News & Events

2024 Calendar of Events

Special Exhibit:

“The Dorflinger Batch Books and the Glassmaking Process.”

Using Dorflinger batch books loaned by Priscilla Smith Tagle, Christian Dorflinger’s great-great granddaughter, and the Dorflinger Glass Museum, this exhibit explores the proprietary formulas used by the Dorflinger companies to make a wide variety of glass, including glass in color. New additions to the Museum’s permanent exhibits, including models of clay pots made and donated by local potter Matt Povse, also provide new insights into the glassmaking process.

Special Exhibit:

“The Ray LaTournous Windows.”

A sixth-generation glassmaker whose family traces to the first group of skilled craftsmen who came to White Mills in 1866 to help start the new factory, Ray LaTournous (1926-2016) and his daughter Kathy (now retired) were the last two professional glass cutters working in Wayne County. Over his career, Ray produced a body of exceptional stone engraved work on reclaimed antique glass windowpanes. The examples from this collection in this special exhibit cover a wide variety of subjects from intricate geometric and floral designs to ships, roosters, and fish, and illustrate the broad range of Ray’s stone engraving skills. This special exhibit will close on September 15, 2024.

Special Exhibit:

“The Art of Glass Engraving: Masterworks by the Dorflinger Companies and Their Competitors, 1850-1920.”

Immigrant engravers from England, Bohemia, and other parts of Europe were among the most highly skilled craftsmen in the American cut glass industry. Their artistry produced some of the finest examples of American glass in the latter nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This special exhibit features examples of the three engraving techniques used during this period: copper wheel engraving, stone wheel engraving, and rock crystal. The Museum’s permanent exhibits also include displays of the equipment used to produce this remarkable work.

Special Concert by Invitation:

On Saturday, September 21, 2024, New York pianist Emily Martin will present “Visionary Women”, a concert of piano works by female composers of the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. Mel Bonis, Marion Bauer, Cecile Chaminade, Florence Price, and Nadia and Lili Boulanger were extraordinary artists and women of their time. They were consummate composers, however much of their music is not widely known today. This exciting and inspiring program is a dedication to the lives of these visionary women, whose works are much deserving of recognition and performance.

Walter B. Barbe Memorial Lecture Series:

The Museum is pleased to announce its 2024 lecture series. This year’s series includes six lectures during the summer and fall on a wide range of topics. As in the past, we have assembled an interesting group of lectures on the history of the region and, of course, glass. The lectures will take place at 2:00 P.M. on Sunday and are open to the public. All lectures will be held in the Blue Room of the Dorflinger Cutting Shop.

Dorflinger White Mills Brilliant Weekend:

The Dorflinger Factory Museum will hold its annual White Mills Brilliant Weekend on September 26-29, 2024. The Brilliant Weekend includes an opening reception in the Dorflinger Factory Museum, a Dorflinger Glass Symposium featuring a day of lectures, a banquet, and a Glass Dealer Show and Sale with six of the leading American cut glass dealers in the country. Advance registration is required for the Brilliant Weekend, and there is a registration fee of $125 per person, which includes all event activities. The Glass Dealer Show and Sale is open to the public with a $5 per adult admission fee. Additional details on the lecture program and registration materials are available.

Additional details on the lecture program and registration materials are available here.