This is the art of glassmaking, and it is over 3,000 years old. He is the second generation of Hamon glassmakers, designing his glass pieces himself.

Working with the molten glass at the end of a long metal rod, Joe never loses rhythm as he rolls the pole back and forth along supports with his left hand, while his right hand holds an ageless ladlelike block, or a wooden paddle. Both of these, carved by himself out of fruit woods, shape the fiery liquid into rounded or elongated objects.

If he stops the dance even for a moment, the glass slumps and could drop to the floor into a hardening heap.

When the glass is hot (2,500 degrees), it is impossible to tell what color it will be; transparent glass at these temperatures is red-orange, with blues and reds appearing black.

Joe worked with glass from the age of 7 until he retired completely from glass work in 2000. He first worked in Oklahoma for his father (Orville Hamon) where he learned the trade, then in 1964 he moved to Durango Colorado where he owned and operated his own glass factory for over 30 years. He closed and retired from glassblowing on Dec 6, 2000.

But not before he completed many successful contracts for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Washington Cathedral Gift store, the Smithsonian, many other places carried his wares,, such as The Royal Gorge & Silver Dollar City. He was one of the original glassblowers who set up the glassworks at Silver Dollar City where the tradition continues today.