Shattered Illusions: Reconsidering Glassware Through the Lens of Care

In the nineteenth century, white southerners used the wealth they generated through the use of enslaved and domestic labor to acquire luxurious glassware and other handcrafted tableware for their homes. These delicate objects were glittery examples of wealth and social taste, and have been passed down through generations of wealthy, white families, but cared for and preserved by generations of black individuals who were charged with their maintenance. This exhibition will emphasize the tedious, and often dangerous, tasks of those of African descent who were responsible for keeping these inherently fragile objects intact to which we can appreciate them today.