Cristalerias Rigolleau

with sincere thanks to our Argentinean friends Jorge Perri and the late Jorge Duhalde

The atmospheric photograph above (left) shows a quiet corner in the historic quarter of Sam Telmo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. What connects this delightful, leafy avenue with Carnival Glass? Plenty. Take a good look at the photograph above before you scroll through the amazing series of pictures below. Make sure you look closely at the "Big Six" Burger Bar that is on the right side of the building - and shown in close-up above, on the right.

Some Clues 

Here are three superb Carnival Glass ashtrays made by the Argentinean manufacturer, Cristalerias Rigolleau - the fabulous Beetle ashtray in a rich amber, and two CR ashtrays, in marigold and an extremely rare example in green (so called because their shape forms the letters CR - standing for the company name).

As the pictures show, details about the maker, Cristalerias Rigolleau, are moulded into the ashtrays. On the letter C of the CR ashtray is their address - "Paseo Colon 800, Buenos Aires". Yes, that's right, you guessed. The leafy avenue in the opening photograph is Paseo Colon as it is today.

Take a closer look at the "Big Six" Burger Bar, and you can just see what looks like a carving on the wall, to the left of the "6" sign in the diamond. It is one of a series of magnificent stone murals that adorn the facade of the building that once housed the head offices of Cristalerias Rigolleau. Each panel is carved with a scene representing the stages in the production of glass, and are shown below, photos courtesy of Jorge Perri and the late Jorge Duhalde. They are breathtakingly beautiful and superbly executed. We hope you enjoy looking at them, and appreciating their significant historical importance.

The activities illustrated in these murals are easily recognisable as glassmaking techniques that are still being used today in, for example, the Fenton factory. Take a look at our article on "The Artistry of the Mould Makers - Making the Woodsland Pine / Flowers of the World", where Fenton's glass making processes are shown in detail.