Hot glass, cool art: Inside the studio of Anthony Corradetti
Photos and text by Lloyd Fox
- Anthony Corradetti walks among his many glass creations that are for sale in his gallery. He opened his glassblowing business in Clipper Mill in 2005 and has been a glassblower for 40 years. Along with creating his own glassware, Corradetti offers glassblowing classes & workshops at the studio. Archaeological findings in Egypt and Eastern Mesopotamia indicate that the first manufactured glass dates back to 3000BC and glassmaking in America began at Jamestown, Virginia in 1608. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- The glass bowl is heated in the furnace to 2200 degrees to keep the glass soft for shaping. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- The foot of the bowl is made by dripping molten glass to the bottom of the bowl. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- The foot of the bowl is made by dripping molten glass to the bottom of the bowl. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- L-R Pierre Bowring shapes the beginnings of a drinking glass as Anthony Corradetti blows the initial bubble into the end of the pole. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- After the glass is gathered the hot glass is dipped into Frit, which are tiny pieces of glass used to color the piece. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- Anthony Corradetti begins work on a glass bowl after is was put into a pineapple mold. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- The heated glass on the end of the pole is rolled on a steel tabletop to begin the shaping of the piece. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- Anthony Corradetti works on a glass bowl in his studio. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- Some of the many glass ornaments he has made in his studio. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- The glass bowl is heated and hand rolled. A wooden paddle made of cherry wood is used to help shape the lip of the bowl. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- A stand called a yoke is used to help the pole spin while being heated in the furnace. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- The base of the bowl is heated and then taken off of the steel pole before it is annealed overnight. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- The base of the glass bowl is heated with a torch to smooth out the where the steel pole was connected to it. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- Anthony Corradetti opened his glassblowing business in Clipper Mill in 2005. He has been a glassblower for 40 years, since first taking a class back at the Temple Tyler School of Art. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- A cast iron cooking tray was used as a mold for some of the holiday ornaments made in the studio. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- Two of the many optic molds that are used in the studio. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- After the foot is attached to the bowl it is heated again and giant tweezers are used to create decorative details in the foot or base of the bowl. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- Some of the many glass ornaments he has made in his studio. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
- Anthony Corradetti opened his glassblowing business in Clipper Mill in 2005. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun)
Anthony Corradetti is one of few people that actually welcomes cold temperatures to Baltimore. He spends his days in a studio with furnaces pushing 2200 degrees. Corradetti opened his glassblowing business in Clipper Mill in 2005 and has been creating glass pieces for 40 years, since first taking a class at Temple Tyler School of Art. Pieces are created by gathering glass on the end of a steel pole and then heating it to a glowing blob. The softened glass is then blown, shaped and reheated several times. Once finished, it is cooled slowly overnight to avoid breaking.
Jewelry, drinking glasses, ornaments, various vases and bowls are a few of the glass works that Corradetti offers at his studio. For people interested in making their own glass pieces, glassblowing classes & workshops are also offered.