British Glass Foundation

Preserving the 400 year history of Stourbridge Glass.  

The Foundation -

The British Glass Foundation (BGF) is a charity that was created in response to the venerable but ageing Broadfield House Glass Museum in Kingswinford being deemed no longer fit for purpose as the showcase of the Stourbridge Glass collection. It was felt imperative that this internationally renowned assemblage of some of the finest glass ever made should retain its integrity and provenance in a new and permanent home. The selection of the site in Wordsley, right in the heart of the Stourbridge Glass industry and the former factory of the legendary Stuart Crystal, proved an inspired choice for this spectacular new home which, after wide consultation amongst the community it serves, has been named "The White House Cone Museum of Glass"

In addition to its responsibilities towards the collection, BGF seeks to represent all other charities, organisations and individuals that have an interest in preserving and promoting our wonderful glass heritage. It continues to raise the profile of the importance, locally, nationally and internationally, of both the glass collection and its associated archives and is active in encouraging impetus within the industry to secure and develop its future as a beacon of excellence for the long term. It has worked, and will continue to work, closely with its partners especially Complex Development Projects Ltd, owners of the White House site and Dudley MBC who are the principal custodian of the collection, to accomplish its aims. BGF has an ongoing remit to explore all available means to provide universal access to the collections and is currently liaising with the University of Wolverhampton to compile a comprehensive digital database. 

Details of all of BGF’s activities including information on donations, volunteering opportunities, the free-to-subscribe email bulletin GlassCuts and, of course, all the latest news from the White House Cone can be found on our website

The Unique Importance Of The Collection

The glass collections currently in store at Himley Hall, represent one of the finest holdings of British 18th, 19th and 20th century glass in the world. Numbering some ten thousand items, the Collection includes stunning examples from every major period of glass production in this country, the highlight being cameo glass, the speciality of Stourbridge factories at the end of the 19th century.  The collection has benefited from major bequests especially that of Michael Parkington which extended and completed Broadfield’s collection of 18th century glass.  The collection includes iconic pieces including exaples of the great 20th century glass designer Alexander Hardie Williamson.
The collection also includes important glass archive material e.g. pattern books from Stevens & Williams, Richardson’s and Thomas Webb & Sons, together with two major glass libraries from Robert J. Charleston, former Curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and H. Jack Haden, a local historian who amassed a valuable collection of local Stourbridge material, as well as many other documents, letters, photographs and films.
Glass making equipment is collected to complement the glass and the archive collections.  Notable pieces include the only surviving “Pull-Up” machine invented by John Northwood I in the 1880’s to decorate glass ware at Stevens & Williams, and a rare complete example of a Bohemian copper-wheel engraving lathe which was used by the great Joseph Keller.  In the 1980’s the foundations of an entire 17th century glass furnace from the estate of Sir Charles Wolseley near Rugeley, Staffordshire were rescued.  

Even now, some 400 years after glassmaking began in Stourbridge, work continues.