Technical Study of Claude Laurent's Glass Flutes

July 07,2024

Glass at Risk: simple tools for detecting unstable glass in 19th century cultural heritage collections Three Flutes by Laurent, Dayton C. Miller Collection In 1941, Dayton C. Miller donated an extraordinary collection of nearly 1,700 flutes and other wind instruments, statuary, iconography, books, music, trade catalogs, tutors, patents, photographs, and glass plate negatives related to the flute to the Library of Congress (LC). Dr. Miller was a prodigious American physicist, acoustician, and astronomer who taught for and conducted research at Case Western Reserve University for more than four decades. Of particular note in the collection are the 18 rare glass flutes, 17 of which were manufactured in Paris by Claude Laurent (December 5, 1774-June 20, 1849) during the first half of the 19th century or, after 1848, by his apprentice J. D. Breton. This is the largest holding of Laurent flutes in the world. Dr. Miller methodically collected the Laurent flutes, covering a distinct range in dates (1807 to 1844) and styles, from simple flute tubes with frosted exteriors to highly decorative flutes with jeweled keys and cut designs. The flutes were made for and sold to amateurs, professional flute players, and collectors, or were presented to world leaders. The collection is highlighted by a particularly beautiful Laurent flute that was made for President James Madison.