The museum is situated on the site of the first major glassworks in Portugal, established by the British Stephens family, and makes use of some of the original buildings, including the owners’ residence.

[1][2] The glass industry in Marinha Grande began when an enterprise operated by John Beare, an Irishman, moved from the left bank of the river Tagus, to Leiria District in 1747 to take advantage of cheaper and better-quality raw materials there.

Originally planted to act as a barrier to the invasion of farming areas by coastal sand, the pine trees proved ideal for powering glass factories.

[1][2] Stephens had been born in Exeter, England but made his way to Portugal at an early age, where, in 1746, he was apprenticed to a company in Lisbon operating lime kilns and, over time, had been very successful in the business.

In 1773, having petitioned the King to provide protection against imports from Bohemia, which, William Stephens argued, were being sold at low prices in order to drive the Marinha Grande factory out of business, they were granted a monopoly of glass supply within Portugal and its colonies.

The Stephens Brothers established a horticultural farm and a slaughterhouse, the latter to address a shortage of meat caused by the rapid increase in the number of workers at the factory.

[3][6] These enlightened ideas for the time were shared by the Marquis of Pombal and William Stephens was a member of a group advising him on social and educational reform.

Then, between 1864 and 1894, another Englishman, George Croft, together with António Augusto Dias de Freitas, introduced new furnaces and technologies, with a particular emphasis on crystal production.

It shows examples of the machines and tools used in the manufacturing and decoration processes; documents from the factory; production catalogues and drawings; as well as the clothing and objects of daily use of the workers.

With a collection dating from 1999, it presents about 25 years of contemporary glass art created in Portugal and elsewhere, seeking to represent the most varied artistic and design trends.