Harry James Powell (24 January 1853 – 26 November 1922) was a British glassmaker associated with the

Arts and Crafts movement The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and America. Initiat ...

. He was manager and chief glassmaker of

James Powell and Sons The firm of James Powell and Sons, also known as Whitefriars Glass, were London-based English glassmakers, leadlighters and stained-glass window manufacturers. As Whitefriars Glass, the company existed from the 18th century, but became well kno ...

from 1875 to 1919. He is best known for his innovations in the production of vessel glass, his contributions of new, medieval-like glass to the Arts and Crafts Movement, and the invention of innovative glass materials designed for the war effort during World War I.

Biography

Harry James Powell was the grandson of James Powell, owner of

Glass Company (originally known as Whitefriars Glassworks) in London. Powell graduated from

Trinity College, Oxford Trinity College (full name: The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (Knight)) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in E ...

in 1873, where he studied

mechanics Mechanics () is the area of physics concerned with the relationships between force, matter, and motion among Physical object, physical objects. Forces applied to objects may result in Displacement (vector), displacements, which are changes of ...

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

and

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

. Powell was hired at the glass company in 1873, and managed the company from 1875 until his retirement in 1919. He was made a partner of the firm in 1893. Powell was chief designer of glassware. His intricate designs for vases, bowls and glassware had a strong following, as interest and demand soared for glass, first in the

Arts and Crafts The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the Decorative arts, decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and ...

style and later in the

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

style.

From the beginning of his career, Powell studied the history of glass and glass making. He scientifically analyzed historic glassware and would to try to recreate the old glass. He also investigated new kinds of glass. Powell discovered that by exposing glass to higher temperatures, he could change its colour in dramatic ways. By 1877, Powell had produced new

opalescent Opalescence or play of color is an optical phenomena, optical phenomenon associated with the mineraloid gemstone opal,opalescent. 2019. In Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. Retrieved January 7, 2019, from https:// ...

glass, a milky opaque straw opal and blue opal, which were well received in America. Goblet_LACMA_M

In the early 1890s, Powell was experimenting with new glass colours, trying to replicate medieval glass, for use in the

mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

s designed by

William Blake Richmond Sir William Blake Richmond (29 November 184211 February 1921) was a British painter, sculptor and a designer of stained glass and mosaic. He is best known for his portrait work and decorative mosaics in St Paul's Cathedral in London. Richmon ...

for

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

. The new, heavier glass, often with light veins of colour, expanded the company's glass palette and was highly favoured by artists of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Powell kept records of his experiments, and made detailed notes of his impressions and work in notebooks, which are preserved in the British Museum. At the beginning of the 20th century, Powell applied his scientific knowledge to create products that were used in science, industry and the war effort in the First World War. His innovations included X-ray tubes, light bulbs, and new types of thermometer. "His development of toughened glass for thermometer tubes, optical glass and ultimately for toughened glass for use on naval mines in World War I earned him his

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, but brought the company through the difficult war years and able to expand vigorously afterwards". In 1919, Powell retired from the company. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services during the First World War, which included the products he developed for the war effort. Powell died at his home in Dulwich on 26 November 1922. He was buried in

Gerrards Cross Gerrards Cross is a town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of Chalfont St Peter and a short distance west of the London Borough of Hillingdon, from which it is separated by the parish of Denham, Buckinghams ...

, Buckinghamshire. His book ''Glass Making in England'' was posthumously published in 1923.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Harry James 1853 births 1922 deaths Arts and Crafts movement artists British glass artists Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Members of London County Council Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford