Saint Louis University’s Samuel Cupples House possesses one of the largest antique glass collections in the Midwest.
This achievement is mostly due to donations from Eleanor Turshin, who has been collecting glass for the past half-century.
Since the 1950s, Turshin has been gathering pieces of European and American glass.
She initially focused on art glass but broadened her interests to include functional glass objects, items serving standard purposes, such as glass dishes.
The pieces, ranging from decorative and valuable works of art to mass-produced houseware items, now number near 1,500 in total.
In 1992, Turshin began gifting this collection to Cupples House so that portions of it could be on display at all times.
The Turshin Art Glass Gallery, located on the third floor of Cupples House, was established to showcase special exhibits drawn from Turshin’s collection.
The latest glass exhibit, “Passion for Color,” has been showing since the beginning of October.
“Passion for Color” concentrates on the glass produced by Steuben Glass Works from 1903 until 1933, under the direction of Frederick Carder.
Carder was born in England in 1863, where he first discovered his love for the art of glassmaking.
He worked for 20 years at Stevens & Williams, where his talent and ideas were successful.
In 1903, Carder came to pursue success in America, founding Steuben Glass Works in Corning, New York, a company now known for its clear crystal works.
In the company’s early days, it was especially well-known for Aurene, or iridescent glass, as well as ordinary colored glass. Examples of this early Steuben glass are now on display in the Turshin Art Glass Gallery.
The pieces in the exhibit range in function, from candlesticks to decorative dishes to a perfume bottle.
Regardless of their intended purposes, or lack thereof, each item is a treat for the eye.
The “Passion for Color” exhibit will be showing in Cupples House through March of next year.
Admission is $4 for the general public, $3 for senior citizens and free for students with ID and kids under 12.
At 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6, Thomas Dimitroff will present a lecture on Carder’s life and work in the glassmaking industry. Dimitroff is the author of Frederick Carder and Steuben Glass.
Regular hours for Cupples House are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Tours of this and other exhibits are available by appointment only for groups of 20 or more people.
For tour information, call 977-3575. For additional information regarding the “Passion for Color” exhibit, call 977-3025.
