shapes in layered glass . A year later , another artist was hired : Edward Hald , a former student of Matisse in Paris . The two artists were different , but they brought renewal to the forms and patterns of glass in parallel with one another . Incredibly skilled engravers and glassblowers were now working at the glassworks to implement Gate and Hald ’ s visions .
The boom of art glass – 1925 Swedish art glass was now unsurpassed . More artists , designers and engravers became involved : Bergkvist , Abels , Augustsson . Kåge , Milles , Grünewald . They won international awards , but they were not just making magnificent exhibition objects and expensive collections . Gate , Hald and the others were also designing sets and drinkware for new target groups , as well as simpler everyday objects based on the motto : more beautiful everyday goods . These items were also successful exports and soon , Orrefors had sales agents in South Africa , the US , Australia and all over Europe .
The artists had an undeniable social impact at the glassworks . From the café scenes and bohemian lifestyles of major European cities , they brought curiosity , open good-naturedness , renewed forms of socializing , and a willingness to question conventions . For example , when Gate and Hald formed the Club for the Outstretched Hand . In the club , management and staff members came together to discuss ideas , worldviews and the possibilities of glass in festive yet unconstrained social gatherings . That would have been impossible in the hierarchical factory setting just a few years earlier . Women were still very much in the minority , even if they were there – both in the production and its surroundings . One of them was Flory Keiller . She had studied art in Paris and now she worked at the glassworks as a glass engraver . In 1929 , she married Simon Gate , and she would later become a pioneer in ecology .
War and unrest – 1930 The Depression had arrived and Orrefors had to carefully review its offering and manufacturing . They held sales and clearance sales ; the only truly profitable product was glass for display cabinets . And then it was time for the Stockholm Exhibition of 1930 . Many people thought that perhaps Orrefors glass had reached the end of the road . Style ideals were undergoing radical change , and product and fashion design were influenced by austere functionalist architecture . How would the artists find equilibrium in the face of this trend ?
In the shadow of economic downturn , new experiments took place with new artists who joined the company . Gate and Hald were still there , but Edvin Palmkvist , the sculptor Edvin Öhrström and Vicke Lindstrand were continuing to work with new colors and shapes . Soon , the techniques known as graal and ariel had been fully developed : layers of glass were applied on top of one another with air sealed in between . This allowed the glass itself to shine , with engraving and patterns inside of it . Once again at the Stockholm Exhibition , audiences were abuzz – visitors and critics alike .
But the magnificent exhibitions and awards were not enough when the economic downturn deepened during World War II . Workers were let go , Palmkvist went to Stockholm for continued studies at the University of Arts , Crafts & Design , and Vicke Lindstrand left the glassworks . Hald became head of Orrefors and had a lot on his plate ; many people needed his help . When many men are summoned to go to war and materials are in short supply , good advice isn ’ t cheap . Hald decided to bide his time while continuing to focus on the future . Orrefors needed documentation and marketing in the form of photos and advertising .
Peace and generational change – 1930-40 In 1932 , Hald ’ s newly hired assistant Johan Selbing was given a new assignment as photographer for the glassworks . Selbing ’ s goal was to design his own products , which he ultimately ended up doing . But for now , he was the photographer . And before long , he was so successful that his pictures were shown at exhibitions and won prizes . Selbing gradually also developed a technique in which photos were transferred to glass and then etched .
1940 was a difficult year . The war had depleted all resources . The production of glass panels for display cabinets continued , but buyers were not prioritizing other products . Gate was exhausted , and when he turned 60 in 1943 , he decided to step down as head of the company and work only as artistic director . But two years later , Gate suddenly died , and Hald – who was also over 60 at this point – was left on his own . And then there was a miracle : peace was declared , and orders for glass objects began pouring in almost immediately . When American troops were leaving Germany , they wanted to bring home souvenirs from Europe . The reputation of beautiful Swedish glass lived on and “ something from Orrefors ” was at the top of many wish lists .
In the aftermath of the war , refugees arrived in Sweden and many found their way to industrial areas . Among others , Sudeten German refugees from Czechoslovakia – a country with a lengthy glass tradition – came to Orrefors . And they were needed , because consumers were also emerging on the home front . Orrefors also hired more new designers : Ingeborg Lundin , Nils Landgren , Gunnar Cyrén and Carl Fagerlund , all of whom had different styles as well as an ability to move seamlessly between art glass , industrial products , and products for public spaces .
New owners – 1950s Ownership was transferred to the Beyer family and soon ,
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