Major Modern Steuben Gift

The Museum of American Glass in West Virginia has received an exceptional collection from the estate of Martin Massman of Steuben Glass dating from the latter half of the 20th century. The museum is excited to announce that later this year it will go on exhibition. Consisting of 201 pieces, it spans the gamut from a large selection of the crystal animals to presentation pieces available in limited editions only. Steuben was renowned for its production of fine lead crystal, with many of these pieces enhanced by intricate engravings, while others rely primarily on the prismatic effect of the exceptionally clear crystal, polished to show both reflection and refraction.

Steuben was established in 1903 when Frederick Carder was invited to leave his native England and build a factory in Corning, New York, with the primary purpose of manufacturing high quality blanks for use by the cutting firm of T. G. Hawkes & Company. But Carder also made a name for Steuben as creator of some of the finest art glass ever made in America. In 1918, hit by shortages due to World War I, the factory closed, but was saved by the Corning Glass Works, who established Steuben as a division with Carder as art director, a responsibility he retained until his retirement in 1934.

The Steuben Division was once again in jeopardy. Although it had a reputation for quality and had given a great deal of prestige to Corning, it had never been truly a financial success. Some thought was given to shutting the Division down for good, when Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., a member of the board and great-grandson of Corning’s founder, asked to be given control with free rein to bring in an entirely new design team and to take Steuben in a brand new direction. That was when he developed the formula for the highest quality crystal possible and inaugurated the era of production during which the pieces in the Martin Massman Collection were created.
In 2011 that era, too, came to an end, with the closing of Steuben’s factory in Corning and its New York showroom. As of today, Steuben is once again being made, but in very limited quantities, primarily coming from European factories that have been licensed to reintroduce a few of Steuben’s iconic pieces.

The beauty of Steuben glass became a passion for Martin Massman, a successful businessman and Broadway producer. He began his career in 1975 when he and his brother founded M &B Mini Blinds, which they sold in 1990. Martin then went on to create the Studio Movie Grill chain, a new concept in movie theaters that offers fine dining in 22 locations in 10 states. His Broadway credits include revivals of Side Show, Of Mice and Men, with James Franco and Chris O’Dowd, The Glass Menagerie, with Cherry Jones, and Porgy and Bess, with Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis. Mr. Massman passed away on December 6, 2014, leaving instructions that his collection of Steuben Glass be donated to a non-profit organization.

The Museum of American Glass in WV is proud and privileged to be the recipient of this donation. Pieces in the collection include some of Steuben’s most recognizable, including the Carrousel, designed by Peter Aldridge and Jane Osborne-Smith in 1985, and Excalibur, designed by James Houston in 1963. Both of these pieces illustrate how metals (gold and silver) were incorporated in many of the items. Other pieces, much rarer because they were produced in very limited quantities, include Noah, a massive slab of glass 14″ high and weighing 33 ½ pounds, designed by Donald Pollard and introduced in 1955. Some of the items in the collection are one of a kind or limited to only a couple of pieces made. The variety of subject matter and style is amazing, from the whimsical Frog Prince to the romantic and exotic Tristan and Isolde or the dramatic Moby Dick.

Whether the inspiration was literary, Biblical, or reflective of nature, the Steuben craftsmen proved themselves to be true artists in every sense of the word.

The museum is seeking donations to purchase four new display cases costing approximately $15,000 for the Steuben collection. Donations can be earmarked for the Steuben cases, are tax deductible and greatly appreciated.

Plan now to come see this remarkable collection later this year. The museum is located at 230 Main Avenue, Weston, West Virginia 26452, located 2 miles off interstate 79 in north central WV. The museum’s phone number is (304) 269-5006. The hours of operation have been expanded to Monday through Saturday 9:30 – 5:00 and Sunday 1:00 – 5:00 and the website is www.magwv.com. ;