Jim O’Leary came to the attention of the American public as the designer of the crystal Times Square Ball seen by millions around the world when it marked the countdown to the New Millennium on New Year’s Eve 1999. Tribune reporter Mary Daniels talked with O’Leary when he came to Chicago to take part in another landmark ceremony in mid-December. He took a sledgehammer to the mold from Waterford’s popular Millennium Collection at Marshall Field’s Oak Brook store.
MD: What’s the significance of this mold-breaking?
JO: It marks the first time a Waterford crystal mold has been broken. This is a departure from the tradition that Waterford never discontinues a pattern.
MD: Can you describe the Millennium Collection for those unfamiliar with it?
JO: The collection was started in 1995. Each year a set of two flutes dedicated to one of the universal toasts was made available. The first flute was Happiness, engraved with a bow, the next Love, with a heart, then Health with a sunburst, Prosperity with a wheat sheaf and Peace with a dove. You bought a pair at a time at $99 a pair.
MD: When did Waterford begin?
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JO: The Waterford factory began in 1783 as one of the earliest developers of the tabletop industry. These Great Houses developed in Ireland during the Industrial Revolution. Their owners wanted beautiful things for their homes. They had fine Wedgwood china, fine French furniture and Waterford crystal chandeliers and sconces.
MD: How was Waterford, Ireland, chosen as a location?
JO: The crystal industry in England was on its knees because the crown had decided to impose taxes on the industry. Ireland was a tax-free state. The Penrose family, merchantmen and shipbuilders, had settled in Ireland in 1624. When they learned about the collapse of crystal-making in England, they invited a designer/craftsman named Samuel Mills to come to Waterford and set up a business, with the factory across the street from the boat harbor. One of the reasons they chose Waterford is that it was a fabulous port and still is.
MD: Waterford is known for having its own secret “recipe” for making crystal. How long has it used that particular recipe?
JO: We do have our own recipe for making crystal. This recipe has been with us 50 years. During this time we haven’t changed it, because its reflective index is as good as it possibly can get.
MD: What is your history with Waterford?
JO: I joined as a humble apprentice in 1960. As a teenager, I had read a passage in a popular detective novel: “Sexton Blake sipped fine claret from a Waterford goblet.” The image lingered. Not long afterward I read in the local paper about an order of Waterford crystal “set for delivery by elephant” to the sultan of Brunei. With a broad strain of romanticism in my blood and the legendary Waterford studio practically in my back yard, I applied for a job. In 1983, I joined the design department, which was a small elite group charged with coming up with great new ideas. In 1987, I became head of design and in 1995, design director.
MD: You say people “are amazed to learn you have done 40 years with the company?” Does it amaze you as well?
JO: When you join Waterford, your commitment is for life. People at Waterford just don’t make Waterford, they think Waterford.