Wednesday, February 01, 2012

The Carder Steuben Club promotes knowledge and identification of the glass of creations of Frederick Carder by picturing his creations on its website: www.cardersteubenclub.org At present there are over 7800 images shown on the site. Did you know that in the month of January webmaster Marshall Ketchum added an astounding 187 new pictures to the database? Yes, that’s right, identifying over six new pictures per day during January. Wow! What a resource.

This leaves the question open of whether the mission of the Club should be enlarged to encompass modern Steuben and how it could be integrated in the Club’s enormous resource, its website.

Its obvious that our members have varying feelings about adding Modern Steuben Collectors to the Club. We continue to share your responses and welcome more. So, the Gazette will continue publishing the many comments we’ve received in the coming days.

I would suggest expanding the Steuben club interest to the contemporary Steuben exhibition pieces. They are so exquisite, that it would be interesting. Of course, I would continue with the beautiful Carder glass.

Linda Feuer, New York City

David,

I would support changing the Mission Statement to include Modern Steuben.

Gerry Eggert, Syracuse, New York

David,

To be honest I love the Carder Steuben, but I also enjoy and admire the craftsmanship of the modern Steuben, especially the engraved pieces. At the last Symposium we had that wonderful interview with Max Erlacher that taught me so much about the history of his work and the work at Steuben. There is a lot more scholarship that modern Steuben offers the collector. And to tell the truth, what better way to expand the club then to welcome the collectors of modern Steuben. Better to have them join us then be in competition with us. And if they join us now, with the contacts in Corning that we already have, the modern collectors will have to chance to do their research while the employees who made the pieces are still around to answer questions.

So I am firmly in support of expansion.

Jack Hartwein-Sanchez, Tiverton, Rhode Island

www.cardersteubenclub.org

Any opinions expressed by participants to the Gazette e-mail newsletters are the opinions of the authors and are not endorsed by or the opinions of the Carder Steuben Club.

2012 Carder Steuben Club annual Symposium will be held at The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY from September 20-22, 2012.