Glass plate applications: Past, present and future

The use of photographic glass plates as an image recording medium extends back to the early days of photography and continues today in creative, scientific and holographic applications. In some instances the glass plate is also the display medium for the final image. The paper investigates some of the characteristics that make glass the medium of choice in these applications. It also considers the effects of the commercial environment on the availability of coated glass plates into the future. It concludes with some technological drivers, including use in digital fabrication and biochemical applications.