Corning Museum of Glass

We went to the 10 a.m. (the only) service at Emanuel Lutheran. A baby girl named Olivia Grace, dressed in a beautiful lace edged christening gown, was baptized.


The entire afternoon was spent at the Corning Museum of Glass. This museum was the reason I wanted to come to Corning and I was enthralled. So much that John had seen enough by 4 p.m. so he left and came back at 6:30 to pick me up. I could have stayed longer.

We took a guided 90-minute tour that barely hit the highlights of their glass collection. From ancient Egyptian glass that was made to imitate precious stones like turquoise and lapis lazuli and was more valuable, to a 8 foot by 20 foot Tiffany window, to a huge glass table topped by a glass boat made for the International Exhibition in England in 1820, to a whimsical, intricate chess set made in the 1940s that has Jewish icons on one side and Catholic icons on the other. The galleries went on and on.

There is also have a special exhibition this summer of Czech glass from the 19th century to today (the largest ever shown in the United States). Although the Communists prohibited many artists from creating when they rules Czechoslovakia, glass artists were allowed to continue production. The government sold their works in the West and created an infusion of Western dollars for the government. The Museum also included hot glass making exhibitions, exhibits on making glass windows, light bulbs, mirrors for telescopes, and windows for the space shuttle. In addition, Corning owns Steuben Glassworks (has since the 1920s) and has a great exhibit of Steuben Glass created by Frederick Carder, Steuben co-founder. I also learned that Corning made glass light bulbs for Thomas Edison in 1879 and in the museum they have a sales display of different size bulbs decorated by Maxfield Parrish designs.

Corning is a one-industry town and has seen better days. The museum and glass market is outstanding, but Corning as a business is struggling. The town used to have twice the population it has today.