Girlfriends Roadtrips, Pt. II

August 18, 2015 Posted by admin

The CHILHULY piece at the entrance really greets visitors. It was the color of my new Harrod’s straw Panama hat.

I’ve traveled the world collecting glass and porcelain for over fifty years while staying in France, England, Italy, Mexico, Egypt, Jerusalem and I always thought Prague had the world’s greatest glass museum until I came across the new Corning Museum of Glass in upstate NY. Today with a new 100,000 sq. ft. minimalist wing designed by architect Thomas Phifer, it’s a work of art and light, a must not miss for a NY road trip.

I was literally blown away.

I had worked with the Museum of Decorative Arts and the museum staff photographer, Didi, who shot the promo photos of my first perfume bottles. In 1990 we did our Vogue fragrance ads and shot them downstairs in the museum’s basement studio where they shot their catalogs. I got to meet the museum director and learn about the history of glass and today I have over 100 glass pieces in my Florida farm. Glass has been my “go to” deco accessory, Lalique and Daum chandeliers, tall Le Verre Francais vases, English silver and crystal perfume bottles, Murano tea sets, Baccarat crystal wine glasses and even a collection of 1950’s Corning Cinderella nesting bowls.

At my farm the Corning Cinderella Nesting bowls collection have their own cabinet.

On a recent NY State roadtrip, a new passion, I convinced my girlfriend, Dusty Simi, to visit the new Corning Glass Center of America. When I walked in the door I was truly blown away because there was sculpture of a gown with a draped Vicky Tiel style, the glass cape included.

The Corning museum, opened in 1951 and has over 3500 years of glass with over 50,000 pieces of everything from early Egyptian to contemporary art in the new Modern Art wing. The first glass objects were from Northern Syria, Mesopotamia and Egypt and all are included in the Museum with my favorites that I photographed for this blog.

Enjoy the pictures and do go visit the Corning and get your own red glass flowers, elegant cut glass bowls and golden champagne flutes in the wonderful downstairs museum shop.

Plan a trip for Christmas and blow your own glass ornaments in their studios for a very Merry Christmas.