The purpose of this work is to present information about the late 19th and early 20th century cut glass industry in Corning, New York. The book focuses on T.G. Hawkes and Company because of the recent discovery of the latter's archival materials dating from the 1880s and 1890s. Among these materials are letters to the firm from customers, suppliers and tradespeople. The letters shed light on business conditions and practices of the late 19th century and no how various companies competed and co-operated with one another. Topics covered in this work incldue labour relations in the cut glass industry, sources of blanks (especially European ones), the Hawkes firm's representation to the Paris World Fair of 1889 and special orders for the White House and other customers. In addition to a chronology of pattern names, there is information on pattern copying, patents, selling methods, advertisement, trademarks and relations between the cut glass industry and silver manufacturers such as Gorham and Tiffany. Other Corning glass cutting firms - J. Hoare and Company, H.P. Sinclair and Company, and O.F. Eggington and Company - also receive considerable attention.
