Stourbridge Glass Museum – September 2024
On Wednesday 18th September 2024, eighteen members of Pershore Civic Society were treated to a lecture and guided tour of the fascinating Stourbridge Glass Museum.
The Stourbridge Glass Museum was opened in 2022 to celebrate 400 years of quality glass making in the Dudley area.
The former Grade II listed Stuart Crystal Glassworks site in Wordsley has been transformed into a world-class visitor attraction for the Glass Quarter, with exhibition and education spaces, a hot glass studio, and the internationally renowned Stourbridge glass collection. This numbers over 10,000 glass items, ranging from ancient glass to contemporary glass, glassmaking machinery, equipment, and extensive archive materials.
The collection is hailed by the British Glass Federation as “one of the finest world-wide holdings of British and international 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th century glass It includes exceptional examples of cameo glass, the speciality of Stourbridge factories at the end of the 19th century
Stourbridge Cameo Glass
Today there are a handful of glassworks that remain in the area. Brierley Hill Crystal still specialise in cut crystal and Plowden & Thompson in technical glass. It is the only glass factory still operating in an original glass cone site.
Our members were fascinated by the exceptional quality of displays and the knowledge of the volunteers who look after the collection.
The museum is open to the public Thursdays to Saturdays in the Winter between 10.30am and 4.30pm but it is always worthwhile keeping an eye on the museum’s website at https://www.stourbridgeglassmuseum.org.uk/ for special events.
This is the last event to be organised by Pershore Civic Society Committee member Catherine Cadbury. She is succeeded in the post by Janet Morris who has been working closely with Catherine in recent months. We are so grateful to both for the interesting and varied events previously arranged with such success – and those we are yet to receive!
