25 years of Blaschka Glass Research

In 1992 I saw Blaschka glass models of invertebrate animals for the first time. It was in the zoology display of the Utrecht University Museum, where I held a temporary position as a curatorial assistant. The University museum kept a collection of these objects, acquired in 1883. I  was asked to look into the matter and published the story in spring 1994. This article drew the attention of North American professionals - based in Harvard  University as well as the Corning Museum of Glass.
In 1995, twenty five years ago, I was awarded the Rakow Grant for Glass Research and I published my paper in 1998. At that time I was no longer employed by the Utrecht University Museum, yet several museums demanded my cooperation in order to understand their Blaschka glass collections. In the slipstream of these contacts, I continued my investigations.
In 2002 the London Design Museum composed a travelling exhibtion of Blashka Marine Animals.  In cooperation with Chris Meechan of Cardiff a chapter in the accompaying booklet was contributed. This show was another hype in Europe, and eventually led in 2008 to the Dublin Blaschka Congress.

Back in 1992-1993 the internet was still in its early days. My research started in the University Libray, by consulting the printed materials. I remember browsing the Directory Of Museums in order to find the contact information on institutions, that were known to have ordered glass models in the 19th century.
Unlike then, many archives and books are now digitally available and documentation that was hard to find in the 1990s, is available at my desk today. Being retired and gladly occupying myself I wondered if Google Books contained lost or forgotten information, .

It did indeed, and  blogposts in the near future will present my findings.
This effort is certainly also meant to highlight the imminent birthdays of Leopold Blaschkla (* May 27, 1822) and Rudolf Blaschka (* June 17, 1857)

I will unveil that an 1863 catalogue of Blascha's marine glass models was refound in the digital archivess.
The earliest known catalogue hitherto was dated 1871, so this is a valuable addition of our understanding.

This following statement by Ludwig Reichenbach (dated October 16, 1863) proves that the earliest Blaschka glass models catalogue ever made was uncovered. 
" Mr. Blaschka arrived here in July and both the exotic orchids artificially made from glass-like materials that he exhibited here in a pavilion in the botanical garden, as well as the objects exhibited under our eyes ..." [translation mine]

In the following posts, find a full transcript of the 1863 catalogue - in three installments:
- Introduction by Leopold Blaschka;
- The List of Species;
- Postscript by Ludwig Reichenbach.  

- A review of the 1863 merchandise,  published in 1864, will be presented as well. 

References in Google Books:

Titel		Die neuontdeckten Vögel Neuhollands. Zweiter Band. Abt. 1.2
Author		Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach
Published		1845
Original kept at		Universiteit Gent
Digitized		Oct 30, 2007
		This digitized item contains two volumes by Reichenbach on  the birds of Australia, and origially bound with these two is the Blaschka Catalogue - impressum: Dresden: E. Blochmann & Sohn, 1863. Thus, the catalogue was included in the PDF.
Titel	Leopoldina: Mitteilungen der Deutschen Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, Volume 4 Leopoldina: Mitteilungen der Deutschen Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, Kaiserlich-Leopoldinisch-Carolinische Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher (Halle, Saale)
Contibutors	Kaiserlich-Leopoldinisch-Carolinische Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher (Halle, Saale), Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina (Halle, Saale)
Publisher	Kreuz-Verlag, 1863
Original kept at	Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
Digitized	Dec 9, 2010
	This digitized item contains the 1863 Blaschka Catalogue.
Titel		Der Thiergarten: allgemeine deutsche Monatschrift für Kunde, Beobachtung, Zucht und Pflege der Thiere,  mit besonderer Rüchsicht auf die Verbesserung unserer gegenwärtigen Hausthiere und Heranbildung neuer,..  Volume 1 Der Thiergarten: allgemeine deutsche monatschrift für kunde, beobachtung, zucht und pflege der thiere,  mit besonderer rüchsicht auf die verbesserung unserer gegenwärtigen hausthiere und heranbildung neuer,..David Friedrich Weinland
Contributor		David Friedrich Weinland
Publisher		Ebner und Seubert, 1864
Original kept at		University of California
Digitized		Dec 16, 2008
		This digitized item contains a review of the models, offered in 1863.