Chance Brothers Limited ArchiveLaura Brett

History

• 18 May 1824: Robert Lucas Chance purchases The British Crown Glass Company glassworks on the Blakeley Farm estate

• 1832: Introduce method for sheet glass production to Britain with help of Georges Bontemps

1851: Glazing of Crystal Palace

1851: Lighthouse Works

• By 1951 centenary supplied 2,400 lenses and hundreds of complete lighthouse structures to nearly 80 countries around the world

Coloured and Ornamental Glass

• Established 1843• Bontemps takes control 1848 and

introduces enamelling• Department can not compete with

competitors and closes 1867; coloured glass production continues

• Alexander Macomb Chance moves on to manage Oldbury Chemical Works

Rolled Glass

• 1885 licence for Mason Conqueror Machine, developed into double rolling machine

Flemish Texture

Glasgow Plate Glass Co.

• Purchased 1907, small scale production of glass fibres begins 1930

• Renamed Glass Fibres Limited 1938 and Fibreglass Limited 1944

Optical Glass and War

• 1890: Collaboration with Sir William Crookes results in production of Crookes Glass and first UV protection lenses

• Chance were ‘the eyes of the Army, Navy and Air Force’ during both World Wars

Domestic Glassware

• 1929: First domestic pressed glassware produced including Orlak ovenware and pressed tableware designs

• 1951: Begin production of slumped domestic glassware, Fiestaware

CRTs and Laboratory Glass

• Developed some of the first Cathode Ray Tubes with John Logie Baird for television

• 1947: Malvern Plant built for the production of scientific glass

1956: Glazing of Big Ben

The end of Chances

• 1952: Pilkington assumes full control • 1954: Lighthouse works sold• 1957: Optical division re-located to St

Asaph• 1964: Glasgow works closed• 1976: Rolled-plate division closed• 1981: Spon Lane site closed

The project

• Funded by National Cataloguing Grants Scheme to catalogue around one third of the collection

• 30 cubic metres in total; consisting of around 300 records management boxes and 400 ledgers

Catalogue Arrangement

• 1 Corporate • 2 Share • 3 Employment • 4 Financial• 5 Legal • 6 Property • 7 Operational • 8 Administrative

• 9 Sales & Marketing• 10 Reference Material • 11 Chance & Hunt Ltd • 12 Lighthouse Works • 13 Glasgow Works • 14 Subsidiary

Companies • 15 Family Papers

Challenges

Interesting Finds

Blog and Contact Details

Laura_Brett@sandwell.gov.uk

www.chancearchive.blogspot.com