Homer Brooke Biography

FLINT GLASS NEWS.

Homer Brooke Mold Co.

Homer Brooke, mold maker of 44 Barclay street, New York city, reports business as picking up, and that prospects look healthy. Mr. Brooke has been in the glass mold making business since 1863, being successor by purchase from Wm. Brooke, deceased, then late of the Jersey City Glass Works, of Jersey City, N. J., and White corner of Centre street, New York city. Wm. Brooke, to whose business Homer Brooke succeeded, was mold maker at the Jersey City Glass Works from 1849 to 1859. Homer Brooke in his juvenile years had considerable experience in glassworks, and learned much practically concerning the nature of glass and its workings, which has been valuable to him as a mold maker ever since. He was later regularly apprenticed to the mold making trade, and has since had years of practical experience. Mr. Brooke prides himself on the ability of his concern to produce free delivery molds. He is in close touch with the glassworkers of his district, and considers their practical suggestions as the most valuable a mold maker can obtain. His application of the practical ideas of glassworkers has resulted in his obtaining a knowledge and proficiency in the art of mold production that is not excelled by any living mold maker. Mr. Brooke's trade includes glass manufacturers in all parts of the United States.

Mr. Brooke has made many successful inventions in glass molding and working and received the only award that was given for molds and presses at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. The award was a gold medal. All screw glass insulators now in general use throughout the United States and Mexico, South America and other countries, also the manufacture of illuminators, improvement for preventing "heel-trapping" or roughness on bottom edge of flat bottles and more uniformly distributing the glass, patent bottom for foot bench molds, patent bottom for glory-hole molds, Lightning, Mason, Hero and Gem fruit jars, etc; are made under his inventions and patents. All work leaving Homer Brooke's shop is stamped "Homer Brooke, Mold Maker, New York." Mr. Brooke wishes it understood that he has no connection with any other Brooke, and that the public should not confound his with any other concern.

The Homer Brooke Co. was incorporated in 1892, with Homer Brooke, president and treasurer, and J. J. Wagner, secretary.

Mr. Brooke has always conducted a union shop, so that manufacturers ordering from him run no risk of glassworkers refusing to work his molds.