The South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) is the regional film archive for the South West of England. Established in 1993, SWFTA's core collection comprises of the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and TSW (Television South West). The archive also cares for a significant number of donated film collections, both amateur and professional, dating back to the early 1900s.
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Dartington Glassblowers
The successful clink of Handmade Dartington Crystal Glass in Torrington
From the collection of:
Overview
Dartington Crystal Glass was founded by the Dartington Hall Trust aimed at encouraging the economic regeneration of rural areas such as Torrington, Devon. The factory first opened in 1967 and Eskil Vihemson, a Swedish glass designer was appointed the managing director. Swedish, Italian and Danish designers were brought in to train the local workforce. Dartington use Swedish glass-blowing practices to this day although still famous for Frank Thrower’s 1970 designs.
The 1980s saw the expansion of the company financed by Wedgwood after they brought a large stake in the company. Dartington Hall Trust sold their shares in 1994 to the Rockware Group, later brought out by Enesco in 2004. In 2006 Dartington Crystal bought the Scottish-based Caithness Glass and West Midlands’ Royal Brierley Crystal. Frank Thrower was a prominent designer for Dartington and Wedgwood until his death in 1987. The company is still considered the main source of employment in Torrington today and has links to Slovakia’s Poltar crystal glass.
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