Thomas Edison received a patent(专利) for his kinetoscope(电影放映机) on August31, 1887. It was a machine for viewing moving pictures. Edison had hoped to combine his no invention with the phonograph(留声机), which he had invented 10 years earlier. He thought that people would like to watch moving pictures that went along with the sound. He was not able to make them work together. The kinetoscope, however, was a popular attraction by itself. A person looked through small holes in a box-like machine and saw pictures in action. One of the first films made showed a man sneezing.

A problem with this invention was that only one person could view the moving pictures at a time. By 1891, Edison had invented a projector that showed the film on a screen. Many people could watch together.

In 1893, Edison built a motion-picture studio. He made over 300 silent films. Most of them were short. That was because the pictures flashed, or shook a lot. It was hard for people to watch more than 10 minutes at a time.

The first films were mostly of real events. They would show famous people walking somewhere, cars on a street, burning houses, and other news stories. Then comedies and short dramas were made.

Edison’s movie studio closed in 1918. By then other companies were also making films. Better cameras were made. Sound was added. Then color came along. Today, movies are among the most popular forms of entertainment.

While jewelry made from gold can be beautiful, most people admit that wearing the heavy metal over long periods of time can get a little annoying. Now, researchers from Swiss university ETH Zurich have created a new form of lightweight gold that weighs five to ten times less than traditional 18-carat gold—which typically consists of 75 percent gold and 25 percent copper—but has the same purity.

The researchers began by mixing gold with water, salt, protein fibers and other materials. They then replaced the water with alcohol and placed the mixture inside a high-pressure carbon dioxide (CO2) box. The reaction between the gas and alcohol transformed the golden plastic into a light material that can be heated to melt and made into whatever form was needed. "This gold has some characteristics of plastic,” says team leader Raffaele                    Mezzenga, professor of Food and Soft Materials at ETH Zurich.

In addition to being lighter, the "plastic” gold has other advantages over traditional forms. It can be melted into shape at about 105 degrees Celsius, much lower than the 1,064 degrees Celsius required to melt pure 24-carat gold. The metal's firmness can be easily adjusted by changing the components at the beginning of the process. It is also much easier to vary the color. "As a general rule, our approach lets us create almost any kind of gold we choose, in line with the desired properties, says Mezzenga.

The researchers, who published their study in the journal Advanced Functional Materials on January 10, 2020, believe the new lightweight gold will be able to replace the metallic version in most traditional applications, including jewelry and watches. However, given that most buyers associate high-quality gold with weight, that may take some time. But the material will undoubtedly be beneficial for use inside electronic devices, chemical catalysts (催化剂),and even radiation shielding.

Welcome to Glass of Venice, the number one importer and retailer (零售商) of authentic Muranoilass in the US and one of the top names among Murano Glass retailers. worldwide. We work directly with artisans (工匠) from Murano, Italy to bring you the unique centuries old art rooted in tradition and skill. Every item is handcrafted with passion using ancient techniques that made Murano glassmakers world-famous since the 8th century. Now you needn’t make a trip to Murano to own an authentic piece of art as beautiful as Venice itself.

At the time of mass-produced products that carry no special meaning, Murano Glass gives you an opportunity to express your individuality. Every piece is unique.

Murano Glass is 100% handcrafted in Venice. Be a part of the centuries-old Venetian tradition!

A piece of the artisan’s heart and soul is captured in every Murano Glass creation. Crafting Murano Glass jewelry, vases, sculptures and other functional and decorative pieces is a complicated process from silica, minerals, water, and fire. Venetian artisans create masterpieces. The techniques they use are centuries old, and artisans have been trained for many years in their fathers’ and grandfather’s workshops before they can attain a revered status (地位) of the true master of the craft.

Murano Glass masters are not just artisans; they are artists. Ever since Murano glassmakers guild (公会) was established on this Venetian island in 1291, they have been innovating seeking new methods of creating glass, and pushing forward to express new philosophies and artistic visions (理想) through glass. This made Murano Glass get its own art form, and it has been recognized at international expositions (展会) and top art museums and galleries worldwide. Today the famous glass masters working on Murano Island are first and foremost artists, and Glass of Venice is proud to offer artistic masterpieces from top Murano glass workshops.