David Martlew Memorial Prize

https://sgt.org/page/DavidMartlewWinners

This memorial prize is awarded in memory of David Martlew and his contributions to the society. 

David Martlew was a glass technologist who spent his career with the Pilkington Glass Company in St Helens, a company world renowned for its invention and adoption of new technologies. He worked in the float glass industry for over 40 years, influencing the development of new processes and products. Although a scientist and engineer he had a great interest in Glass Art, in all its forms and after his retirement he was able to pursue his interests in the area of history and heritage of glass and glass making technology.

David was a long standing and well-loved member of the Society of Glass Technology, having joined in 1969 and completing 50 years’ service just before his death in 2019.  Over the years, he served the Society on nearly all of its committees and was made a Fellow in 1991 when he started his term as a Vice President. In 1993 he was asked to take over the presidency at very short notice, with no previous experience to guide him. Never the less, and despite working full time for Pilkington at that time, he fulfilled his duties with flair and skill, and later he was elected for a second time.

David was a magnet for people because of his personality, wide range of eclectic interests and an unsurpassed grasp of detail. He loved stained glass and bent his efforts to encourage a greater participation of glass artists, archaeologists and historians in the society. As such, he is perhaps best known in later years for his work to foster and grow the history and heritage community within the society. For many years, he organised and hosted the History & Heritage Sessions for the society’s annual conference. It was due to David's drive, enthusiasm and love of people that the Society has acquired a number of staunch friends in this area, which over the years has burgeoned to have an International reach including Vicarte and Corpus Vitrearum. This hard work to build bridges and promote glass history in turn led to him becoming a Trustee of the “World of Glass” museum in St Helens

In 2014, as a mark of the esteem in which he was held both nationally and internationally, he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Glass Technology; the highest accolade the Society can bestow. 

The David Martlew Memorial Prize is sponsored by the Martlew Family and the Society of Glass Technology.  It takes the form of a bursary to enable a Student in the fields of study normally covered by the History and Heritage part of the Annual Conference of the Society of Glass Technology to attend and present a paper at the Conference.

The award is for students, undergraduate, postgraduate, or mature who may, or may not necessarily, be in full or part-time education.

The Bursary will cover:-

• The cost of registration to allow the student to attend the Conference the following year to give the David Martlew Presentation.
• One night’s accommodation at the conference the following year.
• Membership to the SGT for one year.
• An illuminated scroll or other memento of the occasion.

The Bursary will not cover out of pocket or travel expenses

The winner of the David Martlew Memorial Prize will be the Student who gives the best presentation in the History and Heritage section of the Society’s Annual conference.

The prize will be awarded at the Banquet of the Annual conference of that year.