• "4iss Sullivan 3 THE ETROPOLITAN NEWS FOR USEUM OF ART Friday April 21 195 M RELEASE ' ' ° FIFTH AYE.at 82 STREET • NEW YORK PRESS VIEW: Tuesday, April 18 From 2 to 4:30 p.m. 400 PIECES OF T./ENTLETH-CEmURY EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN GL'\SS ON VIEW AT METROPOLITAN Outstanding twentieth-century glass designs from America and Europe are to be seen in an unusual exhibition of 400 pieces of glass which opens today at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Loans from manufacturers and private collectors on display number nearly 300. Most of them are pieces not previously exhibited. The rest of the glass is from the Museum's extensive collections. A great variety of form and decorative technique is represented in pieces ranging from traditional [lass bowls, vases, tableware and accessories to fanciful glass animals and radiator caps. Examples of molding, cutting, enameling, and engraving are seen in the work of many craftsmen from the great glassmaking centers of France, Sweden, Austria, Holland, Belgium, Italy, England and the United. States. Hugh J. Smith, Jr., Research Associate in Glass at the Museum, who arranged the exhibition, describes the glass made in France at the close of the nineteenth century by such craftsmen as Emile Galle, Albert Dammouse and Henry Cros as the forerunner of much of today's fine glass. New techniques and designs were de­ veloped which differed radically from those of the established glass houses of the period. Rene' Lalique, distinguished Parisian jeweler of the 1890's, was one of the greatest contributors to modern glass design. Examples of his work in the exhi­ bition include several unique pieces made by the "cire perdue" process, in which glass is poured into a clay mold. Lalique was the first to use glass with ordi­ nary building materials and exploited the functional possibilities of glass in Commercially practicable doors, panels, walls, lighting fixtures and radiator caps Swedish glass on view includes pieces from three of the best-known factories- Kosta, Orrefors, and Strombergshyttan. From Kosta are designs done in colorless glass that is brilliantly cut and often relieved by delicate strands of colored . glass. Orrefors has several distinguished designers whose work is on view. These in­ clude Edward Hald, Viktor Lindstrand, Edvin Ohrstrom, and the late Simon Gate who cultivated the art of engraving to a degree of rare excellence. Hald's work has a charming lightness which emphasizes the bubble-like quality of blown glass. The work of Strombergshyttan glassworks is characterized by simplicity and elegant of form. (more) Twentieth-Century Glass — 2 Fine pieces of glass made by the Leerdam firm in Holland show crystals and colored glass in clear shades of blue, gray and green. The Val Saint Lambert glassworks of Belgium is represented by cut and blown glass in the traditional style of the country. Unique pieces by Charles Graffert include a fanciful dinosaur and bowl. Beautiful muslin glass in gold, blue and silver luster is seen among the pieces from J. and L. Lobmyr of Vienna. Outstanding contributors from the United States include the late Louis C. Tiffany and the Steuben Division of Corning Glassworks. Tiffany originated a type of glass called "Favrille" at the end of the nineteenth century. In it he produced translucent color variations similar to the irridescent effect of ancient glass. The Steuben Division of Corning was established in 1933 for the purpose of exploiting the artistic possibilities of the brilliant crystal perfected by the company. Sidney Waugh, the sculptor, was made chief designer and has produced a distinctive style employing classic forms that is thoroughly American in feeling yet comparable to the best glass design abroad. Cambridge Glass Company, Imperial Glass Corporation, Duncan and Miller, A. H. Heisey and Company, Viking Glass and Tiffin are other American firms represented. All have made noteworthy contributions to the field of modern glass design. Among the private collectors who have lent to the exhibition are: Christine Alexander; Mariasnna von Aliosch; Mrs. Samuel Dushkin; Maurice Heaton; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Liebman; Meyric R. Rogers; James J. Rorimer; Mr. and Mrs. Germain Seligman and Cyrus R. Smith. Manufacturers who have lent objects include; Baccarat and Porthault, Inc; Blenko Glass Co.; Bonniers; R. F. Brodegaard and Co., Inc.; Cambridge Glass Co.; D. Stanley Corcoran, Inc.; Duncan and Miller Glass Co.; Finland Ceramics and Glass Co.; Fisher Bruce and Co.; Fondeville and Co.; Fostoria Glass Co.; Hambro House of Design; A. H. Heisey and Co.; House of Italian Handicrafts, Inc.; Imperial Glass Co.; A.N. Khouri and Bros.; Libbey Glass Co.; Steuben Glass; United States Glass Co.; Val Saint Lambert, Inc.; Arnold Van Den Berg Co., Inc.; A.J. Van Dugteren and Sons, Inc.; Verlys of America, Inc; Viking Glass Co.; Josiah Wedgwood and Sons; and William and Thompson, Inc. -000-.