Shattered Illusions: Reconsidering Glassware through the Lens of Care

In the 19th century, wealthy Southerners used the profits they accumulated through the exploitation of enslaved labor to acquire costly objects for their homes. European luxury production, American consumerism, and African American labor are especially intertwined in glass tableware and other handcrafted decorative glass objects. Like enslaved laborers and the capital they created, these delicate objects were passed down from generation to generation. It was those of African descent whose skill and expertise continually maintained these objects so that we can appreciate them today.

This exhibition is largely guided by Robert Roberts’ The House Servant’s Directory: A Monitor for Private Families. First published in 1827, this rare case of a 19th-century text authored by an African American became a standard reference book for household management. Today Roberts’ detailed recipes help us explore the relatively invisible work of enslaved and domestic servants. By scrubbing decanters, dusting chandeliers, refueling lamps, and performing other tasks, these often anonymous individuals kept inherently fragile objects intact. The glittering examples of white Southerners’ wealth on view in these galleries are evidence of the resilience and skill of the people who were charged with their care.