Gillerland, John A
John A. Gillerlnnd, having previously severed his connection with the firm of Fisher and Gillerland, built a factory for himself at Brooklyn, New York, in 1823. This he called the South Ferry Glass Works. Gillerland in his time was considered to he the best glass mixer in America, and he took the prize for his fine flint glass at the London Exhibition in 1851. The full significance of this award can be understood only when it is considered that his product was exhibited in competition with that of the ablest makers of flint-glass in both Europe and America.
Many of the good American faceted paperweights were made in Gillerland's factory. The colors are clear and bright, and the workmanship is excellent. He excelled in the millefiori type, and it is probable that many of the fine millefiori weights which have been credited to other factories were really produced by Gillerland.
Many of the good American faceted paperweights were made in Gillerland's factory. The colors are clear and bright, and the workmanship is excellent. He excelled in the millefiori type, and it is probable that many of the fine millefiori weights which have been credited to other factories were really produced by Gillerland.
| One of Gillerland's finest things is a faceted paperweight with a bluish white overlay which is shown to the left. This weight has an open design cutting on the crown, and the bull's eyes on the sides are typical of the product of this factory. The cutting on the remainder of the surface, however, is rather more intricate than that found on other specimens from this source. The interior of this weight has a high white opaque dome, with pink, light green, and white set-ups in the middle section, and dark blue set-ups around the lower rim. This is a strikingly heavy paperweight for its size, and the heaviness of the glass suggests its fine quality.
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| The second Gillerland weight chosen to show here has a lacy background. A small cluster of flowers in the center bears some resemblance to certain floral subjects found in St. Louis weights. The outside rim has two circles, one of which is white, and the other alternating blue and yellow. The colors in this second weight are much stronger than in the first, although the blue set-ups are identical in both.
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An arrangement employed by St. Louis, Baccarat, and Sandwich comprised a cluster of set-ups grouped to resemble flowers. In this design three or more set-ups were placed against three or more green leaves with a stem. These were formed on clear glass, amber, or latticinio background, and sometimes there was an encircling row of set-ups around the outside rim of the weight. Some of of these had plain crowns, others were beautifully faceted. The makers of weights of this type can easily be determined from the individual set-ups, and it may be said that the finest American examples were made by Gillcrland.
A ceramic paperweight was made at the Gillerland factory which has in its center the single head of Queen Victoria, like the others which were made in the early years of her reign. On account of the remarkably close similarity of this head to another of Queen Victoria used in a Cambridge weight, one is tempted to speculate whether the two pieces were not produced by the same workman. Glass workers frequently change their allegiance from one factory to another and it seems entirely probable that a Cambridge workman came to New York to repeat an earlier achievement in the Gillerland factory. Or, of course, the change may have been in the other direction-a Gillerland workman may have sought greater contentment in the green pastures of Cambridge.
A ceramic paperweight was made at the Gillerland factory which has in its center the single head of Queen Victoria, like the others which were made in the early years of her reign. On account of the remarkably close similarity of this head to another of Queen Victoria used in a Cambridge weight, one is tempted to speculate whether the two pieces were not produced by the same workman. Glass workers frequently change their allegiance from one factory to another and it seems entirely probable that a Cambridge workman came to New York to repeat an earlier achievement in the Gillerland factory. Or, of course, the change may have been in the other direction-a Gillerland workman may have sought greater contentment in the green pastures of Cambridge.
