In 1675 George Ravenscroft invented the lead glass formula which was to transform glass selling in England. Previously table glass was imported from the continent, mostly from Venice, but now an indigenous industry developed rapidly, producing drinking glasses of such quality and fascinating design as to capture the entire home market. This book explores the variety of drinking glasses, from the heavy balusters of before 1700 to the faceted stems of around 1800 which are so sought after by collectors. Superb craftsmanship and ingenuity, typical of all art forms in the eighteenth century, are...