Rich Cut Glass of Charles Guernsey Tuthill

Rating:
Summary: Charles Tuthill: An American Artisan-Entrepreneur
Review: An enthralling chronical of the career of a remarkable man, Charles Tuthill, founder of Tuthill Cut Glass of Middletown, New York, and his family. Beginning as an apprentice at T. G. Hawkes & Company in 1887, Tuthill went on to become both a master glass cutter and a master engraver. He rose to foreman at Hawkes by the time he was 24 years old, resigning in 1895 to set up his own glass-cutting shop in his father's carraige house in Corning. From there he moved to Middletown where he was joined in the business by his sister-in-law, who served as general manager, and his brother. Well known for its original designs combining engraved fruits and flowers with geometric cutting, the Company prospered and, in 1915, was awarded a gold medal for its display at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.

Written in the you-are-there style of the "new journalism," the book is a lively read. Drawing heavily on interviews with Tuthill family members, it fills a large gap in our knowledge of the cut glass industry. Cut glass collectors will recognize the names of the players in this unique American success story and get to know them better through the many anecdotes offered by author Maurice Crofford. The book should appeal also to those interested in American business history, in general, and the unique period around the turn of the 20th century when brilliant cut glass decorated the tables of the rich and famous. It would make an excellent reading assignment for upstate New York high school students.

Rating:
Summary: Charles Tuthill: An American Artisan-Entrepreneur
Review: An enthralling chronical of the career of a remarkable man, Charles Tuthill, founder of Tuthill Cut Glass of Middletown, New York, and his family. Beginning as an apprentice at T. G. Hawkes & Company in 1887, Tuthill went on to become both a master glass cutter and a master engraver. He rose to foreman at Hawkes by the time he was 24 years old, resigning in 1895 to set up his own glass-cutting shop in his father's carraige house in Corning. From there he moved to Middletown where he was joined in the business by his sister-in-law, who served as general manager, and his brother. Well known for its original designs combining engraved fruits and flowers with geometric cutting, the Company prospered and, in 1915, was awarded a gold medal for its display at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.

Written in the you-are-there style of the "new journalism," the book is a lively read. Drawing heavily on interviews with Tuthill family members, it fills a large gap in our knowledge of the cut glass industry. Cut glass collectors will recognize the names of the players in this unique American success story and get to know them better through the many anecdotes offered by author Maurice Crofford. The book should appeal also to those interested in American business history, in general, and the unique period around the turn of the 20th century when brilliant cut glass decorated the tables of the rich and famous. It would make an excellent reading assignment for upstate New York high school students.