Welcome to the Glass Age
157 In recent times, contemporary glass art is taking up considerable space in museum’s glass galleries. By promoting national and internationals competitions and prizes, many museums contribute to the development of the artistic production considering glass as a favorite medium, encouraging and rewarding young artists for excellence. At the European Museum of Modern Glass in Rödental (D), the permanent exhibition includes several of the works submitted in the past for the Coburg Glass Prize contests. To hand down the collections to future generations, conservation is a main responsibility for any museum. The work performed and the experience acquired on preservation and restoration of glass objects greatly contribute to our understanding of the materials used and of the mechanisms behind their deterioration. The results of the scientific investigation on glass supported by museums have revealed to be crucial for the correct interpretation of the collections, producing reference literature for the whole community of glass scholars. In museums laboratories curators and researchers can work alongside conservators and scientists, enhancing the common understanding of glass as a material, and producing state-of-art investigation. The research and conservation areas at The Corning Museum of Glass (Corning NY, US) pioneered the field and focused on the role of a specialized glass museum in sharing knowledge and best practices, acting as a medium between scholars, museums professionals, and the wider public (Figure 10.7). Robert H. Brill (1929-2021), one of the founding fathers of glass archaeometry, served as the museum’s research scientist for more than 50 years. Important projects concerning the archaeometry of glass Figure 10.6. Model of a glass house producing cylinder glass by Appert, Mazurier & Cie, from the 1855 Paris Universal Exhibition. Source: Inv 06439. Fichier 0003280_001© Musée des arts et métiers , Paris / Photo Studio Cnam.
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