Shattered Illusions: Reconsidering Glassware through the Lens of Care

Shattered Illusions: Reconsidering Glassware through the Lens of Care examines how upper-class Savannahians in the 19th century used their wealth to acquire luxurious objects for their homes, in this case glassware. 

These fragile objects have been passed down through generations of wealthy Savannahians, to which we are able to appreciate today, but disconnected from the origins of the generations of the enslaved and domestic labor behind caring for them. 

In addition to showcasing the allure of these brilliant objects, Shattered Illusions will reframe the glassware as the subjects of those individuals’ care. Featuring objects from Telfair’s permanent collection of colored, etched, and cut glass, this exhibition will ask viewers to consider the labor behind their continual preservation.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website