About the Society:
The “LIGHT and GLASS” – Society, was founded in May 2000 in the small old centre of the Austro-Bohemian chandelierproduction, of Steinschönau (Kamenický Šenov) in North Bohemia. The society is registered by the Czech Ministry of Interior, with confirmation of the Taxoffice in Nový Bor, under VS/1-1/44574/00R.
LIGHT and GLASS, as to its statutes is the platform for research on the high quality lighting and chandeliers, so neglected a subject, this serving museums castles, churches and collectors.
Only few well founded information exists on this typical European cultural element, there is practically no literature on the subject, describing original making, places where such treasures still exist and information where the specific units came from.
It is now the aim of LIGHT and GLASS to act as meeting-forum for art historians, restorators, scientists, dealers and collectors, to exploit the information we have, to build a databank and to widely publish on the subject. Special instructions will describe access and costs to aquire our information. Such revenue, next to the annual members fees will become the financial basis of our work.
Furthermore we are working on:
- Collection of documents (texts, illustrations, films, interviews etc.) on valuable originals, mainly on their value as part of our European art history.
- Scientific research projects of all kinds
- Professional data on their original making and of preservation.
- Education and training.
- Presentation, exhibition and publications
The Society serves more than 40 members, including wellknown museum directors and scolars, coming from 12 countries, including USA and Japan.
With the first printed annual report, with two international seminars, with a good number of newsletters including lectures, and with the assistance at the book-presentation of Käthe Klappenbachs oevre magnum “Kronleuchter” (Berlin 2001) and with the there included beginnings of the project of a “European dictionary of terms used in chandelier manufactory”, the young society has shown the road directing to a pan-European activity of research.