The Corning Museum of Glass Annual Report 2004
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The Corning Museum of Glass Annual Report 2004 Cover: Officers The Fellows of The Corning The Fellows of The Corning Optical model of the Museum of Glass Museum of Glass are among eye, optical glass, brass, E. Marie McKee the world’s leading glass col- lacquered metal (prob- President Gary E. Baker lectors, scholars, dealers, and glassmakers. The objectives ably copper). Probably Amory Houghton Jr. Renée E. Belfer Robert A. Belfer of this organization are (1) France, 19th century. Vice President to disseminate knowl edge Mike Belkin H. 17.6 cm (2004.3.40). about the history and art of James R. Houghton William W. Boeschenstein* Vice President glassmaking and (2) to sup- Lt. Gen. Christian Clausen, retired port the acquisitions program Denise A. Hauselt Thomas P. Dimitroff of the Museum’s Rakow Secretary Jay R. Doros Research Library. Admission Max Erlacher to the fellowship is intended James B. Flaws Christopher T. G. Fish to recognize accomplishment, Treasurer Barbara U. Giesicke and is by invitation. Robert J. Grassi William Gudenrath Assistant Treasurer Douglas Heller David B. Whitehouse A. C. Hubbard Jr. + Executive Director Kenneth L. Jobe Dorothy-Lee Jones Trustees Leo Kaplan Helena Koenigsmarková Roger G. Ackerman* Michael Kovacek Peter S. Aldridge Dwight P. Lanmon + Thomas S. Buechner Harvey K. Littleton Van C. Campbell* Louise Luther Dale Chihuly Kenneth W. Lyon Patricia T. Dann Josef Marcolin Robert Duke John H. Martin + James B. Flaws Gregory A. Merkel John P. Fox Jr. Barbara H. Olsen Polly W. Guth Elmerina L. Parkman Ben W. Heineman* John V. B. Perry Amory Houghton Jr.* Richard F. Randles Arthur A. Houghton III Peter Rath James D. Houghton Rachel Russell James R. Houghton Frieder Ryser Itoko Iwata Prof. Dr. Axel von Saldern + Thomas C. MacAvoy* John P. Smith E. Marie McKee Jean Sosin Joseph V. Noble* Walter Spiegl + Carl H. Pforzheimer III Paul J. Stankard Carlos A. Picón Prof. Dr. Rudolf von Strasser Helmut Ricke Lino Tagliapietra Charles A. Ryskamp* G. Hugh Tait + Antony E. Snow Dena Tarshis Peter F. Volanakis Catherine M. V. Thuro-Gripton Wendell P. Weeks Kenneth R. Treis Ian McKibbin White Kenneth M. Wilson + David B. Whitehouse Eric Martin Wunsch Rainer Zietz * Trustee Emeritus * Life Fellow + Honorary Fellow Photo Credits All of the photographs in this Annual Report are by The Corning Museum of Glass (Nicholas L. Wil liams and Andrew M. Fortune), with the follow- ing exceptions: Pages 7 and 38: Photos by Maria Strinni-Gill. The Corning Museum of Glass Annual Report 2004 An educational institution dedicated to the history, art, and science of glass Chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York April 27, 1951 (6026) Accredited by the American Association of Museums 1973, 1986, 1999 It was an exciting year. However one In 2004, several members of the staff Executive measures the Museum’s success—number were recognized for their contributions to of visitors, earned revenue, excellence of the world of glass. Dr. Robert H. Brill re- Director’s exhibitions, role in the world of glass stud- ceived the William E. S. Turner Award at the Report ies—we surpassed many of our accomplish- 20th International Congress on Glass in Kyo- ments in earlier years. Visitation grew by 25 to, Japan; the Hot Glass Roadshow was percent over 2003, coach tours apart; partic- given the Art Alliance for Contemporary ipation in the Walk-in Workshop increased Glass Award; and Tina Oldknow received a from 12 to 17 percent of our visitors; and special award from the same organization. the exhibition “Beyond Venice” was extend- The Museum itself received a Stanley Award ed from October to the end of the year. for Excellence in Sales and Marketing from Market research shows that as we in- the Receptive Services Association, a na- crease the number and variety of experienc- tional organization dedicated to increasing es at the Museum, our visitors respond by international travel to the United States. spending more time with us. Years ago, vis- itors were urged to allow 40 minutes to see *** the Museum. Today, the average visit takes We made a number of outstanding ac- three and a half hours, and visitors are con- quisitions in 2004. The most significant sistently staying longer and longer at the example of ancient glass is a drinking horn Museum. made in the European provinces of the Ro- Two programs in particular contributed man Empire, probably along the Rhine, in to the increase in the number of visitors and the third or fourth century A.D. This object the length of their visits. “Kids Free! 17 and fills a gap in our collection of Roman glass, Drinking horn, blown, Under” had an immediate effect, while “Free and it is important to note that it left the applied. Germany, late third to early fourth cen- to Rediscover,” a fall pilot program, invited European Union with an export license tury A.D. OL. 27 cm visitors to make repeat visits free of charge granted by the Netherlands. (2004.1.13). for the rest of the year. We acquired two noteworthy examples of European glass. The first, a cast portrait *** medallion of Louis XIV attributed to Ber- nard Perrot, documents an extraordinary moment in the history of East-West rela- tions. The medallion is painted and silvered, and it has an Asian hardwood frame in the style of 17th-century Siam. We know that, in 1686, Siamese ambassadors to the Sun King were presented with glass from Perrot’s workshop, and we suppose that the medal- lion was given to the ambassadors, taken back to King Phra Narai, and painted and framed in Siam. The second remarkable European acqui- sition is a Gothic-revival house altar made in Germany about 1845. The central glass panel, painted on both sides, is attributed to the Nazarene artist Heinrich Maria von Hess. It is framed by engraved panels signed by Franz Paul Zach, one of the greatest engravers of his day, and exquisite silver- stained ornament. The object is a tour de force. The Museum also acquired exceptional objects for the collection of American glass. They included an elaborate pressed fruit 2 basket with openwork sides, made by the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company be- tween 1845 and 1860. We also purchased a unique pressed glass windowpane that was probably made at Sandwich at about the same time. Among the objects made at Corning is a pitcher engraved with a por- trait of Thomas Hawkes by William H. Morse, a talented engraver who died young and whose work is consequently difficult to find. The object was acquired as a gift in part of Richard and Joan Randles, by exchange from Mrs. M. H. Riviere. The modern and contemporary glass ac- quisitions included Imprint of an Angel II by Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brych- tová. This monumental sculpture is one of the last series of works that Libenský and Brychtová made together, in 1999. The ac- quisition was made possible by donations from members of the Museum’s Ennion So- ciety. We also received a gift of more than Harlequin Vase, mold- 300 Steuben animals from Robert E. and blown, cased, cut. Czech- oslovakia, Nový Bor, Carol J. Nelson, including a rare 1939 cire Karel Wünsch (Czech, perdue peacock designed by Frederick b. 1932), 1962. H. 38.6 Carder. Another group of gifts, organized cm (2004.3.2). by the Kentucky collector Adele Leight, in- cludes works by Toshikazu Kobayashi and Cup plate, pressed. U.S., possibly Pennsylvania, Anda Munkevica. about 1831. D. 9.4 cm Finally, thanks to the generosity of the (2004.4.34). Birmingham (England) Museum and Art Gallery, we received as a gift a complete, working example of an Owens bottle ma- chine, made by the Owens Bottle Machine Company in Toledo, Ohio, in 1912. As far as we know, it is the only surviving example of this revolutionary machine, which is des- tined to occupy center stage in our projected exhibition of glassmaking machines. *** Among the notable acquisitions made by the Rakow Research Library was a collec- tion of batch books and journals compiled by Arthur J. Nash (1849–1934) and his son Leslie, who made glass for Tiffany Studios. The batch recipes are written in code to prevent anyone from acquiring information that Arthur Nash regarded as proprietary. Other acquisitions include the research ar- chive of Glenn and Mary Lou Utt, experts on the life and work of René Lalique and authors of Lalique Perfume Bottles. 3 plemented “Beyond Venice” by exploring the impact of Venetian glassmaking on such contemporary masters as Chihuly, Marquis, Moore, and Lipofsky. “Animals in Glass” showcased animals represented on glass objects made in the course of 35 centuries, from 18th-Dynasty Egypt to the present day. Both exhibitions were drawn entirely from the Museum’s collection. The “mini” exhibition featured the Museum’s unique collection of replicas of the Portland Vase. Our 2003 West Bridge exhibition “Dec- ades in Glass: The ’50s” was shown at The Corning Incorporated Gallery at Steuben in New York City between June and October. During the year, we lent more than 100 objects to exhibitions in the United States and Europe. Among the exhibitions that in- cluded objects from Corning were “Ambro- gio e Agostino: Le sorgenti dell’Europa” in Milan, Italy; “Lustrous: A Centennial Cele- bration of Art Glass Designed by Frederick Carder” at the Albany Institute of History & Art in Albany, New York, Ball State Uni- versity Museum of Art in Muncie, Indiana, and Wichita Art Museum in Wichita, Kan- Drawing of what may be *** René Lalique’s earliest sas; “Picture This: Windows on the Ameri- perfume bottle design, Every year, in addition to the permanent can Home” at the Minnesota Historical a pendant simulating a exhibition, we aim to present one major, two Society in Saint Paul, Minnesota; and “Iraq Chinese snuff bottle, ink minor, and one or more “mini” temporary and China: Ceramics, Trade, and Innova- and watercolor on parch- exhibitions.