Born: 1806?
Nationality: British
Family: Finn
Glassworking relatives:
- Lawrence Finn (likely father or uncle)
Active: [at least 1827-1843]
Brief biography
Little is know about Lawrence Finn. He was possibly born in 1806 in England, and joined his father or uncle, also named Lawrence Finn, in the itinerant glassworker business. The elder Finn demonstrated in London, and the younger Finn may have worked with him before crossing the Atlantic to perform in the United States.
Finn was the second known itinerant glassworker to bring his exhibition to the United States. He arrived in New York City in October 1827 and began demonstrating in rented rooms on Broadway the next month. He spend the next sixteen years touring large U.S. cities, including New York, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; and New Orleans, Louisiana. During this time, he also worked at Peale’s Museum and Scudder’s American Museum, both on Broadway in New York City.
