“Works of style and good taste” Artistic and technical innovation at the Saint-Prex glassworks
The glassworks in Saint-Prex (VD) were founded in 1911 by entrepreneur Henri Cornaz, close to a high-quality sand deposit. Between 1928 and 1964, in addition to its industrial production, the company set up what it called an ‘artistic’ production unit, with the aim of creating and promoting ‘works of style and good taste’.
The aim of the project is to study and promote the artistic production of the Saint-Prex glassworks as part of Switzerland’s heritage, and more specifically that of the Vaud region, and to bring it to the attention of the general public. Thanks to an in-depth study of technical, stylistic, formal and socio-cultural aspects, the development and subsequent production of Saint-Prex artistic glassware from 1928 to 1964 and its importance for the arts and crafts of the canton of Vaud will be demonstrated. The various stages will involve identifying the main objects preserved, examining archive documents and contextualising them within the Swiss glassmaking and cultural landscape of the 20th century.
The project also aims to document the artisanal glass-blowing processes developed in Saint-Prex during this period. These are increasingly being replaced by industrial production and are in danger of being forgotten forever. This important aspect of the history of Swiss craftsmanship and the art of glassmaking in general will be documented through testimonies from former employees of the Saint-Prex glassworks and their descendants (oral history) and thus preserved for future generations.
The most important Saint-Prex collections are held at the Vitromusée Romont, the Musée Ariana in Geneva and the Musée du Verrier in Saint-Prex (currently closed to the public), and comprise a corpus of around 500 pieces.
The results of the project will be presented to the public in a temporary exhibition at the Vitromusée. It will be accompanied by a catalogue summarising the research findings and presenting selected works.
Project duration: 2021 – 2025
