Toledo and Glass
Toledo, Ohio. Not exactly a destination on everyones must see list, but a friend of ours
lives there, and we drove out for a visit last week.
He lives in the Old West End, a historic neighborhood with a large collection of Victorian,
Edwardian and Arts and Crafts styled houses built around the turn of the 20th century.
One hundred years ago this community was home to Toledo's wealthy, industrial titans.
The Edward D. Libbey house was designed by David L. Stine for the man who revolutionized glass manufacturing and became rich as a result. Libbey was a technological wizard when it came to pushing the limits of glass' potential. He hooked-up another Toledo glass man Michael Owens, and together they created the Libbey-Owens glass works. In the early 1900s, Libbey started producing the large sheets of glass that would fill the window openings of skyscraper's around the world. He also started manufacturing glass sheets which could be used as a wind shield in a new-fangled contraption known as the automobile.
designslinger]
Across the street from the Libbey house is the Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion.
Opened in 2006, and designed by Tokyo architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA Ltd., the Pavilion houses over 5,000 works of glass in a literal glass house. The Museum is a testament to its founding benefactor Mr. Libbey, and the Pavilion is a testament to the product that made him famous.
Our visit was short, but we enjoyed a wonderful Fall weekend with delicious home-cooked
meals served in a beautiful garden setting, accompanied by a dash of culture, in the delightful company of a dear friend.
Posted by designslinger at 9/29/2009 2:34 AM 
Categories: Cities,Architecture,Gardens,Preservation,Art,Decorative Arts
Tags: Libbey-Owens Glass Edward D. Libbey Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion Toledo Old West End
Categories: Cities,Architecture,Gardens,Preservation,Art,Decorative Arts
Tags: Libbey-Owens Glass Edward D. Libbey Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion Toledo Old West End
What a wonderful blog. You've made me a little bit home sick. Thank you.
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You're welcome! Not for making you home sick though.
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