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An Honour

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Each year the Trust Board of the Auckland War Memorial Museum recognises individuals who have made significant contributions to museums in Aotearoa New Zealand. I was one of four recipients recognised in 2017. I was delighted recently to attend a reception at the Museum to receive the award of Fellow of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The medal was presented by Dr William Randall, Chairman of the Museum Trust Board, and Dr David Gaimster, the current Director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. I was the Museum's Director from 1979 until 1993, which was the reason for the award. That's great, Stuart, I am sure I can hear you say, but this is a New Zealand Glass Blog, not a place to show off awards, and that Medal is not glass. You are r ight, of course, it's not glass, but there is a significant glass connection. The Auckland War Memorial Museum Medals are made by Auckland sculptor John Edgar ONZM, who has made 45 of these Medals over the past 23 years. They differ sligh...
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A Tale of Two Wine Sets

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In my blog in November 2016 [see http://newzealandglass.blogspot.co.nz/2016/11/fred-daden-and-tony-kuepfer-at.html ], I wrote about the wonderful archival film that has recently been resurrected through the NZ Society of Artists in Glass archiving project. In March 1977 English master gaffer Fred Daden came to Inglewood in Taranaki at the invitation of then almost beginner Tony Kuepfer, to show Tony some of the skills of the glass-maker. The film shows Fred repeatedly demonstrating how to make a wine goblet, and especially how to make the foot. Quite out of the blue I was recently offered a decanter and four wine glasses. Together with a set already in my collection, they demonstrate beautifully how much Fred taught Tony, and indeed how good a student Tony was. Photo: Greg Clarkson These pieces certainly resemble the early glass Tony was making, but I wasn't initially entirely sure they were Tony's work. The decanters and goblets of his I have seen are quite elegant, and these...
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Fred Daden and Tony Kuepfer at Inglewood, March 1977

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In March 1977, English glass gaffer Fred Daden came to Inglewood, Taranaki, at the invitation of Tony Kuepfer, where he spent a month showing Tony the finer points of studio glass technique. Fred Daden blowing at Inglewood, March 1977: a screen capture from the film During its archiving project, two reels of colour 16mm film were located by NZ Society of Artists in Glass amongst the files of Mel Simpson, a founder of NZSAG and formerly Lecturer in Glass at Elam School of Fine Arts at Auckland University. At that stage, Mel was not sure what the film showed.  The two reels were joined into one and transferred to DVD, to make it more accessible, but since there is no sound, no titles and no credits it wasn't until it was shown at the NZSAG Conference in Auckland in October 2016 that it was recognised for just what it was. Auckland glass artist Peter Raos was at Inglewood in 1977 and also at the 2016 Conference, and he at once recognised it. Stuart Park, glass blogger, also knew tha...
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