Blaschka, Rudolf, 1857-1939

Dates

• Existence: 1857 (date of birth) - 1939 (date of death) - 1939

Biography

Rudolf Blaschka was born in Bohemia in 1857 and moved to Dresden, Germany, with his family when he was a child. Rudolf was the son of Leopold Blaschka, an expert glass blower who began making glass models of sea creatures for museums in the 1860s. Rudolf joined his father in the 1870s. During their lifetimes they created hundreds of glass models of marine life that were sold to museums and academic institutions for research. Later, they created thousands of botanicals that were commissioned by Harvard University and became known as the "Glass Flowers." Their work is internationally recognized for its artistic beauty and its contribution to science.

The largest collection of marine life models is owned by Cornell University, much of which is on long-term loan to the Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG). The "Glass Flowers" collection can be viewed at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

Rudolf Blaschka died in 1939.

Found in 1 Collection or Record: