Glass is an amazing material that is used in a variety of different products around the world. While the manufacture of glass is an ancient technique with a long and rich history in many cultures, the production of flat glass, or plate glass, is a relatively modern technique. The history of glass can be traced back a very long way, to 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia. However, it was not until the 1950s when the production of strong and flat plate glass became a possibility, giving birth to glass walls, glass windows, and glass table products. While windows were made from glass long before this time, the strength required for glass tables and large scale glass buildings was not available until after the development of the float glass process. Contemporary glass production involves a number of distinct phases, with different processes required for the production of different products. The first step in any glass making involves the preparation and mixing of the initial ingredients, which are then transported to the furnace where they are melted down. This step is common to all glass manufacture, with electric furnaces, gas fired furnaces, pot furnaces, and day tanks used for this process. When making a glass table or other kind of plate glass product however, an extra process is required. The float glass process was developed between 1953 and 1957 by Sir Alastair Pilkington and Kenneth Bickerstaff of the Pilkington Brothers in the UK, which illustrates just how modern this technique is when looked at in relation to the long history of glass manufacture.

These two men managed to create a continuous ribbon of glass when using a molten tin bath, so that the glass could flow unhindered under the influence of gravity. This process was revolutionary at the time, and is the reason why so much glass was used in the later half of the 20th century. This process allowed the manufacture of what became known as plate or flat glass, which is the strong glass used in buildings and furniture design. The glass table is one of the most famous results of this process, and one of the most iconic glass products that has been developed since this time. A number of designers have made their version of the glass table, many of which became classic examples of modern furniture design.