1a. ABOUT THE COLLECTORS and AUTHORS

We are both retired and enjoying life and have been collecting ancient glass for the last thirty years. Our collection spans nearly 3000 years of glass making from the Roman period to now. By historical periods and areas it is as follows: Roman glass,Frankish glass (Merovingian glass), Medieval glass, Venetian glass & Facon de Venise, European, English, Spanish and American. Most of our glass was made before 1850. We would like to share the beauty of glass with whom ever is interested in it. It was to this end that we decided 2009 to start this ancient glass blog.

John Allaire

Carole Allaire

24 Responses

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Amy Ricalde said, on April 4, 2009 at 12:24 am

Thank you for sharing your love for ancient glass. I can hardly wait to see what you will post next!

Amy

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Bron said, on October 2, 2009 at 1:22 pm

Hi Carole,

Thanks for sharing your collection like this.

Some really lovely pieces and wonderful photographs.

Best wishes,

Bron.

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Allaire Collection of Glass said, on November 23, 2009 at 3:08 pm

Thanks so much for your feedback.

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Allaire Collection of Glass said, on November 28, 2009 at 2:43 pm

Thank you. Your Sartenada’s Photo Blog has some beautiful and interesting images. Our latest post shows a Scandinavian wine glass.

John

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Hans van Rossum said, on September 27, 2011 at 9:54 am

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Allaire,

What a surprise to discover your site. Beautiful Roman Glass. My name is Hans van Rossum and I’m one of the guest-curators of the glass exhibition at Thermenmuseum Heerlen (NL). The exhibition ended and it was a big success. Many vistors came to the south of Holland to look for the 280 glasses. I can offer you a look in my own catalogue: http://www.blurb.com and look for Roman Glass. On this moment you can see the entire book.

Enjoy!!

Warm regards

Hans van Rossum MA

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Niels Ole Frandsen said, on November 16, 2011 at 12:29 pm

Dear Mr and Mrs Allaire

I am writing my master thesis from Aalto University in Helsinki. One of the topics is the history of the bottle! I was wondering if you have some good material to read on the ground of you interest? I am making schnapps bottle but any bottles has my interest.

Thank you for sharing

Niels Ole

nfrandsen@gmail.com

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collectantic said, on July 10, 2013 at 4:57 am

Dear Mr and Mrs Allaire,

Your collection is fantastic, thank you for sharing these beauties and all these informations.

Maybe there is already one forum about ancient glass (greek, roman, byzantine and islamic), but I wasn’t able to find any.

I thought it could be useful and interesting to create one.

So here it is: http://antiqueglass.freeforums.net/

I hope you’ll like the idea, I think could be great to share collections, rarities, and even sell or ask for some special objects.

Please feel free to share that link to all your friends interested by ancient glass. I hope you’ll enjoy it, feel free to make any comments to improve it.

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Solveiga said, on November 7, 2013 at 1:56 pm

Goodness, I’ve been collecting old Murano glass for a while and only now came across your wonderful site. It really id breathtaking and so kind of you to make it available to glass lovers. I hope one day I’ll be able to buy a printed catalogue of the whole collection. Simply wonderful.

Enjoy your retirement and find some more beautiful things for your great collection,
all the best,
Solveiga.

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- Allaire Collection of Glass said, on November 7, 2013 at 3:40 pm
  
  Solveiga,
  
  Thank you very much for your kind words. We appreciate your feedback to us.
  
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F. Douglas See said, on January 3, 2014 at 3:27 pm

Thanks for sharing your collection in such a thoughtful and professional manner. You were able to do what many collectors simply do not have the means to do and were willing to make it available for the rest of us to enjoy and learn from. We must appreciate the hard work, passion, and artistic vision of mankind that these pieces represent. Thanks for the inspiration.

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- Allaire Collection of Glass said, on January 3, 2014 at 5:14 pm
  
  Thank you for your positive comments. We enjoy sharing our passion and it is for visitors like you that we started this site.
  
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Adrian Bridge said, on May 14, 2014 at 7:40 am

Dear Mr and Mrs Allaire
My name is Adrian Bridge and I have started to collect drinking vessels from the same period. I have recently brought my collection together at our hotel (www.theyeatman.com) and I now have about 80 pieces.
I would be delighted to learn more from you and possibly have a chance to meet. I come to the USA several times a year.

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- Allaire Collection of Glass said, on May 14, 2014 at 3:00 pm
  
  Dear Adrian,
  
  Thank you so much for your comment. The purpose of our blog is to share our glass with others who are interested. We welcome more information on your collection and hope you will continue to enjoy our web site.
  
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collectantic said, on July 24, 2014 at 3:10 am

Dear Mr and Mrs Allaire, thanks again to share youre fantastic collection and all the great informations and pictures taken in museums.

Please find the last additions to my small collection here: http://collectantic.wordpress.com

I hope it can interest you , best regards

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shimshon said, on July 29, 2017 at 3:19 am

Dear Mr.and Mrs Allaire ,
Thank you for your fantastic site and collection.
Do you have a catalog of your collection ??

Best Wishes ,

Shimshon

ISRAEL

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- Allaire Collection of Glass said, on July 29, 2017 at 5:55 am
  
  Thank you, the collection is mostly on line.
  
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Wynkin de Worde said, on May 16, 2019 at 9:41 am

Great work – keep it up!

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Carolyn Needell said, on October 15, 2020 at 3:16 pm

Thank you for sharing your information and collection!

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John Chojnacki said, on December 14, 2021 at 12:05 am

Dear John and Carole:
Thanks so very much for sharing your extensive collection and knowledge. My name is John Chojnacki, a Chapel Guide at the Joan of Arc (nee St. Martin de Seysseul) Chapel on the Marquette University Campus in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Chapel was originally built around 1420 near Chassse-sur-Rhone, France. Recently, we’ve been researching the six narrow nave windows (added in the 1920s). I’m interested in learning about the ways such windows would have been built in the 1400s, especially in rural areas. I know this is somewhat afield from your main interests, but It would be valuable to me to learn about more functional (less “artistic”) glass of this era. Can you Help? Looking forward to your reply.

Thank you

John R. Chojnacki

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RON HAREL said, on December 14, 2021 at 12:35 pm

a very beautiful and unique of Roman glass collection as an Roman period archiologist in the holy land, it is a plesure to see your passion to this beauty.

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Michel Vellard said, on October 2, 2022 at 10:23 am

Great collection! I would love to contact you for your opinion on a glass that I have.

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Jacob Sedgwick said, on April 23, 2023 at 8:41 am

I’m finding your list of references and detailed descriptions very informative, thank you.
A selfish request – could I send you a picture of a Roman glass bead in my collection? It is a fairly distinctive bead (actually 11 beads but they are the same type), I’m struggling to find similar examples.

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- Hans van Rossum said, on April 24, 2023 at 9:10 am
  
  Welcome to the club Jacob, there is a nice book about Beads from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, if you don’t have it already…
  Ancient Glass in the Israel Museum: Beads and Other Small Objects
  Spaer, Maud with Dan Barag, Tallay Ornan and Tamar Neuhaus
  Published by The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2001
  
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Anthony Schranz said, on June 2, 2023 at 4:43 am

Dear John
I would appreciate your expert opinion on an antique gilded beaker I recently acquired.
Could you kindly give me an email address where I can send you some photos of it?

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