Art Institute of Chicago Paperweight Collection

[Anakin's Glass Eye]

I took my girls to Chicago last Friday. The highlight for me had to be the paperweight collection. I remember when I was a young snot gobbler, probably 12 or 13, I went to the Art Institute to see the traveling King Tut exhibit. Also there at the time was a paperweight exhibit. I don't remember much of the King Tut stuff but I remember a glass case lined corridor overflowing with all sorts of glass paperweights. Too many to count.

Nowadays, the permanent paperweight collection fills about a dozen cases and is in a corner of the the lower level in the rear building. A little hard to find, but well worth the search.

I have posted 12 pics that I took of the various marbles. I tried to catch the ones that stood out (they were all amazing). I appologize in advance for the crappy picture quality and the file size. As you know, no flash photography allowed in the Art Museum.

One of the pictures is of the biggest glass art piece I've ever seen. You'll know it when you see it. I'd guess it was about 16 to 18 inches in diameter.

My other favorites were the ones with snakes and the one with a gecko.

If you've never been to the Art Institute you must make the trip. In a span of 5 minutes you can see the works of Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Gauguin, etc.

Here's the pics:

http://www.anakinsglasseye.com/meltingpot/paperweight01.jpg
http://www.anakinsglasseye.com/meltingpot/paperweight02.jpg
http://www.anakinsglasseye.com/meltingpot/paperweight03.jpg
http://www.anakinsglasseye.com/meltingpot/paperweight04.jpg
http://www.anakinsglasseye.com/meltingpot/paperweight05.jpg
http://www.anakinsglasseye.com/meltingpot/paperweight06.jpg
http://www.anakinsglasseye.com/meltingpot/paperweight07.jpg
http://www.anakinsglasseye.com/meltingpot/paperweight08.jpg
http://www.anakinsglasseye.com/meltingpot/paperweight09.jpg
http://www.anakinsglasseye.com/meltingpot/paperweight10.jpg
http://www.anakinsglasseye.com/meltingpot/paperweight11.jpg
http://www.anakinsglasseye.com/meltingpot/paperweight12.jpg

[medicatedMELTDOWN]

jeeze that big one is awesome i wish i could see it in person

nice pics thanks for sharing :D

[magism]

that's a dam nice collection, thanx for the pictures.

[Utopian Brain]

that huge one is ruckus, i too have gazed upon it. Once we all start goin tho itll be way sick for the next generation when our shit starts getting put in museums