Welcome to the Glass Age

159 abandoned glass factories collaborates in improving the regeneration of deindustrialized areas. Museums can play an important part in the mourning process following the demise of local industry and they can become important resources for local development. The cultural strength of these contexts can have a great effect on people, positively influencing their sense of identity. By preserving the memory of a common past and exhibiting a shared heritage, production places converted into museums help the community to reorganize itself, on the base of new economic factors. The company Glaces et Verres Spéciaux du Nord de la France, specialized in coloured window glass and better known as “Glaces de Boussois” (F), ceased traditional production in 1979. Today, former workers proudly guide the visitors around the tiny local Musée de la Mémoire Verrière , showing them documents, tools, and models of the past production plants and letting them know about the work and the life of the community. Museums opened in ancient furnaces or factories can exhibit the machinery, utensils, and collections almost without removing them from the original contexts and backgrounds, increasing visitors’ awareness. The Figure 10.8. Murano Glass Museum . First floor, large central room. Source: © Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia - Museo del Vetro di Murano - Archivio Fotografico. Atelier-Musée du verre at Trélon (F) is located inside a late 19 th century glasshouse with two furnaces for production of bottles and perfume flasks that were in use until 1977.