Varga Family: The Last Mirror Makers

KEEPING THE ART OF HANDMADE MIRRORS ALIVE

Whether it’s reversing a car, taking a photo, trying on new pair of jeans or getting ready in the morning, we use mirrors every day, often taking their magic for granted. Though modern mirrors have an extraordinary history dating back to the 1830s in Europe, the art of hand mirror making (silvering) is under threat of extinction, thanks to faster mechanical production.

In Melbourne, the Varga family of mirror makers is determined to honour the bespoke hand-silvering process passed down to them over five generations, well aware that they might in fact be the last mirror makers.

Melissa and Matthew Varga are the fifth generation of owners at Varga Bros specialising in hand bevelling and hand silvering. Melissa explains ‘Our family business originated in an area that was once a part of Hungary. The art was passed down to each generation from mother to son, father to son, and so on, until my father Les and his brother Steve arrived in Australia in 1956, following the Hungarian Revolution. After working for many other glass companies, they started the Varga Bros business in 1979’.

Matthew and Melissa are both continuing the tradition, while adding a bit of their own magic to mirror-making. ‘Hand silvering is a bespoke process that takes a good deal of expertise and accumulated knowledge to create artistic pieces, each unique and each beautiful in their own way’, explains Melissa.

While there are some aspects of mirror making that are strictly part of the process, there are other parts that each maker can adapt to suit their style. ‘Our family’s first silvering room in Australia was a converted bedroom, and instead of a heating table, my grandfather would take the mirror outdoors and use the sun’, explains Melissa.

There is no formal training for mirror-making. Children learn from their parents as they work and pass it down to each generation, just as Melissa and Matthew did in their father’s workshop. While there are differences in how each generation approaches mirrormaking, the passion for the art of it has never waned with the Varga Bros business. They continue to use the tools and machines their grandfather used and specialise in the beauty of hand silvering and bevelling, which is something mass manufacturing simply cannot replicate.

‘Our business focus now is on making mirrors that are no longer made by anyone else; mirrors that are hand bevelled, unique, beautiful, and customised’, says Matthew Varga. Handmade mirrors may not be perfect, but it's the imperfections that make them an art, and so are more special than factory-made mirrors.

While Matthew and Melissa may be the last mirror makers of their generation to keep this art alive, they have made it their passion to see that handmade mirror-making continues to thrive.

As the last mirror makers in Australia, Varga Bros sells its antique and retro mirrors all over Australia and worldwide. The company specialises in the re-silvering of vintage mirrors, antique mirrors, silvering of splashbacks, all aspects of bevelling, and a wide variety of old-world techniques for modern applications.