Recently, the 2014-2015 Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG) exhibition, René Lalique: Enchanted by Glass, traveled to the Chrysler Museum of Art (CMA) in Norfolk, Va. This group of 233 predominantly glass objects ranges from delicate jewelry and perfume bottles to lamps and large vases. CMoG regularly loans objects to other institutions, but the number of objects in this group posed a new challenge.
Anyone who has moved from one home to another will recall the difficulties of keeping all belongings intact and accounted for. Imagine those belongings are glass artworks. How exactly do 233 artworks make a 350-mile journey? Let’s follow two fish lamps from Corning to Norfolk.
-
- Illuminated Surtout de table, Gros possoins, vagues (Table decoration, Big fish, waves), designed 1922, René Lalique, French, 1860-1945. Gift of Elaine and Stanford Steppa. 2011.3.431. © René Lalique.
-
- Illuminated Surtout de table, Gros poissons, algues (Table decoration, Big fish, algae), designed 1922, René Lalique, French, 1860-1945. Gift of Elaine and Stanford Steppa. 2011.3.432. © René Lalique.
Physical Exams
Conservators examine each object proposed for loan to determine whether it is stable enough to withstand the stresses of shipping. If an object is fit to travel, its condition before leaving the Museum is documented in a detailed report. The fish’s glass top, metal base and electrical components are all examined.
-
- The glass fish are measured and damages are recorded as part of the examination.
-
- Closer view of small (1-2 cm) scratches noted on the fish’s fin.
Head Count
Registrars keep track of the extensive CMoG collection. To simplify the process, each object is assigned a unique number when it enters the collection. Information about an object, such as its condition, location and history, is filed in a database under this number.
-
- Christy Cook, Associate Registrar, labels the lamp’s metal base with its number.
-
- (Detail) Christy Cook, Associate Registrar, labels the lamp’s metal base with its number.
-
- Whitney Birkett, Assistant Registrar, verifies that the objects’ locations are accurate in the database.
-
- Emily Smith, Assistant Registrar, checks that loan objects are accounted for before they are packed. Much like an air traffic controller, Emily coordinates safe travel for artwork and couriers.
Planning
Preparators handle the installation of artwork, which includes making sure that objects are operational and displayed securely. Electrical wiring is also upgraded for safety reasons. Because rapid changes in temperature and humidity are unsafe for glass, LED bulbs, which emit very little heat, are used wherever possible.
-
- Fish lamp base awaiting wiring upgrade and bulb change.
-
- Dave Kuentz, Preparator, rewiring and replacing bulbs.
-
- Though the fish lamps can stand alone, some objects require support to position them for viewing. Steve Hazlett, Preparator, creates mounts for displaying objects.
-
- Pin mounts hold delicate objects, such as jewelry, in position without distracting the viewer.
-
- Though this necklace (90.3.37), displayed upright on a wall, appears to be floating, it is held in place with strategically placed pins.
Packing and Shipping
Every loan object travels in a foam cavity contoured to its shape. Creating this type of packing is laborious, but results in a padded travel capsule for each object.
Overall view of the packing area.
-
- Tom Oberg, Preparator, makes a template by outlining each object. He traces the template onto the foam.
-
- Tom cuts a void into the foam to fit each object.
-
- Noelle Ward, Collections Intern, pads each cutout with a soft material for protection. The padding protects the fragile acid-etched surface on many of the Lalique pieces.
-
- Layers of foam sheets are arranged in a cardboard box.
-
- Lindsay Nikisher, Preparator, makes sure all objects fit snugly in their correct place.
-
- Midway through packing: glass fish, metal bases and hardware in their box.
-
- Tucking tissue into the voids around objects prevents jostling.
-
- Crate 1 of 9: inside view. Cardboard boxes labeled with their contents stacked in a padded shipping crate.
-
- Overhead view for scale: Tom putting the final touches on the crates.
-
- Lindsay loading crates on the truck headed to Norfolk.
A Week Later at the Chrysler Museum of Art
-
- Empty gallery ready for artwork.
-
- Unpacking the fish in Norfolk.
-
- Brandy Harold, Registrar, checks the fish’s condition upon arrival against the condition documented before leaving CMoG to ensure that no damage occurred in transit.
-
- Steve carefully positioning the lamps in the open display case.
-
- Nearing the end of the installation: a few more cases waiting to be closed.
-
- Final installation of the fish lamps.
The CMoG team will return to Norfolk to reverse the process after the show closes. Meanwhile, see the result of about a year of planning and preparation. René Lalique: Enchanted by Glass is on view at the Chrysler Museum of Art through January 21, 2018.
2 comments » Write a comment