About the Guild

The Guild of Glass Engravers was founded over 40 years ago based on an idea by two students of glass engraving, Elly Eliades and Elaine Freed who, finding that no formal glass engraving teaching existed, proposed forming a professional body for this art form. They contacted noted engravers and, after preliminary discussions, the first meeting was held in 1975. Laurence Whistler was invited to be the first President and John Hutton the first Vice President.

One of the original honorary members and supporters of the Guild was HM The Queen Mother.

The primary aims of the Guild are to promote the highest standards of creative design and craftsmanship in glass engraving.

The Guild acts as a forum for the teaching and discussion of engraving techniques and new developments from around the world as well as acting as a source of information to the public on all aspects of glass engraving and advises the growing number of individuals and institutions wishing to commission work.

To engrave glass is to embark on an absorbing and rewarding experience of working with light. The mysterious qualities of glass - a liquid metal caught in a moment of time and requiring both fire and water in the making - appear magical. Glass engravers capture, enhance and celebrate these qualities in their work and endeavour to communicate them to a wider audience.

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