The history of glass windows is actually more interesting and older than you may think it is. The production of glass has been occurring naturally for millions of years but it is the discovery of manufactured glass that leads us on this exciting journey. The first instance of glass being made by mankind can be credited to the Mesopotamians who manufactured their own glass as early as 3500 B. C. The people of Mesopotamia used this man-made glass for simple uses, such as decorating pots or other vessels.
The actual fist use of man-made glass for the purpose of windows seems to have occurred with the Romans in the 1st century A. D. Excavations have revealed glass windows were present at this time and the Romans were known to use glass for decorative purposes, such as mosaic tiles. The rise of the glass window at this time seems to coincide with the introduction of churches and places to worship various deities. Much of the fragments of window glass found from the time of the Romans is coloured, suggesting that they were stained-glass windows from such places of worship.
Around the world, the need for glass windows (and the manufacture of the glass) did not really take hold until the 13th century. The Germans had found a way of making sheets of glass in the 11th century. This process was later perfected by the Venetians during the 13th century.
In the 14th century the French perfected blown plate glass (hand-blown glass that is grinded and polished) and Crown glass (hand blown and flattened) but kept their knowledge pretty much secret until the 17th century. It is from this time onwards until the 19th century that Crown glass and blown plate glass was the most popular types to be used for windows.
After the demise of Crown glass and blown plate glass in the 19th century, sheet glass took over as the popular choice. This is the type of glass that was used in the majority of British windows, in particular the sash window. Sheet glass was quick to fall in popularity after the First World War and from 1959, float glass that had been invented by Sir Alistair Pilkington took over as first choice.
The history of glass windows is a fascinating story and is something that is destined to go on and on. Indeed, we have different types of glass being developed frequently, such as toughened glass and safety glass that are often used in many of the double glazing units found in modern homes. The development of glass windows is always evolving, with the newest form being Smart glass, which changes the light intensity of the window with just the flick of a button.
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