Blaschka Glass – A History of Glass Models

This is glass...

Some of the most amazing glass objects were created at the turn of the last century, not this one. Specimens and models of flowers and sea creatures so realistic you can hardly believe they were made of glass. These pieces were made by Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, a father and son glass working team. Their work can be seen in the museums at Corning and Harvard as well as other places around the world. I stumbled on a video on You Tube that provides a history of Leopold and his son and their work. I highly recommend watching it if you love glass.

this is also glass...

When Harvard saw the flowers and plant life that Leopold had created he was commissioned to create models of sea creatures for the Harvard Museum. I am certainly not doing their story justice so I highly recommend you learn more about the Blaschkas. I know it has made me appreciate the glass technology I am allowed to work with.

and yes, this too is glass...

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2 Comments so far

Blue, Cambridge MA on November 6, 2009 9:07 am
Thanks for your post, and a correction.
The Blaschkas first created hundreds of glass models of marine invertebrates, sea creatures such as jellyfish, anemones, octupus, selling them to museums all over the world, including Harvard & Cornell universities. When Harvard’s Professor of Botany saw the exquisite marine models, he then commissioned Leopold and his son Rudolf Blaschka to begin creating Harvard’s Ware Collection of ‘Glass Flowers’, and the Blaschkas worked the rest of their lives, from 1886 to 1895 together, and then Rudolf until 1936, creating some 4,200 botanical models, 3,000 of which are on display at the Harvard Museum of Natural History on the Cambridge campus, just a short walk from Harvard Square. The Corning Museum of Glass had a loan exhibition, which is now closed, of 17 models of Harvard’s Glass Flowers. To see the Harvard exhibition, info at http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu. (Missing photo credit for the apple blossom in glass. (c)photo by Hillel Burger, President & Fellows of Harvard College.
cathimilligan on November 7, 2009 10:26 pm
Thanks so much for correcting me on this. I appreciate your helpfulness!! I”m so in awe of their work. I’ve seen some of it at the Corning Museum and it humbles me. They did so much with equipment that I’m sure isn’t as hi-tech as mine. Imagine what they could do with some of the torches available today! Thanks again!! Next time I’m on the east coast I will make a point of stopping by Harvard to see your collection.
Cathi

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Blaschka Glass – A History of Glass Models

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