Scott Hansen of Briarcliff Manor, NY refreshed my recollection about an interesting article in the May 1963 issue of Hobbies magazine, by Eric E. Ericson. This relates to a discussion of The Rockwell Collection of Carder’s Steuben Glass created by Robert Rockwell. The interview is with both Messrs. Carder & Rockwell. This Rockwell collection became the backbone of the Rockwell Museum in Corning, and is now housed at the Corning Museum of Glass(CMoG). A highlight of our annual Symposium every year is to view the Rockwell Museum collection in Bldg. “B” at CMoG. This will take place on Friday evening, Sept. 19, 2008 over a broad array of festive desserts and wine.

This year the evening will be coupled with an exhibit and talk prepared by Tom Dimitroff, honorary curator of this vast and overwhelming collection of Mr. Carder’s works. The exhibit will feature some of the bequests of Carder Glass from Frank & Mary Elizabeth Reifschlager. This part of the program is both breathtaking and a never ending exciting experience to the senses. Well, enough of that and on to a few quotes from the article. Perhaps a few thoughts or comments that have been forgotten over the years.

Mr. Carder, as a youth in England, studied thoroughly the Grecian form. He found this medium the purest and simplest of line, artistically, yet retaining a maximum of functional usage. Long, slender, flowing, elegant lines, leasing to the eye, was his goal.
Frederick Carder was not only a perfectionist, but he had a most keen insight into buying habits of the public. Quality merchandise, attractively varied, produces a continual favorable reaction on the part of consumers.
Considering the prolific productivity of this plant, as exemplified by the Rockwell collection, Mr. Carder supplied an important clue. As a particular color was developed, a shape was designed to best show this color to full beauty. This procedure took usually a year. In some instances about two years. As the color and form finalized into an acceptable mode, production then began. With few exceptions, no one Steuben colored crystal product was ever on the market for more than two years. We can’t reproduce this entire and delightful article, but thought these few excepts might be of Interest.