A Brilliant Legacy
T. G. Hawkes & Company
The story begins with Thomas Gibbons Hawkes.
Thomas Gibbons Hawkes, born in County Cork, Ireland in 1846 to a prominent family with a glassworking heritage, emigrated to the United States in 1863. His career began as a foreman for glass factory Hoare and Daily in Brooklyn, New York moving with the company to Corning, New York in 1868.
Once in Corning, he soon opened his own cutting shop which was incorporated as T.G. Hawkes & Company in 1890. This on the heels of success the year before when Hawkes famously won acclaim and Grand Prize at the Universal Exposition in Paris.
Thomas Gibbons Hawkes
European taste for sparkling cut glass at this time was emulated in the United States in what was called the Brilliant Cut Glass Period. Over 1,000 cutting shops were founded to meet the demand and T.G. Hawkes & Company flourished. The company was in operation for 82 years.
A Modern Progression
Hawkes Crystal USA
The T.G. Hawkes trademark is now owned by Hawkes Crystal and we are incredibly proud to be reviving the brand.
Our mission is not to reproduce original Hawkes designs revered by collectors, but to translate these original patterns and shapes into a new modern collection. To design hand cut crystal intriguing to new generations and traditional T.G. Hawkes & Company collectors alike.
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A new generation of Hawkes Crystal is reinventing and honoring this very important artisan tradition. Creating a new trademark collection of contemporary and traditional designs, artist designed and hand cut just as they were in 1889 by T.G. Hawkes & Company designers.
Master Brilliant Cutter and Designer, Aidan J. Scully has acquired the Hawkes trademark and chosen Tiffin, Ohio USA as home to a new Hawkes Crystal Workshop and Gallery.
A Midwestern town with a legendary glass making heritage, Tiffin began a partnership with T.G. Hawkes & Co. in the 1930's. The Company chose the Tiffin Glass Factory (known for its exceptional quality lead crystal) to produce all blanks for Hawkes stemware and other designs.
Mr. Scully is one of only a handful of Master Brilliant Cutters currently creating in the United States. A native of County Cork, Ireland, Aidan is proud to have apprenticed under Edward Flavin, one of the first five apprentices of famed Waterford Crystal.
Over his 30 year career, Aidan's work has been featured in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution and Toledo Museum of Art. Commissions have included pieces for Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, First Lady Barbara Bush, Senator John Glenn and Pope John Paul.
More articles and information on Hawkes Crystal in the Stories section. Click link below to view.
Scully (left) with his apprentice Aaron Gooding (right)
