Pioneers of Glowing Glass – The Bohemians!

In the 21^st Century where the ‘big boogie man’ is some far off ancient granny-looking old man - the Far Eastern leader setting off World War III with the use of nuclear bombs it is hard to accept the facts. 

It seems incredible to collectors of vintage costume jewellery that almost 100 years ago, glass artisans in Bohemia were adding uranium and other radioactive ingredients in limited quantities to their glass melt, to try to increase demand for their rare and unique items of (now vintage) costume jewellery.

But it is true – the addition of uranium (in particular) dates back decades.  In the 1920’s what was thought to be a new and previously unknown range of sparkling glass was created for glass beads by those well known glass innovators: The Bohemians.

There are two colours of exceptional importance – the first a fluorescent green (achieved with the addition of low quantities of uranium) and yellow which created a glowing yellow which glows under dark conditions.

  

Another little known radioactive ingredient was selenium which produces the rare and incredibly beautiful pale peach orange rosalin  another Bohemian crystal.  Rosalin was produced in very limited quantities and of course, its demand would have been much higher, if only collectors of Bohemian glass were aware of the full story!  

What with all the ‘Frankenstein Fakes’ coming out of what is now the Czech Republic, it is often difficult to tell what is genuine Bohemian or what is a genuine Bohemian craftsman’s worst nightmare (as seen regularly on eBay throughout the world).

 Uranium enriched glass started to be used around 1840 by major manufacturers.  Another resurgence of interest happened in around 1880 with the production of fancy Victorian ‘Vaseline Glass’ as it is now often called by collectors worldwide.  As usual, the Brits were at the forefront of this trend.  The products were highly sought after by the English and North American markets, who were, as usual, streets ahead of the continental markets.

These latest fashion was limited mostly to the English and American markets.  The Continentals were slow to catch on to the beauty of these enriched glass products.

Selenium Glass, that beautiful peach rose crystal, was invented later, around 1891 by F. Welz of Klostergrab in Bohemia.  If it was not for the enthusiasms of the educated American and English markets, this colour of enriched glass would not have become such a commercial success. 

 

The Continentals (including French and Germans) were never partial to this coloured glass, so production was limited to exports to America and England.  Dressing table sets of this superb crystal were produced, but only in limited quantities.  The most famous of producers of this now rare crystal were Siebert and Marquardt, Gorlitz, 1930.  Crystal beads of this colour are exceptionally rare.

Joseph Riedel was one of the very earliest Bohemian dynasties to create the  unusual radioactive crystals (1816-1894).  His ancestors referred to him as the ‘Glass King of the Iser Mountains” (as quoted in 1726-1800).

 The Riedels had owned and worked several glass producing furnaces and supplied quality and rare canes and tubes to their customers for many years, with which to make fancy beads.  This dynasty are the first to be documented as makers of Alabaster glass and they probably were the first to introduce uranium enriched crystals to the market.

It is said the naming of the yellow variety of uranium called ‘annagelb’ and the green version ‘annagreen’ were a tribute to Mrs. Riedel by Mr. Riedel.

 Nerves jangle when one considers that these fabulous jewels contain a well known threat to health.  Such microscopic amounts were used in the making that these items are most likely safe  -  but as we all know – nothing in life is absolutely safe.  There is always an element of risk however small.  If it were considered today in the 21^st century, there is very little chance that ‘the nanny state’ would permit such experimentation with original ground-breaking products.

 But back in the 1800’s the enrichment of the glass melt with uranium or selenium gave the glass makers a plethora of new possibilities.  Until the relaxation of this overly careful supervision, it seems unlikely that any other new discoveries will survive the strict ‘nanny state’ designed to improve our health but which actually restricts our world in ways we cannot even imagine.

 New glass products including ‘Annagelb and Annagreen’ from Bohemia, not to mention the ‘Topaz’ being produced in England, were the talk of the town, in most international non-provincial cities.

 This successful experimental colours doubtless lead on to other possibilities including ivory, amber, turquoise and Burmese glass.#

 The popularity of these glowing glasses is probably explained in as much during the time of their production, when mankind was entirely dependent upon the light from the sun and moon, supplemented by candle light for their activities.  

To see Annagrun and Annayellow glowing in the moonlight in a dim candlelite room must have been an incredibly amazing sight.  Hence its popularity.

During the pre-electric days, people would sit in their living rooms or parlours with curtains wide open utilizing the very last of the suns rays and the light offered from the moon and sparse candlelight.  Under such conditions the light glow given off from these trinkets would cause huge and incredible interest.

 To scientists it seems that  use of these materials were probably not the first.  The glassworks of Whitefriars of London, England used uranium colourings during the 1830’s.  There is very good circumstantial evidence that the Englishman William Vernon Harcourt started experimenting with the inclusion of uranium in 1834.

 Another validation that the English were using uranium to enrich their glass and crystal products comes from C. S. Gilberts Historical Survey of Cornwall in 1817.  He gives more than thirty pages and mentions several interesting additions to glass manufacturers using uranium.

He specifically mentions that with uranium enriched glass, “It oxidization impact the brightest colours to glass, which results according to proportion are brown, apple green or emerald green.”

 We in the 21^st century can conclude that the colouring of glass was known as early as the 1800’s but that it was not until the 1825 that is was marketed by those masters of entrepreneurialism glass works – those unsung heroes of vintage costume jewellery, The Bohemians !

Filigree Or Etruscan Or Both ?

Long before Czechoslovakian or Bohemian vintage costume jewellery was popular or understood, it was recognized by its brass ‘filigree’ metalwork.

As time has passed, we now know that this brass filigree so admired is actually not filigree at all.  It is pressed or more correctly, stamped on a giant press out of very thin sheets of brass.

Filigree (sometimes called filigram or even filigrane) is actually a very light and delicate type of jewellery made by twisting very fine wires together. 

When curled as well as twisted, often with a grain or tiny ball of metal on top of the coil, it can be termed ‘etruscan’ in design, as in the top of this  silver Victorian double hatpin shown below.

Traditionally in what is termed ‘fine’ jewellery, the wires would be made from gold or silver.  The form is often very fine and almost looks like a very intricate panel of delicate antique lace.

The artisans of India as well as the Far East have created some exquisite examples of filigree jewellery.  The creation of filigree is extremely labour intensive.

Costume jewellery has always sought to emulate fine jewellery and so we see examples of filigree in vintage costume jewellery also. 

Another type of twisted wire used to make costume jewellery was made in the Bohemian area of Silesia.  Very little is known about Silesian Wirework yet by searching for this term, you will find many fine examples of this metal mesh made into fabulous costume jewellery. 

The art of twisting wires together to make jewellery is long established in past centuries.  It is an art which is probably still carried on today.

Timeline – Austro-Hungarian, Bohemian, Czechoslovakian or Czech ?

Prior to the formation of Czechoslovakia following the end of the second world war, the majority of lands in that region fell under the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918).

Within the Austro-Hungarian Empire were Bohemia, Silesia, Moravia, Slovakia, Carpathia and Ruthenia.

Slovakia, before 1918, was part of the Kingdom of Hungary, along with Carpathia and Ruthenia.

What is termed the ‘First Republic of Czechoslovakia’ was formed at the end of World War I in 1918.  In this form, Czechoslovakia continued until 1938.

Nazi Germany took over or annexed Sudetenland  in 1938. (Sudetenland is the German name for the western parts of Czechoslovakia specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia and those parts of Silesia formerly associated with Bohemia).

The Germans held Sudetenland until their defeat in 1945. 

There was also a Protectorate of Bohemia & Moravia (1939-1945) as well as a Slovak Republic which ran concurrently to the Protectorate.

At the end of World War II in 1945, began the Third Republic of Czechoslavakia (CSR).   This lasted only until 1948 when the country was declared a ‘people’s democracy’ (without a name change).   

In 1960 the country was changed to ‘The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (CSSR).  This lasted until 1989.   

1990-1992 saw the country being termed ‘Czech & Slovak Federal Republic (CSFR).

After dissolution in 1993 what remained was the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

German Women Icons In The Art Deco Era

The official organization for matters to do with women during the latter part of the Art Deco period, was called the “NS Frauenwarte”.

 This organization was created to promote the high value of  traditional clothes and lifestyle for women.  The dirndl skirt and top outfit as seen below, is still worn in rural parts of Austria as well as Germany.  

Meanwhile, the wives of the leaders of the Nazi regime made all their own fashion decisions (which certainly were far from traditional).  They freely indulged  in their own brand of fashion.

Magda Goebbels was honorary leader of the “Fashion Office”.  She was something of an icon amongst ordinary people,  simply because she produced so many children.  But more important than that, she was also a divorcee who had become the Reich Propaganda Ministers ‘model’ wife.   

One of her husbands roles in the Third Reich was to make sure that the glamorous film industry worked stayed within the guidelines as laid down by Third Reich.

 Frau Goebbels disliked the stereotypical ‘Gretchen’ style of the traditional housewife in peasant clothes - which effectively made her a prisoner in her own home.  She wanted to be an example to other German women; to show them that they too could be beautiful, intelligent and chic.  But her behaviour more or less confined her to home.

Eva Braun, Hitler’s mistress, was more accommodating and was seen posing for cameras on the 'Obersaltzberg' in a dirndl skirt.

It was well known that unofficially, Braun ordered clothes from Paris.

She even took her SS bodyguard on secret shopping trips to Florence, with the sole intention of on acquiring yet more Salvatore Ferragamo shoes.

Art Deco & Nazi Germany

The link between Nazi Germany and the Art Deco period (which is so popular these days), has long made me uncomfortable. 

First I learned about the Neiger Brothers of Gablonz, Bohemia and their assassination at the hands of the Nazi’s.  These brothers were glass artisans from Bohemia, only just enjoying the fruits of their labour when killed by the Nazi war machine in Auschwitz.

It is interesting to read how the two – the ‘Third Reich’ and the global Art Deco style movement interacted.  The text which follows owes its origins to the narrative provided by Ilonka Wenk in the hardback reference book “Art Deco Schmuck” by Christianne Weber in German.

The book is a revelation to me and one wonders, if the general population knew of the background of Art Deco and the casualties inflicted by the Third Reich, would they be quite so keen to embrace everything Art Deco?  

With the North Americans, there would be an unequivocal ‘Yes!’.  With other perhaps more thoughtful Europeans there may at the very least be a huge question mark.   

But when there is a quick buck to be made in hard times, who can ignore a sale purely on the grounds of moral ethics?  I suspect there are very few indeed.

In the ‘Roaring Twenties’ lesbianism was embraced as ‘avant-garde’, during the 1930’s it was increasingly frowned upon following the play ‘Girls In Uniform’ where the heroin commits suicide after an unrequited infatuation with another female in uniform.

But many more women would soon be seen in uniform following the rise of Hitler in 1933, particularly the ‘BDM’ (the League of German Girls), who served in the Reich Works Corporation.  They carried out duties such as menial medical orderlies as well as lowly positions as tram conductors.

I suspect that the creation  (in 1933) of the German Fashion Office (Meutsches Modeamt) whose remit was to make all women’s’ clothing conform to the ethnic Nazi ideology, was doomed to failure from the very start.

The German Fashion Office was ordered to release propaganda of all kinds to ensure that only ‘pure blooded’ German fashion and accessories were made in accordance with  nationalist folklore which  should be accepted by all true Germans.  

They were also instructed by the Third Reich to ensure that they promoted fashion manufacture in order to keep up with international trends. 

This is surely a double whammy ordered by  the German Fashion Office (Meutsches Modeamt) - neither of which they could possibly deliver or enforce.