Silvered Glass

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In our last number we noticed the alleged improvement of the Rev. M. Hill, for making silvered glass, and referred to previous noti ces in our columns, so that all our readers might refer to them, and see that we stated the exact truth. By the latest arrivals of our foreign exchanges we select the following up on the very subject we alluded to last week. It is taken from the London Weekly Times: " Among the many striking novelties in de corative art which were displayed at the Crystal Palace in Hyde park, there were few more appropriate to the character of that marvellous structure, or more brilliant and effective in themselves, than the specimens ol silvered glass in vases, goblets, epergnes, can-delabras, wine-coolers, salts, tazzas, inkstands, c, which were exhibited by Messrs. Hale, Thomson, and Co., and to which we op more than one occasion called the attention of our readers. The gorgeousness and novelty of this beautiful art manufacture, far surpassing anything of the kind in richness of tints, puri ty and delicacy of material, and elegant ap propriateness of form, rendered it in a short time one of the most favorite ornaments of the drawing room and dining room. The difficul- ties that presented themselves in the early stage of this unique manufacture, were such that the price was proportionately high, and objects of silvered glass could only be procur ed by those to whom cost was of little im portance. Recently, however, these difficul ties have been to a great degree overcome, and we understand that the price of these ar ticles is now so considerably reduced that they may be said to be accessible to all lovers of the beautiful in art. But tbe value of the discovery will not, we find, be bounded by useful elegancies alone, since it is applicable to objects of more practi cable utility. It has long been admitted that for surgeons' speculae, lor railway reflectors, for carriages, ships, light houses, and reading lamps, the silvered mirrors far exceed in bril liancy and permanency any others yet invent ed, and now that the price has been reduced, in some instances, we understand, as much as two hundred per cent., so as to make them generally available for such purposes, the use of silvered reflectors is become almost univer sal. The patentees have already received ex tensive orders for the United States, forty ol the largest size being destined lor the illumi nation of Fremont Hall, a public building erected on a grander scale than any this coun try can boast of. The fitness of these reflec tors for marine purposes is being fully recog nized by the Admiralty, whose example is followed by the Ordnance and other govern mental boards, with results which the fogs prevailing at this season have helped to ren der remarkably conspicuous."

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 33This article was published with the title “Silvered Glass” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 33 (), p. 259
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican04301853-259c

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