Trip to the Corning Glass Museum

[Mike O]

Yesterday Feb 1st was my 45th birthday, My wife told me not to make any planes because she had made planes to go away on a little mystery birthday trip and that I needed to prepare to drive 6 hours! She never told me where we were going but to just shut up and drive. Well about 5 ½ hours into the drive I started to see billboards for the Corning Glass Museum and figured it out then. We just went to a hotel on Saturday but got up early and got to the museum at 9 am. It was well worth the drive, there truly is something for everyone. They start in the beginning when man 1st learned how to make glass and followed all the way up to today with things like fiber optic technology. Myself I like the 1820’s to 1860’s American era and I was not disappointed. There was plenty to see; Of course I am also partial to historical flasks and there were 100’s to see there and some VERY rare ones too. Another great sight to me was an original mold to a GI-85 Lafayette flask made in CT. To see that and know that I own a flask that was made it that exact mold was really cool. She also had made plans for me to blow my own glass too. I made an ornament and my daughter made a flower. I got to learn a whole lot more about this hobby of ours and see first hand how the things we collect are made and it adds a new respect for me, especially the early hand blown glass. You would be surprised how heavy the blow tubes or Ponte rods are. So that is my quick report. I would recommend to everyone if you ever have a chance to go there that you do!

 

[Mike O]

I missed the picture.

 

[Mike O]

Here is the mold I talked about

 

[Mike O]

For the marble lovers

 

[Mike O]

For the ACL soda lovers

 

[Mike O]

Instaed of posting all my pictures here if you would like here is a link to my Photobucket site you are welcome to take a look at all the pictures. I hope you all enjoyed I had a great time. MIke
http://s270.photobucket.com/albums/jj119/harvardpower/Corning%20Glass%20Museum/?start=0

 

[cobaltbot]

Thanks for the report, that is a really cool place, I've been year's ago would like to go back. The whole finger lakes region has nice things to see such as wineries, some great waterfalls, and hiking at Watkins Glen.

 

[earlyglass]

Mike,

Very nice! Thanks for sharing your photo library with us. It seems like you had a great time.

As a collector, once you really understand the process of creation, you have a much higher appreciation. Along with the rudimentary tools, and harsh living conditions... these glass blowers had incredible quotas to fill daily. When you think about the numerous steps and applications for the creation of a decorated freeblown pitcher with lily pad application, threading around the top, a footed base, a durable handle, tooling of the mouth, crimping of the foot, the annealing process, etc... it is amazing that a single piece was produced!

My only complaint with the Corning format is that it is really cramped and there seems to very little organization. They also do not put enough preference on the real rarities. Some GREAT pieces are tucked away on the lower shelf, 3 rows back! The museum is certainly quite an experience.

Thanks again for sharing.

Mike

 

[Mike O]

Yes I agree I would not have laid out the display quite like that. The shelves were crowded and there was no information available on the flasks as to just what you were looking at. In some of the other displays they had a number that you could reference on a info card, but even then it just said “bottle†or “vase†nothing really explaining what it was or it’s rarity Etc. Here is an example here in this picture are 2 of the rarest Lafayette flasks, a GI-89a and a GI-89b I took this picture because I was unfamiliar with what I was looking at and it seems that between the 2 molds there are only 3 known examples! Now that information in my opinion should have been posted.

 

[Stardust]

Wow............
What a nice place and how very nice of you to post the pics and share your album.
Thanks for sharing. [] stardust