Canadian Chalet Glass

Looking around the excellent Glass Message Board last night, I found a post relating to the lesser-known name of Chalet, who made glass in Canada from 1962-75. Two typical pieces are shown here, courtesy of Miller’s Online. With its spectacular forms and vibrant colours, Chalet glass is often mistaken for glass made on Murano in Italy. With the recent rediscovery of postwar Czech glass, it has also become confused with the production of Czechoslovakia’s Skrdlovice factory.
Well, thanks to a wonderful article on the company and its work, including two original catalogue pages showing shapes, this confusion may end.
The article turns out to be by my friend and fellow collector Conrad Biernacki, who is kind, charming, and extremely generous with his immense intelligence, knowledge, and experience. I first met Conrad a couple of years ago when, as programs manager, he invited me to lecture about Fat Lava at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Knowing Conrad, this article will be both well-researched and well-written – you can read it by clicking here.

4 thoughts on “Canadian Chalet Glass

  1. patterson says:

    Fantastic News!!!!!!!!!!

    There will be a comprehensive Chalet glass exhibit: It opens Tuesday, October 26th and runs for 6 weeks until Thursday, December 2nd at the Cornwall Regional Art Gallery located at 168 Pitt Street(at 2nd Ave), Cornwall.

    The wine and cheese reception celebrating the show will take place at the gallery Saturday, October 30th at 2:00 p.m. and the guests of honour will include Chalet artisans, Master glass blowers and members of the founding family.There will be a program for sale as well as a publication re Chalet marks and product lines and how to help id those “Similar yet Different”
    glass houses.

    There will be between 300-400 pieces on display from collectors all over Canada as well as pieces offered for sale from the Chalet Vintage Art Glass Gallery.

    This is going to be an amazing show – Mark Hill we need you there!
    For more details: info@chaletvintageartglass.com

    Deborah

  2. Mark Hill says:

    Hi Deborah,
    Thank you so much for the information and your very kind invitation – how exciting! I’m very sorry, but I won’t be in Canada this Fall, so will have to miss out. If you can send me a colour-packed image just before the show opens, I’d be delighted to write a blog entry about it to help promote it, even in a small way. I’ll also ensure that it appears in the blog on the Miller’s site. Also, is there anyway I can get hold of any literature produced, such as the book on marks you mention?
    Good luck with promotion in the build-up to the show, I’m sure it’ll be a great success,
    Best wishes,
    Mark

  3. patterson says:

    Hi Mark,

    I wish that you and Judith were able to attend but it is so gracious of you to offer to help promote the exhibit in view of your absence – thank you! I have the info but don’t know how to get it to you – please advise.

    I did a photo shoot re the pieces needed for the publication on Chalet Marks and Product Lines last week and am working on it now. I will send that along when it is done.I would love you to see it!

    Looking forward to hearing from you.

    Deborah

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