ALL ABOUT CRYSTAL: AT THE VISIT IN THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS

Although it is 6 500 kms far from one of the European cradles of glassmaking in Karlsbad, it is a place very much dedicated to the material as well as to glassmaking as the craft. Come with us, we will take you for a tour to Corning, the American crystal town.

Given its location, Corning originally used to be oriented mainly at timber working. That had, however, changed after the Civil War, when the town turned to glass production. It had not taken long, and the brand Corning became not only the biggest US, but also the leading international glass producer. The history of glassmaking in America has been written here, and, at the same time, the place took a prominent part in the story of humankind as such. It was Corning where, in 1897, the assistant of T. A. Edison came in search of a container for a newly discovered light bulb. The idea dawned on him as he watched a young glass workshop apprentice playing with a flute which produced molten glass bubbles. Moreover, Corning glass has been, for generations, at service for the U.S. Navy, and it also took part in space exploration, for example with Apollo spaceship.

Corning, therefore, definitely deserved a greater public attention. Thus, in 1950, the biggest museum of glass was built in the factory precincts. Today, it covers more than 3 500 years-long history of the material with collections comprising over 50 000 objects. Czech glass and Moser, as one of its leading and unique representatives, has, of course, its place in the museum. We have been lucky to check ourselves, and we are delighted to say that the story of Moser is told here in detail. Historical photos, advertising materials and articles, business and diplomatic correspondence, production as well as design data. To cut it short, all segments of today’s Moser glassworks – manufacture, studio, marketing and sales, have a file in Corning archives. We found valuable letters, greetings and thank you notes from maharajahs, sheiks and kings, and also amazing drawings and patterns of our remarkable pieces. And then the most important part – to see the stunning Moser crystals in the exhibition as such. There are quite a few, and you can, believe it or not, see them all right now. Just go to the webpage of The Corning Museum of Glass, continue to the section Collections and write the magic word: Moser into the search engine. In a second you can see a photo gallery of Moser pieces with detailed descriptions. In Corning, you simply find Karlsbad Moser sister.

Those genuinely interested in glass will, indeed, find their paradise in Corning. Apart from the museum, there is also the world biggest library devoted to glass, the most prestigious American school for learning everything about the material and the craft, and also an exhibition showing the visitors the process of glassmaking real-life. This part even has a movable version in a typical American truck with furnaces travelling the U.S. and raising awareness. Isn’t that fascinating? The answer rests with almost half-million visitors a year. The Corning Museum of Glass opens every day with a mission statement: “We inspire people to see glass in a new light”. Such goal resonates very strongly also with us in Moser glassworks, we are, therefore, most proud that the tradition of Karlsbad crystal has its footprint in the world’s biggest museum of glass.