When the Durand Art Glass Division of the Vineland Flint Glass Works was founded in December 1924 by company owner Victor Durand, it was the last American competitor to Frederick Carder’s Steuben Glass Works. Tiffany Furnaces, Quezal Art Glass and Decorating Company, Union Glass Company, Imperial Glass Company and the Fenton Art Glass Company had either closed their doors or discontinued art glass production. Although Durand was a very small operation and only lasted seven and a half years, it output rivaled many of Steuben’s designs and developed its own distinctive style. This lecture will concentrate on Durand’s production and illustrate the comparisons to Steuben designs. Also explored will be the reasons for the demise of both factories which ended in the same year.

Gay LeCleire Taylor is the former Director/Curator of the Museum of American Glass at Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center (formerly Wheaton Village) in Millville, New Jersey. During her tenure of over thirty-five years at the Museum she organized over thirty exhibitions. She has lectured extensively on a variety of topics and has taught glass conservation and history of glass classes She has experience with identification of glass collections. Gay has served on various boards of collecting associations. She has published numerous articles and written exhibition catalogs.