It is also considered an endangered craft. Some scientific instruments, if broken, cannot realistically be replaced in any reasonable time frame (or sometimes even at all).
People who take up glassblowing as a hobby are closer to being crucial to the world economy than most.
Just something to chew on.
It isn’t like mind blowing or anything. But it sure is something.
They often still do in France. Part of why they exist in some areas and don’t in others is just the price of new glassware vs a staff glass blower. Borosilicate glass is cheap in the US, but relatively expensive in France.