ggf
m

73  „Antilope“,  Höhe:  10  cm,  Bimini-Modell
Nr.  721,  Kat.-Nr.  450,  S.  342.  -  Wiener  Privatbesitz ­


mm

:
m  HiiiMKMfSSWli

;  iitelÜF  .  4  4
:  '  *

Aus  der  Londoner  Zeit  von  Fritz  Lampl  stammt  die  Publikation  „The  Mystery  of  the
Pink  Elephants“  von  Mary  Maloney  (Oxford  University  Press,  1945,  S.  84,  85,  87).  Die
Autorin  beschreibt  darin  den  Glasbläser  „Johann“  (alias  Fritz  Lampl)  bei  der  Arbeit:
If  you  have  ever  been  in  a  carpenter's  shop,  or  in  any  place  where  people  make  things  by  hand,
you  will  have  some  idea  of  Johann’s  workshop.  The  biggest  thing  in  the  room  was  a  solid  wooden
work-table  dose  up  under  the  window  where  it  would  get  the  best  light.  On  it  was  a  confusion  of
small  tools  and  various  lengths  of  coloured  glass  rods:  Shell  pink,  rosy  pink,  strawberry  pink;  sea
green,  grass  green,  emerald  green;  pale  sunlight  yellow,  yellow  as  deep  as  amber;  blues  and  reds
and  mauves  and  browns,  and  if  there  is  any  other  colour  you  can  think  of  I  am  quite  sure  it  was
there  too.  Did  I  say  it  looked  a  confusion?  -  so  I  did  -  but  Johann  could  have  put  his  hand  on  anything
  he  wanted  in  the  wink  of  an  eye,  or  with  his  eyes  shut  for  that  matter.  But  the  thing  that
would  have  struck  you  most  in  the  workshop  was  a  little  jet  of  flame  that  hissed  out,  with  the
strength  of  a  viper’s  tongue,  from  a  narrow  pipe  fixed  to  the  table.  For  the  beautiful  things  which
Johann  made  were  of  glass,  yes,  even  the  Pink  Elephants,  and,  as  Johann  was  to  show  the  children
  later  on,  that  little  jet  of  flame  was  very  important.  .  .  First  Johann  turne.d  up  the  flame  and  it
hissed  out  with  a  most  venomous  sound;  then  he  picked  up  a  short  piece  of  the  glass  and,  holding
  it  delicately  between  his  fingers  and  thumb,  he  put  it  right  into  the  flame,  all  the  time  turning  it
skilfully  between  his  fingers;  never  once  was  it  still,  and  the  brittle  glass  was  turned  into  a  glowing
motten  ball  which  looked  as  if  it  must  sureiy  melt  away;  but  just  at  that  instant  Johann  took  the
rod  from  the  flame  and,  putting  the  other  end  to  his  Ups,  he  blew  down  it  with  soft  regulär  puffs
until  gradually  the  motten  ball  filled  with  air  and  became  a  bubble,  as  glowing  and  delicate  as  the
finest  soap-bubble  that  you  have  ever  blown  at  bath  time;  but  this  one  did  not  break  and  disappear;
  as  it  cooled  it  became  again  hard,  clear,  shining  glass.  Finally,  Johann  withdrew  the  rod
from  his  lips  and,  picking  up  one  of  his  small  tools,  he  snapped  the  bubble  cleanly  away.  .  .