UWZM Blaschka Glass Models

Project timeline

The progress of this ongoing project is reported in reverse chronological order.

2025
May

  • Boston Museum of Science. Laura A. Halverson Monahan, Ilia A. Guzei, and Tracy O. Drier. Visit of the Blaschka invertebrate collection, meeting with Rebecca Melius, Manager of Collections Stewardship.
  • Harvard University. Laura A. Halverson Monahan, Ilia A. Guzei, and Tracy O. Drier. Public presentation on UW-Madison Blaschka collection and projects.
  • Museum of Natural History. Laura A. Halverson Monahan, Ilia A. Guzei, and Tracy O. Drier. Collection and storage area visits with Jon Woodward, Digitization Manager for Collections Operations at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Jennifer Brown, Collection Manager of the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants at Harvard University Herbaria, and Mei-An Tsu, a Conservation Specialist.
  • Chemistry Department. Glassblowing artist Jessica Tsai, Philadelphia, PA. Model re-creation project (Brittingham grant): jellyfish model, Praya cymbiformis in borosilicate and soft glass.
  • UW Zoological Museum. Blaschka website is live.

February-April.

  • Pittsburgh Glass Center, PA. Lauren Aria and Tracy O. Drier. LifeForms 2025 exhibition, Cyana Capillata model recreation.

2024
October

  • “Spheres of Influence: glass across UW”, School of Human Ecology, UW-Madison. Helen Lee, Lauren Aria and Tracy O. Drier.  Exhibit ran between 10/24-3/25.

August

  • Milwaukee Public Museum. Laura A. Halverson Monahan, Ilia A. Guzei, Tracy Drier, Lauren Aria. Museum and archives tour and meeting with Lauren Riters and Alyssa Caywood.

March

  • Center for Design and Material Culture, Madison, WI. Deborah Krohn, Jonathan Tavares, Tracy O. Drier, Sophie Pitman. “Remaking
    Objects in the Classroom and the Museum: A Panel Discussion”

2023
December

  • UW-Madison. Brittingham grant awarded.

October

  • Chemistry Department. Tim Drier of Midland, MI, one week visit made possible by a Wisconsin 175 grant. Model re-creation project: deep-sea marine invertebrate models in the style of Blaschka. Models created include: Ping-Pong Tree Sponge, Chondrocladia concrescens, Sea angel, Clione sp. (2ea.) , Sea pig, Scotoplanes sp. (2ea.), Brittle stars: Ophiothrix fragilis, Deep Sea vestimentiferan worms: Riftia Pachyptila. Painting of glass was done by Jack Whisenant of UWZM.

September

  • The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning , NY. Tracy O. Drier. Talk “Glass Invertebrate Models at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, an Overview.”

June

  • 66th Symposium of the American Scientific Glassblowers Society, Vancouver, WA. Tracy O. Drier, Loren Stump, Andrew Bearnot, Erich Moraine, Ilia A. Guzei, Laura A. Halverson Monahan. Poster presentation ““Re-Creation of Blaschka Invertebrate Models”.
  • Proceedings of the 66th Symposium on the Art of Scientific Glassblowing, Vancouver, WA. Lauren Aria. “The Re-Construction of Blaschka Invertebrate Models”.
  • Chemistry Department. Glassblower Aaron Kirchoff of Strong Force Glass, Fargo ND. One-week visit (Brittingham grant) to re-create the Blaschka jellyfish model, Cyanea capillata in borosilicate glass.

April

  • UW-Madison, Science expedition. Tracy O. Drier. Making glass invertebrate models, Euceeryphalus Schultzei.
  • Chemistry Department. Glassblower Aaron Kirchoff of Strong Force Glass, Fargo ND. Manufacturing of a batch of glass rod of the same composition as that evaluated by CMOG in 2018.

2022
October

  • Wisconsin Science Festival. Tracy O. Drier. Making glass invertebrate models, Syncoryne Implexa.

May

  • Publication. Tracy O. Drier, Loren Stump, Andrew Bearnot, Lauren Aria, Erich Moraine, Ilia A. Guzei, Laura A. Halverson Monahan. ““Re-Creation of Blaschka Invertebrate Models”. Fusion 71:2.

June

  • Chemistry Department. Glassblower Loren Stump (CA). Visit to evaluate torch, torch tips and soft glasses in a period-appropriate manner in order to recreate Blascha model parts and model, Actinophrys sol along with small and large miscellaneous components.

2018

  • Corning Museum of Glass. Chemical analysis of a variety of UW model glasses, both hollow and solid.

2015
October

  • ASGS Midwest autumn section meeting, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL. Tracy O. Drier. “Proposed Construction Techniques for Blaschka Glass Marine Invertebrate Models”
  • Publication. Astrid N. Van Giffen, Katherine Eremin, Tracy O. Drier. “Imitating Nature: The Materials and Preservation Needs of the Blaschka Glass Models”, Journal of Glass Studies, Corning Museum of Glass, Vol. 57: 213-224.

2014
June

  • Wisconsin Science Festival. Tracy O. Drier. Making glass invertebrate models, Syncoryne Implexa.
  • Meeting presentation. Tracy O. Drier, Astrid R. van Giffen, Veronica M. Berns, Ilia A. Guzei, Laura A. Halverson Monahan. “Proposed Construction Techniques for Blaschka Glass Marine Invertebrate Models”, Proceedings of the 59th Symposium on the Art of Scientific Glassblowing, Eugene, OR.

May

  • University Roundtable Presentation, Madison, WI. Tracy O. Drier, Ilia A. Guzei, Laura A. Halverson Monahan. “UW’s Glass Menagerie”.
  • Undergraduate Honors Colloquium, Madison, WI. Laura Sevelis: “A State of Wonder: Blaschka Marine Invertebrates and the Tension Between Religion and Science”.

April

  • Model re-housing (Brittingham grant). Purchase of archival cabinet and acid-free containers.
  • Chemistry Department. Astrid van Giffen, Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG) conservator (Brittingham grant). Visit to evaluate a selection of 24 UW models.
  • Chasen Museum, UW-Madison. Public presentation. Astrid van Giffen. “Blaschka Glass: Materials and Preservation”.

2013
October

  • Public Museum/University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Museum Studies 50th Anniversary, Milwaukee, WI. Tracy O. Drier, Ilia A. Guzei, Laura A. Halverson Monahan. Poster presentation. “Conservation and Preservation of Blaschka Glass Animal Models”.

June

  • American Scientific Glassblowers Society Symposium, Sarasota, FL. Laura A. Halverson Monahan, Ilia A. Guzei, Tracy O. Drier. “Handle with Care:
    19th Century Glass Invertebrate Models in the 21st Century”. Poster presentation.

February

  • Bascom Hall, UW-Madison. Laura A. Halverson Monahan, Ilia A. Guzei, and Tracy O. Drier. Photographic exhibit “Gorgeous Invertebrates”.

2012

  • Zoology museum. Tracy O. Drier, Laura A. Halverson Monahan, Ilia A. Guzei. Model assessment, documentation, conservation and education project begins.
  • Chemistry Department and Zoology Museum. Ilia A. Guzei. Model photography.

2005

  • Blaschka models at the Zoology Museum re-discovered.

1890-?

  • Blaschka models used as teaching models at the Department of Zoology.

1890
February

  • UW-Madison. Edward A. Birge. Purchase of ~53 glass invertebrate teaching models, made by Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka.