The W.H. Stark House’s First Floor Friday event this month includes “beautiful cut glass collection”
Published 5:12 pm Monday, May 8, 2023
- On view as part of "Brilliant: Cut Glass from The W.H. Stark House” is a platter c. 1904-1917, cut glass, 1 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches (3.8 x 34.3 cm) from T.G. Hawkes & Company (1880 – 1962). (Courtesy photo)
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Officials with The W.H. Stark House say they have added a “new level of brilliance” to its First Floor Friday event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 19 with a new exhibition in the Carriage House.
“Brilliant: Cut Glass from The W.H. Stark House” features American Brilliant Cut Glass made from 1876 to 1917 that was collected by Miriam Lutcher Stark and is on view on the second floor.
“We are so excited to showcase Miriam’s beautiful cut glass collection,” The W.H. Stark House Programming and Site Manager Tabitha Henderson said.
“We hope that when you view this exhibition, you are transcended back to the time of the American Brilliant Glass Period and imagine how these pieces would have been used in your own Victorian homes.”
Stark spent years filling her home with items to reflect her family’s status and personal style. Her collection of cut-glass pieces remains among the largest in the southern United States.
Many of the items on view once adorned the dining room table, others were used at mealtimes by family and friends, some held fresh cut flowers to decorate rooms throughout the house and others provided light for reading in the evening hours.
The cut glass pieces are uniquely made with lead oxide, which makes this beautiful artwork “crystal” glass.
At First Floor Friday, the public is invited to walk the grounds and view the first floor of the historic home, which includes the library, music room, dining room and breakfast room/office and the Carriage House for the second-floor exhibit.
Materials for a self-guided experience are provided for all visitors.
Underwritten by the Stark Foundation, timed tickets are available at the Carriage House on a first-come, first-served basis.
Entrance to The W.H. Stark House is free of charge, and the last entry is at 1:30 p.m.
Future dates for First Floor Fridays are June 23, July 21, Aug. 11, Sept. 22, Oct. 27 and December 1.
The W.H. Stark House is located at 610 Main Avenue in Orange. For more information, visit whstarkhouse.org or call 409-883-0871.
