At the Annual 2024 Symposium, Joe Schill shared his research on the life and economic times during the late 19th and early 20th century, as well as the story of Steuben glass workers August and Arthur Jansson.  

In the decades following the Civil War, the United States was rapidly emerging as an industrial giant and an economic powerhouse, leading many to immigrate from Europe to the US. Immigration, urbanization, and industrialization helped transform the face of American society from primarily rural to significantly urban. From 1880 to 1920, the number of industrial workers in the nation quadrupled from 2.5 million to over 10 million with the urban populations doubling. The major US Industrialization included steel manufacturing, railways, coal mining, petroleum industry, electricity / light bulbs, telephones, and automobiles.

Immigrants came to the US for these economic opportunities and or due to religious persecution. August Christian Jansson (1866-1945) and Dora Annie Jansson (1865-1948), immigrated from Sweden in 1889 and initially settled in White Mills, PA.  Joe believes that August likely worked at Dorflinger Glass Works.  The Janssons then moved to Corning, NY where August worked as a glass blower at Steuben Glass Works.  He kept detailed notes describing daily Steuben glass blowing production, capturing quantity and particular shape numbers manufactured and noting manufacturing difficulties.  Jansson’s daily journals bring new information for us to explore.  I think a few people will heading to the Rakow to find out what the journals will bring to light!

August and Dora Jansson settled in Corning, bought a home, and raised a family. Their son, Arthur Jansson, became an accomplished artist, designer, and decorator who worked at the American Museum of Natural History after honing his design skills in the glass industry.

This is the third year we have set up a table of items for sale during the Symposium. This year had a very nice selection and I think many people had fun looking through the items (and imagining them in their collections). I believe several people made some great buys as most of the pieces were gone by the end of Symposium.

Hello everyone, it’s the time of year again!  We’d like to get an early jump and ask you to please renew your membership in the Carder Steuben Glass Association for 2025 (or to join us for the first time!)  Your club membership is important to enable us to keep the website active, bring the Gazelle Gazettes to your inbox, and support our organization’s mission to encourage the knowledge, appreciation, and love of Steuben glass.

Inflation has increased the price of many things, but our membership remains the same!  The dues of $35 for one person, or $55 for a two-person household will keep you as active members through December 31, 2025, and give you access to all of our club benefits including membership in the Corning Museum of Glass.  It’s easy to renew your membership online by visiting the CSGA website here.  You can make your dues payment either through PayPal or by mailing a check.  The detailed instructions are available on the website.