The history of mirrors starts in the III Century B.C. Most ancient mirrors were made from metal and had a round shape. The backside of the ancient mirrors was beautifully embellished with ornamentation. Mirrors were made from highly polished bronze and silver. The first glass mirrors were invented in I Century by Romans.
From ancient times special qualities had been given to mirrors, that no other object had. The Greek philosopher Socrates gave advice to young men to look at themselves in the mirror, and those who were handsome should focus their life on keeping their souls clean and stay away from the temptations of life that could take them on the wrong path. If a young man would find that he is not handsome, he should compensate for his look from his heart, and get known for doing a lot of good things.
In Medieval period glass mirrors completely disappeared, because during those times religious confessions stated that the devil is looking and watching the world from the opposite side of glass mirrors. Poor fashionable ladies had to use polished metal mirrors or special water bowls instead of glass mirrors.
Glass mirrors came back only in the 13th century. This time they were bent slightly outward. The method of attaching the tin to the flat surface of the glass wasn’t invented yet. Using available technology master glaziers poured hot tin into glass tubs, and then, after the tin was cold, they would break it into separate pieces.
Only three centuries later, Venetian masters invented a “flat mirror technique.” They figured out how to attach the tin to a flat glass surface. Venetian masters invented another trick. They created a special reflective mixture in which gold and bronze were added. Because of this “magical” mixture, all objects reflecting in the mirrors looked much more beautiful than in reality. The cost of one Venetian mirror then was comparable to the cost of the large naval ship.
In a city of Nuremberg (Germany) in 1373 the first mirror manufacturing plant was open. Mirrors were then aggressively integrated into all aspects of life. In the 16th century, mirrors became a part of mysterious rituals and witchcraft. Also, for 200 years, mirrors were used by Spanish and French spies for coding and decoding secret messages. This secret coding system was introduced in the 15th century by Leonardo da Vinci. The scriptures were coded in “mirror reflection,” and without the mirror, it was impossible to read the message.
Mirrors were part of another significant invention of the time – the periscope. The opportunity to discreetly spy on one’s enemy by using a system of interactive mirrors saved a lot of lives during wars. During the famous Thirty Year war, mirrors were used by all sides to blind the enemy during military actions with a bright reflection of sunlight. It was tough to aim when thousands of tiny mirrors blind your eyes.
Starting with the 12th century, no respectful lady left her house without a small mirror. Handheld mirrors and pears mirrors became must-have items for every woman. Ladies wore gold embellished mirrors on a chain around their neck or waist, inserted mirrors into the fens. Mirrors were treated just like precious jewelry and were encased in specially crafted exotic materials like a turtle shell or elephant bone frames. Some of the mirror’s frames were made from gold or silver with elegant miniature engravings.
In the 15th century, the Venetian Island of Murano became the center of glass making and was known as the “Isle of Glass.” They officially created the “Council of Ten” with a special mission of vigorously protecting the secrets of there glass making techniques. Masters glassmakers were secretly transported to the island of Murano undercover as firefighters. The “Council of Ten” generously supported glassmakers and at the same time kept them isolated from the rest of the world. The profits from the mirror making monopoly were too large to take any risks. European monarchs at whatever it cost tried to find out the Venetian glassmaking secrets. They accomplish this goal in the 17th century when Colbert (the minister of Ludwig XIV) bribed with gold three Murano masters and transported them into France.
venetian glass mirrors
The French happened to be good students, and very quickly they not only mastered Murano glass-making techniques but invented they’re own. While mirror making techniques used by Venetian masters was based on glassblowing, French masters started manufacturing mirrors using casting techniques based on pouring glass into the cast molds. The glass was poured directly from the dome into the perfectly smooth surface of the cast mold, and then, as the glass was cooling, it was rolled with the special rollers achieving a perfect consistency and smoothness of the material. Immediately after this invention, in Versailles, the construction of the Mirrors Gallery began. The Mirrors Gallery was 220 feet (73 meters) long and embellished with 306 huge mirrors.
On the end of the 16th century, following the high fusion style, French queen Maria De Medici decided to create for herself a Mirrored office. For this matter, 119 mirrors were purchased from Venice. Maybe because her purchase was so large, or for some other reason, Venetian masters created a special gift for the queen of France – a unique large mirror generously incrusted with precious stones. Till this day this mirror is preserved and kept in the Louvre in Paris.
Mirrors become popular valuable collectibles among royals. English King Hendry VIII and the King of France Francis I were the most known mirrors collectors of there time. Trying to catch up with kings, nobles in France had to have extravagant mirrors at any cost. There is a knowing fact that some of them had to sell one of their residents to purchase a single beautiful mirror. Mirrors were extremely costly. For example, one mirror cost more than Rafael’s painting of the same size.
In the 17th century Russia, mirrors were considered a sin. In 1666 the Orthodox Church in prohibited the possession of mirrors by its priests. From this time on a lot of superstitions surrounded mirrors. Those superstitions seem to us funny and naive, but back then people took it very seriously. Breaking a mirror, for example, was a sign of bad luck for seven years. That is why when a mirror was broken, the person who broke it should make apologies to the mirror for clumsiness, and had to carefully and respectfully bury it. Soldiers took mirrors-talismans to reflect away death.
Mirrors have had a long and colorful journey throughout history. In our days there is no home without a mirror. Mirrors have become part of our everyday routine, often unappreciated. We always should remember “reflect” and respect the historical aspects of mirrors and appreciate more not only mirror’s functionality but the incredible esthetical value of the mirrors.
mirrors
Mirrors are so commonplace today; hardly a thought is given to where they come from and how they’re made. The process of making a mirror is not very complex, as there are only a few steps to the process, but it does take some work to complete. Each mirror needs to be made using this process, and care must be taken to ensure everything is perfect, so the final product works as intended without any distortion.
While mirror construction is typically done in a factory setting to ensure quality, there are also methods that allow people to create their own mirrors at home. It’s also possible to create a smart mirror at home, that can provide the weather and other information someone might need when they’re getting ready for work in the morning. Once the mirror has been created and finished, it can be installed in the home or office.
Mirrors are traditionally made using glass, but they have been around longer than glass. The first simple mirrors were made around 600 BC out of polished obsidian. While this was not as clear and reflective as the mirrors today, it was sufficient for someone to see their reflection. Later, these mirrors were made with bronze, gold, silver, and lead. The mirrors were usually very small as they were very heavy.
In the late Middle Ages, the creation of contemporary mirrors made with glass and a reflective backing allowed for those who had money to have their own mirror. The main problem was that the process was very difficult, with most of the glass breaking before a mirror was finally created. As time went on, new methods of making glass allowed for glass that did not break as easily during the creation of a mirror and new techniques for making mirrors made it easier to pour on the reflective layer, so there wasn’t as much of a chance of the glass breaking during the construction.
Now, glass production has made it possible for extremely clear glass to be created and for the mirroring process to be perfected, so it’s much easier for mirrors to be created. Mirrors can now be as big as needed, lighter so they can hang on walls or be carried around, and even higher quality so they can be used for scientific purposes without worrying about imperfections causing issues. No longer are mirrors just for the richest people, thanks to modern production methods.
Mirrors are created through a process called silvering. Silver is the most common metal used to create mirrors, but they can be created with other materials like gold as well. A clean, pre-shaped glass surface is needed for the mirror. This glass must be free of imperfections to reduce the chance of the glass breaking during the production of the mirror. It’s placed in a vacuum chamber and the reflective material, typically silver, is then put onto the back of the glass.
Today, many manufacturers prefer to use an evaporating method instead of spraying the metal for the mirror. They use special machines that heat the metal enough that it evaporates, then when it cools, it is deposited on the glass. Using this technique, it’s possible to create a perfect coat of the metal on the glass or to stencil a mirrored design on the glass. This step can be done multiple times for one piece of glass, depending on how the mirror should look when it’s done. After the metal is added to the mirror, a protective layer is added on top of it to make sure the metal isn’t scratched during day-to-day use. Once the protective layer has dried, the mirror is ready to be finished and used in a home or office.
Some mirrors are hung without any framing, especially ones that will be used for floor-to-ceiling applications to create a mirrored wall. However, most mirrors are finished so they can be hung in the home and match with the rest of the décor. The finishing will depend on how the mirror will be hung as well as what the mirror should look like. Various options are available, but a square or rectangle frame is standard for many home and office applications.
A frame should be constructed that will fit the mirror perfectly. Then, the frame is painted to match the décor of the home or office, if the mirror is being custom made. The mirror frame should be painted on the back and the front, as it’s attached to the front of the mirror. This means a small amount of the back of the frame will reflect in the mirror. Frames are typically attached using liquid nails to ensure they are securely attached to the mirror. Once this is done, a way to hang the mirror can be added to the frame.
Smart-everything is popular today, with refrigerators, vacuums, light bulbs, and plenty of other items having features that make them easier to work with or use. Smart features can be added onto mirrors as well, though the process may be a bit complicated to do. Once the mirror has the smart components added to it, the mirror is able to display the current time, the calendar, the weather, a news feed, and more.
Smart mirrors are constructed using hardware like a Raspberry Pi with a Wi-Fi adapter, a computer monitor, a two-way glass mirror, a power source, and a frame. Everything needs to be assembled properly to allow the Raspberry Pi to display the preferred information on the mirror. A special program needs to be added to the Raspberry Pi to ensure it can display the correct information. Then, the mirror and its components need to be added to a thick frame to hide the internal components and allow the mirror to be hung on the wall. Once everything is put together, and the program has been installed, it can be customized for the user.
Mirror installations can be simple, but they can be complex as well, depending on the application. Due to the cost of custom mirrors, it is often a good idea to look into our installation services for large or full-wall mirrors. We can ensure the mirror is attached to the wall properly to reduce the chance of it falling at any point. Especially with the very large or full-wall mirrors, safety during and after the installation is a concern.
We are also able to remove broken windows, protecting those in the home or office from the risk of getting cut by the glass while it’s being removed. They are able to remove all broken pieces of the glass and ensure they are disposed of properly. Then, they can create a custom mirror to replace the broken one or hang a standard mirror. The installers can handle any kind of mirror, including wall or wardrobe mirrors, vanity and beveled mirrors, and mirrors in homes, offices, or commercial settings.
Mirrors have come a long way since they were created by polishing obsidian. Though mirrors are commonly seen today, they still need to be made carefully to ensure they are as high quality as possible and to make sure they’re finished properly for the intended use. It’s also possible now to have smart mirrors that can tell the time, displace the weather or the news, and more. If you need a new mirror for your home, office, or a commercial setting, contact our expert mirror installers today so your new mirror will look perfect, hang on the wall safely, and be ready to use. We can handle any size mirror and any application to ensure safety during and after the installation and to make sure the mirror looks perfect.