Iowa: Iowa Quester Glass Collection

Iowa Questers Preserve History, One Piece of Glass at a Time

AMES, IOWA — Long before plastic became part of everyday life, glass was everywhere. It held food, illuminated homes, adorned dining tables and reflected the artistry and ingenuity of American manufacturers.

Today, more than 1,500 examples of that history are preserved in the Iowa Quester Glass Collection at Iowa State University’s University Museums — a remarkable collection made possible through the vision, generosity and sustained commitment of Iowa Questers.

The collection represents American glass made primarily between 1840 and 1950 and ranges from monumental Brilliant Period cut glass to colorful art glass, Early American Pattern Glass and distinctive examples of Iowa-made glass. Together, the objects tell a story not only of American craftsmanship, but also of changing technology, commerce and everyday life.

The Iowa Questers’ role in preserving that story began in 1996.

A Partnership Takes Shape

The initiative grew from a partnership involving Iowa Questers, led by Kay Beckett of the Neta Snook Chapter in Ames, then Iowa Questers State President Shirley Foster, and Lynette Pohlman, then director of University Museums.

At the time, Iowa State’s University Museums was already nationally recognized for its encyclopedic glass holdings. The collection had attracted the attention of scholars and the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, one of the nation’s foremost institutions devoted to the history and preservation of glass.

Following a vote by the Iowa Quester State Council, the Iowa Quester Glass Collection was formally established with an ambitious mission: to create a resource at Iowa State University for the preservation, viewing and interpretation of historic glass, with an emphasis on American-made glass dating from 1840 to 1945.

The Questers’ commitment transformed that mission into an ongoing preservation project.

A glass committee was established to work with University Museums and develop procedures for selecting and accessioning objects into the permanent collection. During the first year, seven pieces were accepted.

What began with seven objects would grow into one of the most distinctive preservation projects undertaken by Iowa Questers.

Questers Invest in Preservation

In 1997, the Iowa Questers established a fund specifically for acquiring significant glass objects for the collection.

Chapters and individual Questers contributed to the effort, and a $3,000 grant from the International Questers convention in Denver provided additional support. Ultimately, more than $10,000 was raised.

With the fundraising goal achieved, the Questers Acquisition Committee began searching for a signature piece worthy of the growing collection.

The committee attended auctions, contacted dealers specializing in cut glass and evaluated seven potential acquisitions before selecting an extraordinary 36-inch, three-part vase made by the Quaker City Glass Company of Philadelphia.

Created during the Brilliant Period of American cut glass, approximately 1880 to 1915, the imposing vase became an early symbol of what the Iowa Questers hoped to accomplish: preserve exceptional examples of American glass while making them available for study and appreciation by future generations.

Since then, Iowa Questers have continued to support acquisitions, often using funds raised by individual chapters and state leadership. Several Iowa Questers presidents have designated funds during their terms to purchase important additions to the collection.

A Collection Rooted in Iowa

Although the collection encompasses American glass from across the country, Iowa-made glass has a special place within it.

The collection includes numerous examples associated with the Iowa City Flint Glass Company and Keota/Eagle Glassworks, providing a tangible connection to Iowa's own glassmaking history.

The collection has also expanded through significant gifts from knowledgeable collectors and families. Recent donations have included more than 130 toothpick holders, dozens of whale oil and kerosene lamps, and more than 50 sauce dishes and other glass objects.

Each donation adds another piece to the larger story — and each reflects the confidence donors place in the Questers and Iowa State University to preserve these objects for the future.

The exhibition offered visitors an opportunity to see a selection of the collection's American glass and learn how Iowa Questers helped build and preserve it.

The Brunnier Art Museum itself houses Iowa's largest and most comprehensive collection of glass, with objects representing glassmaking traditions from numerous cultures and historical periods. The Iowa Quester collection is an important part of that broader institutional resource.

Preserving the Past for the Future

The story of the Iowa Quester Glass Collection is ultimately a story about people who recognized that ordinary objects can become extraordinary historical records.

A butter dish, lamp, vase, toothpick holder or sauce dish may once have been an everyday household object. Today, those same pieces can reveal how Americans lived, what they valued, what they manufactured and how design and technology changed over generations.

That understanding closely reflects the Iowa Questers' own preservation mission.

In 2016, Iowa Questers adopted the state motto “Preserving the Past for the Future through Restoration, Acquisition and Education.” The glass collection embodies all three elements.

Through acquisition, Iowa Questers have helped save significant examples of American glass. Through preservation, they have ensured that those objects remain in the care of a major university museum. And through exhibitions and education, they have helped make the collection accessible to the public.

With more than 90 chapters and more than 1,600 members, Iowa Questers have become a major force for historic preservation across the state.

The Iowa Quester Glass Collection stands as one particularly shining example of what can happen when an organization commits itself to preserving history. What began in 1996 as a partnership and a vision has become a substantial collection that will allow generations to come to see, study and appreciate the beauty and history of American glass.

In an era when disposable materials have become commonplace, the Iowa Questers are preserving objects that were made to last — and, in doing so, are ensuring that the stories contained within them last as well.

For more information about Iowa Questers, visit iowaquesters.org.