Bill Gudenrath Brings Ancient Glassblowing to Life

Bill Gudenrath Brings Ancient Glassblowing to Life

January 29, 2024, Corning Museum of Glass marked the launch of glassblower and scholar Bill Gudenrath’s third digital publication, The Techniques of Roman-Period Glassblowing. Through the investigation of ancient objects, Bill tells the story of the discovery, rapid development, and widespread dissemination of glassblowing throughout the Roman world.

Glassblowing began about 40 BCE, and over the next three centuries, skilled and creative craftspeople invented processes for making useful and often beautiful objects with this revolutionary technology. “The degree of inquisitiveness, inventiveness, and creativity of the Roman-period glassblowers was nearly unparalleled in the history of glass,” says Mr Gudenrath. “By the 4th century, they had accomplished a virtuosity in handling the material that wasn’t exceeded until Renaissance Venetian glassblowing.”

For more than 30 years, Bill has pioneered research in historical glassmaking using reverse engineering. He is famous for his ability to recreate historical glassworking processes and the resulting objects. In The Techniques of Roman-Period Glassblowing, Bill demonstrates—with 53 accompanying videos—how he believes these ancient objects may have been made.