer held the bottle with some kinda of a hand held vise tool when he applied the decorative rigaree.Again one of my favorites and I have never seen another one.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 18, 2010)

I will post some more additional information and pictures of more glass in the coming days.Gunther let me know if you can get out there to the glass works.
 I have a good feeling about this that you will find glass shards.


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## RED Matthews (Jul 19, 2010)

More good information Steve,  thank you.  RED M.


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## earlyglass (Jul 19, 2010)

Nice thread Steve.

 What do you think of this rummer or wine? It has the pattern of an identical one listed in American Glass (plate 43) by George McKearin, and listed as probably New Bremen Glass. Funny that I assumed that the "BRE" were initials of an individual, but could it be for "BREmen"?

 The case bottle on the left has an extremely old label stating that the bottle was part of "Emporor Napoleon's" carrying case. 

 Mike


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 19, 2010)

Wow Mike !! thats great looking glass!!.I love the case bottle I have never seen one with the label intact.
 Napoleans own case bottle were in Gods creation did you find that one incredible!!?
 I checked the description in Mckearins book and my Amelung book,Mike and I dont see that style of letter 
 on any of the pieces listed as original Amelung.Usually the letters have a cursive flare to them.It is old though 
 and deffinatley Germanic in type.Could be Stiegel who knows he did have an engraver Lazarus Isaac who ran 
 away when Stiegels glass works began to show signs of failure.He started a glass works in Philadelphia in 1774 
 that apparently did quite a bit of engraving before it to failed as a result of the American revolutionary war.
 I realy like the green aqua wine glass.


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## earlyglass (Jul 19, 2010)

Steve,  

 Check out the "John Reynolds" large covered flip on plate 35 in American Glass... the font is identical. It may not be Amelung, but I think it is probably 18th century from your area. 

 Mike


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 19, 2010)

Pretty close match Mike. I too feel the glass is American but made in the German tradition 1775 to 1795.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 20, 2010)

Any luck contacting Phil for a road trip Matt.


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## GuntherHess (Jul 20, 2010)

I might have time to run by there this weekend.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 21, 2010)

Matt,Guntherhess In 1960 the archaelogical dig was centered 75 feet from the bank of Bennets creek.The areial drawing I show is very accurate to where the factory is located.The only deviation I see is the potential wandering of Bennets creek.The 90 degree left hand turn in the creek on the lower right of the picture was a much softer 45 on different maps I have of the factory.That may shift the area slightly by some 2 to 300 feet to the left I where I have the center shown.If you can see the mansion up hill from the creek bank turn around look across the creek and you should be stairing at the center of Sugarloaf mountain.This is how it was described by the Smithsonian and Corning staff that worked the site in 1962.The glass house that burned down was only in operation for 5 years.It was discovered to have the amazing amount of 10 furnaces in operation.This was unheard of even in the big city centers of Europe at the time.The building was massive as for comparison to other glass works.110 x 65 were the dimensions of the works.If you can get there and it is permissible take a metal detector if you have one, as quite a bit of iron melted into the soil during the disasterous fire of May 6th 1790.Its been almost fifty years since the site was last visited hopefully you will be able to get on the property find a few artifacts take some good pictures and post them here.Something to think about,and I have stated this before in posts of mine that were removed,Amelung at the peak of his operation employed over 400 people in his community.He was truly a visionary entrepreneur.This is not to say they all worked in the glass house as there were teachers,iron masters,mill workers,doctors,ministers every tradesmen a town would need to sustain itself.I would be willing to bet that to have a 10 pot furnace going 24 hours a day,probably two shifts of twelve hours each at a minumum 3 workers per furnace twenty gaffers 10 helpers per shift a foreman or two wood haulers,crate assemblers,packers and shipers. I would venture to say that each shift had 70 workers.Double that number because of two shifts,a six day work week as they did honor the day of rest thats 140 employess directly tied to the manufacture of glassware.I am sure Amelung had a book keeper, salesmen, and agents in far citys when you add it all up 180 full time workers is not out of the question.Thats a fortune 500 company by todays standard.The point of all this Matt is there has to be GLASS still there even if it has been picked over very thoroughly over the last 150 years.I would love to come down there if you find sucess gaining access to the property.Good luck and I hope it is sooner then later.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 21, 2010)

Matt here is a new drawing based on a little additional information.When using a compass the glass works were directly south of due north when looking at the mansion.The key is can you see the mansion today with all of the growth of trees in the area.I know the house was built high on a hill to allow him to see the works from his bedroom.


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## baltbottles (Jul 21, 2010)

Matt If you decide to take a trip out and explore the Amelung site let me know I'd be interested in tagging along.

 Chris


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## baltbottles (Jul 21, 2010)

Steve,

 Can you post a few more pictures of the pattern molded pocket bottle and what are the known rib counts for pieces attributed to Amelung? I have a fragment of a pattern molded salt in a vibrant purple amethyst.

 Chris


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## GuntherHess (Jul 21, 2010)

> Matt If you decide to take a trip out and explore the Amelung site let me know I'd be interested in tagging along.
> 
> Chris


 
 You are welcome to come. Would it be better if I scope it out first and see if its even  accessable or you just want to take a chance? If its posted I will keep out.
 Looks like there is a steep drop off down to the creek there which is typical of the topography over there.


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 21, 2010)

Here is an artifact from a page in my Amelung book.These tulips seen so often on case bottles are an American,German influenced design.
 They are found quite a bit on Stiegel bottles also


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## JOETHECROW (Jul 22, 2010)

Steve,...Thanks for posting those awesome bottles and their history,....very interesting stuff. P.S. Your "p.m." box is full...


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 25, 2010)

Hi Matt any luck in the 100 plus heat yesterday visiting the site?[][]Seriously if you do go in the coming weeks take some pictures please and I hope you do find some glass.The first glass works I described and show to the lower right has never been officially exhumed.You could try searching the where the creek bends ninty degees this was the 1776 glass works were founded by Conrad Foltz, and George and Balsar Kramer.


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## GuntherHess (Jul 25, 2010)

No luck really. Drove by there and its all private and posted, not a big surprise for this area. No access to that "ball field" on google earth, it must be something else.


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## beaubrooks (Jul 18, 2013)

My ancestor was Baltzer Kramer who was a glassblower in a couple of different states. Where would I find out info on him or his glassware?


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## Steve/sewell (Jul 19, 2013)

Hi Lu Ann I have some information regarding Baltzer.  I will try and locate it over the weekend and early next week. I will email you through this website.


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## beaubrooks (Jul 20, 2013)

Thanks for the information! Anything you may know about his life, or where he worked (Stiegal, New Bremen, and New Geneva) would be appreciated.


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