I created this fire screen around 1998 for a home in Richmond, Virginia.

This couple had an Art Deco room full of beautiful objects. I’m fond of Art Deco’s lovely lines, textures, and colors. It’s a nice change from so much of my work influenced by Art Nouveau.

I used 1/4 inch clear glass, and brass came. Beveling glass this size requires an enormous amount of skill and strength. I could never bevel glass this size today.

I have always admired large mirrors behind bars. Some are twelve feet long by four feet high and have a 1 3/4″ bevel.

A team of men made these mirrors with the same beveling machines I use in my shop. Holding the glass at the correct level and angle would take at least seven men or more. A lead man would signal the other men with his index finger what to do next. It would be easy to ruin a large plate without everyone working together.

Then, they would have to polish out any scratches made by the beveling grit getting between the worker’s hands and the glass.

To finish, they silvered the entire plate, which I consider a miracle since silver nitrate is so easily contaminated.

Today, all mirrors this size that I know of are made on automated high-speed machines.

There is a beauty between a hand-made mirror and a machine-made mirror that is worlds apart. It is similar to a piece of furniture made with hand planes or the hammer marks of a blacksmith.