A new, greatly revised edition of The Decanter, the result of 20 years interest & research, will be published by the Antique Collector’s Club in 2018.
Every one of its 500+ pages has been redesigned, most of the images improved & replaced, & 14 new chapters added.
It will be illustrated by about 2,000 colour illustrations of examples, pattern drawings, maps & portraits, many/most of which are previously unpublished. They have been drawn from private & public collections, most notably the Corning Museum of Glass [which commissioned new photography for many], the V&A, BM, MMA, Toledo, etc.
The insanely time-consuming, two-year slog that is leading to its creation has been one of hardest tasks that I’ve ever undertaken. But the proofs are looking fantastic!
This is what the ACC is saying about it:
This encyclopaedic new edition of The Decanter bolsters the book's reputation as the definitive work on the subject.
Researched and written by Andy McConnell, journalist and long-serving glass specialist on BBC TV's Antiques Roadshow, The Decanter is born of twenty years' extensive research. This edition is enlivened by several new chapters and the inclusion of two thousand new photographs and illustrations, most previously unpublished.
In presenting the subject across a broad timescale - ranging from ancient Mesopotamia to the modern day - The Decanter presents the history of glassmaking from a decanter perspective. The engaging, accessible text explores the stylistic and technical evolution of fine glassmaking alongside its influences and social uses. Drawing from thousands of documentary sources and benefiting from the knowledge and experience of scores of experts in Britain, Europe and the United States, The Decanter is the most comprehensive history of fine glassmaking ever published.