From Tiffany dealer David Donaldson of Orlando, Florida. David will be the opening presenter at the Carder Steuben Club Annual Symposium at CMoG in Corning, New York on Friday, October 2, 2009. His topic, “Louis C. Tiffany: The Facets of an Artist”.

Many years ago, in 1973, I made my first trip to Corning with Harvey Littleton and had the pleasure of meeting Bobby Rockwell. I had finished my grad. work in Hot Glass and the molten material was an obsession with my soul. From the moment Bobby and I began to talk about Carder Glass, I could see the same fire in his eyes and his words concerning his passion for the glass. Interestingly, he owned about 2 pieces personally, but the enthusiasm with overwhelming. We have remained close friends for the past 36 years….even though there have been numerous Carder vs. Tiffany discussions ….and quite frankly I hope there always will be. Personal taste is a wonderful trait as well as educational, whether it be an advanced collector or a beginner, when shared amongst ourselves or another group of eager ears.

I have always appreciated and respected Carder Steuben glass, but from the viewpoint of a glass maker. His technical and artistic accomplishments have been of much interest to me since my first reading of Paul’s book. However, my love for Tiffany’s glass has always been more than apparent because it is focused on the fluidity of many of the pieces, the crystal structure of the iridescence, the mille. flowers he used as well as quantity, and on and on. The techomorphic quality of certain pieces also continues to draw me in. My point is, that a like or dislike concerning a certain maker, or even set aside for one certain piece, ends up as a personal individualized feeling.

I suspect that if a “true Carder collector” was the buyer for the Steuben store in NYC, the vault’s contents might appear quite differently. Additionally, there is the other factor that all of you knowledgeable Carder folks have been “beating the bushes” for years gleaning out the best examples you were able to track down. I recall many years ago when I returned to Corning for Bobby’s wedding, a visit to his house, and standing in awe in front of his case of Carder Glass. He had been very busy creating a stunning collection of Carder Steuben.

Sadly the days of Lillian Nassau, Mina Rosenblatt, Opal Sallee, etc. are passed, but thankfully they did exist. The glass continues to live on as does the enthusiasm of today’s dealers trying to locate fine examples to sell, and collectors wishing to add to their cabinet one more prime example.

I am looking forward to this Fall’s Seminar to revisit old friends and meet those of you I don’t know. I am certain it will be a rewarding time for all.

David P. Donaldson, MFA