Victorian glass is the glassware produced in Britain during the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901, an era of remarkable technical innovation and decorative variety. The repeal of the Glass Excise Act in 1845 removed a heavy tax on glass by weight, encouraging manufacturers to experiment with thicker, more elaborate and more colourful wares.
The period saw the rise of mechanically pressed glass, which made decorative tableware affordable for ordinary households, alongside fine hand-blown and cut crystal. Coloured glass became hugely popular, including cranberry, ruby, amethyst, green and uranium or vaseline glass, together with opaline, satin and cased glass. Decorative techniques included cutting, engraving, acid etching, enamelling, gilding and applied trails. At the top of the market, cameo glass by Thomas Webb & Sons and the Woodall brothers rivalled ancient Roman work. Victorian glass also includes oil lamp fonts and shades, epergnes, decanters and stained glass. Collectors value colour, quality and condition, checking carefully for chips, cracks and cloudiness known as sickness.
