All About Glass

All About Glass

This is your resource for exploring various topics in glass: delve deeper with this collection of articles, multimedia, and virtual books all about glass. Content is frequently added to the area, so check back for new items. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered, send us your suggestion. If you have a specific question, Ask a Glass Question at our Rakow Research Library.

Reflections on Glass: Telescope Mirrors
Article

I contrived heretofore, a perspective by Reflexion.       — Sir Isaac Newton, c. 1668 The refracting telescope gave astronomers their first up-close glimpses of the heavens. Then, it began to frustrate them. At higher magnifications, the instrument’s glass lenses produced distorted images.

Behind the Glass: The Art of Seeing at a Distance with Dr. Marvin Bolt
Video

In 1608, the telescope's unveiling took place at a peace conference between Dutch and Spanish authorities. Which aspects of glass prevented the telescope's invention until 1608, and then enabled its quick spread? Over the past decade, Dr. Marvin Bolt, curator of Science and Technology at