The Man Who Killed Bottle Collecting

Lot number 68 in British Bottle Review's January sale was a frosted pressed glass bust of a late middle aged man who is identified by the embossing "M. J. Owens 1859-1923." Commissioned by his partner, Edward Libbey, and issued in limited numbers to friends and associates of Owens at the time of his death. Michael Owens was the son of an Irish immigrant coal miner and started work at the age of 10 in the glass industry at Wheeling, on the Ohio River, USA. He was to become one of the world's most important pioneers of mass production, working his way up in the industry, he eventually became the manager of the Toledo Glasshouse, run by Edward Libbey. This is the story of how he invented the automatic press-and-blow machine.