road trip to Corning!

We had a wonderful weekend in Corning, NY.  

One of Drew's friends, a woman he's known for decades, invited us to her 60th birthday party Saturday night.   So we drove the 290 miles from Long Island to Corning, in New York's Southern Tier (hi Alana) to help her celebrate. Great party.

Next day, we took a tour of the Corning Museum of Glass.  Corning Inc., former maker of Corningware, Corelle and Pyrex (they sold off the kitchen wares division in 1998) sponsors the museum.   The museum houses several types of exhibits --  history, art and science. You can see the various collections, you can watch a demonstration of glassblowing, and you can even make your own glass project.  We opted to skip making a project, but we did watch the demonstrations and see all the collections.

This little guy was on display in the glassblowing area.

Our first gallery was artwork.  Some very beautiful and innovative pieces.

I love the chandelier.

This is one of the butterflies from the chandelier.

These works come from a TV competition.

I really liked the interlocking glass rods here.

Next we went to the science and technology display, and learned about all sorts of lenses, microscopes and telescopes, about fiberoptic cable, and even how Corelle is made (it's semi indestructible!)

The most extensive collection involves the history of glassmaking and the use of glass from ancient times to the present. All the different ways glass was manufactured (blown, plated, and later mass produced), how patterns and colors were added, etc.  Tableware, jewelry, perfume bottles, paperweights....

This little guy is from the ancient Roman Empire.

This Venetian piece features dragons....you know how I feel about dragons...

Beads and vases from China.

A Tiffany lamp.

A cut glass replica of the Liberty Bell.

This table and boat were made for the World's Fair in London in 1862.

This is cute....

 

See the two jack-o-lanterns in the display case of Chinese artifacts?  Young visitors who take a picture of these two  can get a prize.

This chess set...read the description first....

To be honest, trying to see the entire collection in a single day was a bit overwhelming.  I wish we had more time.

We're thinking of going back to the region next summer.