Sunday, September 11, 2011

From Ulysses Dietz of the Newark Musuem

The Newark Museum purchased its first piece of Steuben glass from the Steuben store on Fifth Avenue in 1927—it was a large blue Aurene vase by Carder…We paid $35 for it. We next purchased three pieces of Steuben crystal in 1955, from the store in Manhattan. The best piece was a crystal bowl, “Whirlpool,” designed in 1939 by George Thompson, but purchased in 1955 for $40 (a 50% discount off the $80 retail price, which is $644 in today’s dollars). The last piece of Steuben acquired by the Museum was in the 1990s, when I donated a 1945 martini glass, part of a set given to my parents as a wedding gift in1945. I still use the rest of them.

The West is gradually losing all of its luxury tableware manufacturing. Pragmatic but short-sighted business decisions are putting us back where we were in the early 1800s. From a curatorial perspective, it’s fascinating to watch this aspect of our cultural history simply die off. This hasn’t happened in the West (Europe and America) since the Dark Ages.

Ulysses

Ulysses Grant Dietz
Senior Curator
Curator of Decorative Arts
Newark Museum
49 Washington Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Phone: 973.596.6661

Fax: 973.596.6666
udietz@newarkmuseum.org

Glass Artist, Debbie Tarsitano of Westford, Massachusetts, comments

It is sad to see Steuben close but things change. I have been going to Corning since 76 and always loved to watch the artists make the lovely works in glass.

I think it was easy to see this coming for a long time. I hope the Museum puts something in its place that creates jobs and opportunities for glass artists and the community. On the bright side lets hope the space is filled with something that enhances the love of glass and makes things better.

Debbie Tarsitano
Tarsitano Studio
www.debbietarsitano.com

www.cardersteubenclub.org

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2011 Carder Steuben Club annual Symposium will be held at The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY from September 15-17, 2011.