When I (Alan Shovers) began collecting Carder Steuben glass in the late 90’s, the dealers I approached were uniform in advising me to “hit” the books. One of the earliest I acquired was Victor Arwas’ Glass Art Nouveau To Art Deco.1987 ed. This comprehensive text on all of the major art glass firms of the period spent a number of well written pages on Steuben; as would be expected. However, it was my impression that Arwas was not a Carder fan. Here are a few notable comments. Responsive thoughts are welcome.

pp.295-296 “Thomas Buechner, President of the Corning Museum of Glass, wrote of him: ‘An academician by training, he produced in all the late Victorian styles, including Chinese; contributed to the ever more precious oeuvre of the Art Nouveau and to the rhythmic revival of Neoclassicism. The frivolous Venetian style was as at home on his drafting table as Bauhaus Functionalism. No man could better personify the kaleidoscope of glassmaking during the past hundred years.’

p. 289 Rouge Flambé “had experienced great difficulties in its production which Carder was clearly unable to resolve satisfactorily at Steuben.”

p. 290 Ivory. “Both Ivrene and Ivory wares have the look of polished alabaster, a quality accentuated by Steuben’s somewhat ponderous and classic designs.”

p. 290 Acid Cut-back. “The technique is similar to that used on late-industrial Galle glass and would be completely uninteresting were it not for the fact that many of the decorative designs are amusing and intricate.”

p.293 The great variety of glass produced by Steuben did not, however, bring financial success. The management and sales structure was reorganised several times during the 1920s, with little impact on the company’s losses.”