Vauxhall glassworks

The Vauxhall glassworks once transformed this quiet patch of London into a powerhouse of European glass production. Established in the late seventeenth century, the factory specialized in high-quality plate glass for mirrors, a luxury item that was previously difficult to obtain in England. To ensure the glass reached the standards of the famous Venetian manufacturers, the owners actively recruited skilled craftsmen from Murano, Italy, to work on the banks of the Thames. This infusion of foreign expertise allowed the facility to produce larger, clearer sheets of mirror glass than had ever been created in the country before.