Let’s dive a bit into history of glass. America’s glass history is no small factor. Since early 1800, glass turned into a household and everyday useable commodity in terms of decoration, transportation sectors, and more.

Before the 19th century, nearly all glass in America was hand-blown. Skilled artisans shaped molten glass using traditional techniques passed down through generations. While beautiful, this process was slow and expensive. Industrialization changed everything.

Steam-powered machinery, improved furnace designs, and new production methods allowed glass to be made faster, cheaper, and in larger quantities. Factories replaced small glasshouses, and output increased dramatically. This shift made glass more accessible to the average American household for the first time.

The Rise of American Glass Cities (1800s)

As glass production expanded, certain regions became major glassmaking hubs due to access to raw materials, fuel, and transportation routes.

Some of the most important glass-producing regions included:

• Pennsylvania, especially Pittsburgh, known for its coal resources
• Ohio, with easy access to sand and transportation
• New Jersey, which became a key center for industrial and architectural glass
• West Virginia, later famous for specialty and decorative glass

These areas attracted skilled workers, engineers, and entrepreneurs, creating communities built almost entirely around glass production. In fact, from these areas we got the vanguards of glass business, whose dreams & ideas are still inspiring and reshaping the modern glass industry.

In 1900s, the approach towards glass production took a new turn with the rise of skyscrapers across the USA. It transformed the architecture for good. Glass was no longer just an accessory—it became essential to urban design. Natural light flooded offices, improving working conditions and redefining interior spaces.

Technological Advances in Flat Glass

To meet architectural demands, the glass industry developed improved methods for producing flat glass. Innovations during this era focused on:

• Greater clarity and uniform thickness
• Larger sheet sizes
• Stronger and more reliable glass

Manufacturers refined polishing and rolling techniques, reducing distortion and imperfections. These advancements made it possible to use glass confidently in commercial and institutional buildings.

Glass in Homes and Public Buildings

Beyond commercial use, glass became a staple in residential and public architecture. Schools, libraries, hospitals, and government buildings adopted larger windows to promote healthier, brighter environments.

In homes, glass connected indoor spaces with the outdoors. Sunrooms, bay windows, and glass doors became popular, reflecting a growing desire for openness and natural light.

Between 1950 and 2000, glass began to evolve in a new direction. It was no longer valued only for function or structure—it became a medium for innovation, artistic expression, and advanced performance.

The Post-War Boom and Material Innovation

After World War II, the United States experienced rapid economic growth. New construction, suburban expansion, and technological advancement created a surge in demand for better materials.

Glass manufacturers responded by developing:

• Stronger and lighter glass
• Improved coatings and treatments
• Heat-resistant and impact-resistant glass

The Rise of Tempered and Laminated Glass

Safety and durability became top priorities in modern design. This led to widespread adoption of tempered and laminated glass, which offered greater strength and safer breakage patterns.

These innovations made glass suitable for:

• High-traffic commercial spaces
• Automotive windshields
• Glass doors and partitions
• Public infrastructure

Artistic Glass and the Studio Glass Movement

While industry focused on performance, artists were redefining what glass could be creatively. The Studio Glass Movement, which began in the 1960s, encouraged artists to work with glass in small studios rather than large factories.

This movement:

• Treated glass as a fine art medium
• Blended craftsmanship with experimentation
• Brought glass into galleries and museums

During this period, decorative glass saw a major resurgence. Architects and designers began using:

• Etched glass
• Frosted and patterned glass
• Tinted and colored glass

These materials allowed buildings to balance privacy with light, blending function and aesthetics. Specialty glass became a signature feature in offices, hotels, restaurants, and luxury homes.

Since the late 20th century, glass had become a material of choice for expressing identity—whether through bold architectural statements or artistic installations. It could be transparent or dramatic, subtle or bold.

Today, American glassmaking stands at the intersection of engineering, design, and creativity, ready for the upcoming challenges which are reshaping the urban art and architecture, alongside science, education, researches, as well as rides.

The post Innovation, Art, and Specialty Glass in America appeared first on Bear Glass Blog.

We have been back-painting glass for nearly a decade now, and we’ve sampled well custom colors. Because Bear Glass mainly use low-iron glass for our  Color Glass, we are able to keep reds their trust – without any neutralization from the greenish tint of glass.

Feature walls are the spaces where you want your customers, patients, or clients to be drawn to immediately. It might be a reception desk at a hotel, a check-in desk at a medical office, or a customer service area in an office or showroom; but including a feature wall into a commercial design is good for business. And Bear Glass Color Glass is the perfect substrate for a Feature Wall.

Bear Glass Color Glass back-painted glass is perfect for use as a focal wall because of all it can do for your business:

• Bear GlassColor Glass can be custom color-matched to tie in with the company logo or brand
• Glass naturally reflects light, which draws the human eye,…directing the individual easily and organically
• Logos can be added to the back painted the glass,…protecting the logo behind the glass and making it easy to clean
• Glass and its interaction with light and color are perceived by others as sophisticated and quality material when used in interiors.

Allow the shine and saturated color of Bear Glass Color Glass to make the right statement about your business with a Feature Wall made out of back painted glass. It will create an interior that directs, informs and infuses the user with confidence about your brand,…instantly.

As you can see, the uses for Bear Glass Color Glass backpainted glass can be quite varied; wall cladding, signage, cabinetry inserts, table toppers and more can all showcase the brilliance of red on glass. If you want to make a statement anytime of year, consider Bear Glass Color Glass.

The post Holiday Colors using Glass Backsplash appeared first on Bear Glass Blog.

The term “feature wall” has become part of our everyday conversation in the glass business. It is a wall installation in a commercial or residential interior that draws the eye and engages the inhabitant of the space. It can be in the form of a water feature, a large-scale art installation of fiber or sculpture, but increasingly it’s becoming a wall of glass.

4 Key Advantages of A Glass Feature Wall:

1. Branding Power – With Bear Glass Glass’ custom color capability, corporate colors can be matched perfectly and custom logos can be added to convey the brand and company mission loud and clear.

2. Expressing Character – Glass can be fabricated and manipulated in so many ways; with color, with precision water jet cutting, with a mosaic, with mixing materials,…a feature wall is an opportunity to do something unique in the space that sets a mood right away to enhance the user’s experience.

3. Way Finding – The glow and sheen of glass and a simple-to-understand color story is an easy way to guide users through space, delineate functions, and direct traffic.

4 .Excite & Express – Glass can inspire awe. Color sings when it’s behind glass. Light plays on the glass. Glass feels a little mysterious. Having a feature wall that uses glass in a creative way is what we strive for with every piece of glass we fabricate. It’s a chance to delight and surprise your users.

Feature walls are the spaces where you want your customers, patients, or clients to be drawn to immediately. It might be a reception desk at the hotel, a check-in desk at a medical office, or a customer service area in an office or showroom; but including a feature wall into a commercial design is good for business. And Bear Glass Color Glass is the perfect substrate for a Feature Wall.

Bear Glass Color Glass back-painted glass is perfect for use as a feature wall because of all it can do for your business:

1. Bear Glass Color Glass can be custom color-matched to tie in with the company logo or brand.
2. Glass naturally reflects light, which draws the human eye,…directing the individual easily and organically.
3. Logos can be added into the backpainted the glass,…protecting the logo behind the glass and making it easy to clean.
4. Glass and its interaction with light and color are perceived by others as a sophisticated and quality material when used in interiors.

Allow the shine and saturated color of Bear Glass Color Glass to make the right statement about your business with a Feature Wall made out of back painted glass. It will create an interior that directs, informs and infuses the user with confidence about your brand,…instantly.
Bear Glass’s Color Glass products are selectively painted pieces for the ultimate a feature walls that invite clients up to the receptionist. These art pieces are the branding opportunities that add a soothing element to the organization’s positive approach.

If you’re having trouble with deciding a creative idea or installing a feature wall, give us a call at +1 718 832 3604. We have qualified feature glass installers all across the country who create and install beautiful feature walls every day and may be able to help you with your design problem.

The post Bear Glass Color Glass Perfect For Use As A Feature Wall appeared first on Bear Glass Blog.

Bear Glass does everything in glass and mirror! We are a premier Dreamwalls Glass distributor. We have fabrication facilities in both Brooklyn New York, and Tinton Falls NJ. Dreamwalls Color Glass is manufactured using a propietary paint technolgy developed specifically for superior adhesion to glass.

From upscale commercial interiors to just about anywhere tile can be installed on walls, back painted glass adds brilliant color, shine and sophistication without the high maintenance grout lines. Transform ordinary walls into stunning interiors with Back Painted Glass. Widely popular in Europe, reverse and back painted glass is the perfect alternative to traditional tile, paint, and wallpaper, offering a custom glass finish that is modern, clean, seamless, vibrant, and hygienic.

The modern elegance makes this solution perfect for kitchens, bathrooms, showers, and many other areas of the home. In fact, back painted glass is so clean lined and beautiful, that it is increasingly being specified by leading interior designers and architects for new and innovative residential applications such as kitchen backsplashes, bathroom & shower walls, bar splashbacks, closet doors, cabinets, and furniture as well as for upscale commercial interiors, offices, and hotels.

There are currently 12 stock colors of annealed Dreamwalls Color Glass ready to ship. However, the color possibilities are limitless due to a computerized intermix system and our trained staff of color experts who ensure that the color you specify is the color you see. You choose a color from any color deck you use in your day-to-day business, and our experts can match it.

After the glass is coated with our unique paint, it is heat-cured and coated again with a backing paint for additional protection that is also heat-cured. This ensures that the paint remains durable during handling and fabrication to reduce the liklihood of scratches and cut-throughs.

Backpainted glass panels are available on either plate or low-iron glass. Custom shapes and edgework are also available. Back-painted glass is ideal for use in architectural elements such as walls, countertops, and glass backsplashes. When opacity and an easily cleaned surface are required, yet a specific color is preferred, backpainted glass is an excellent choice.

Benefits of Dreamwalls Color Glass:

• Easy to clean
• Moisture resistant
• Limitless color matching
• Hygienically non-porous
• Durable
• Temperable

We match the color codes of all leading paint manufacturers, including Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, Kelly Moore, and many others. Computer color matching is also available.

Looking to add even more depth to your Bear Glass Back Painted Glass? Our textured glass can be color-coated on the smooth side or textured side. Each alternative produces its own unique look.

MORE BACK PAINTED FACTS:

• Bear Glass Back Painted Glass is durable, nonporous and easy to install. And with no grout lines, cleaning is fast and easy.
• With a standard sheet size of 84” x 130”, most projects can be done with very few seams, if any.
• Bear Glass Back Painted Glass is available in all standard glass thicknesses: 1/8”, 1/4?, 3/8”, 1/2?, 3/4?, and 1”.
• You can cut Bear Glass Back Painted Glass to virtually any shape. You can drill, notch, temper, and even bend it.

Bear Glass Back Painted Glass countertop edges can be flat-polished, pencil-polished, beveled, bull-nosed, mitered, ogee or chipped.

Samples are easily available

We’re happy to provide dealer showroom samples of the various colors, thicknesses and textures of Bear Glass Back Painted Glass.

The cost for individual samples for specific jobs is $45 each. We’ll credit the cost of up to two samples when the job is completed.

Bear Glass ships their back painted glass products worldwide. We do everything in glass and mirror.

For more information or to order your  back painted glass, please contact Bear Glass at:

FACTORY/ OFFICE

Address:

Bear Glass Inc.

399 20th Street

Brooklyn, NY 11215

Phone: 718-832-3604

Fax: 718-832-0786

E-mail: bearglass@yahoo.com

The post Bear Glass Does Back Painted Glass In New Jersey And New York appeared first on Bear Glass Blog.