# Frederick Carder

Frederick Carder (September 18, 1863 – December 10, 1963) was a glassmaker, glass designer, and glass artist who was active in the glass industry in both England and the United States, notably for Stevens & Williams and Steuben, respectively. Known for his experimentation with form and color, Carder's work remains popular among collectors and can be found in numerous museum collections, including The Corning Museum of Glass, which houses theFrederick Carder Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. He was born in Staffordshire, England, and died in Corning, New York, where he had made his home in 1903.

## Family life

Frederick Carder was born in the village of Wordsley, near Stourbridge, in Staffordshire, England on September 18, 1863, to parents Caleb and Ann Carder. Caleb Carder worked as a salesperson for his father, George Carder, at his pottery, Ley's, formed around 1810. Caleb and his brothers (Frederick's uncles) Joshua and Henry took over pottery after George died, though Caleb ran the pottery business alone for many years. After Caleb's retirement, Frederick's younger brothers Albert and Arthur took over. Frederick Carder also had older brothers named Will and George and an older sister named Annie.
Frederick Carder married Annie Walker on May 21, 1887, in Dudley, Worcestershire. They had three children: a daughter Gladys (1889–1969), a son Stanley (1892–29 January 1899), and a son Cyril (1893–1918). Annie died in May 1943.

## Education

Carder left school at age 14 to work in his father's pottery. He enrolled in night school at the Strourbridge School of Art and the Dudley Mechanic Institute, where he studied chemistry. In 1891, Carder started at the Wordsley School of Art for glassworkers. In 1960, Alfred University honored Carder with an honorary doctorate degree.

## Career
### Stevens & Williams (1881–1903)

Frederick Carder began his glassmaking career with Stevens & Williams in 1881, where he helped re-introduce colored glass. While at Stevens & Williams, Carder worked with Peter Fabergé of Russia. In 1902, Carder was asked to compile a survey of current glassmaking techniques in other countries, including the United States.
After 20 years of glass design and glassmaking experience, disagreements developed within Stevens & Williams. As a result, Carder and his family emigrated to the United States.

### Steuben (1903–1932)

Frederick Carder and Thomas G. Hawkes (of Hawkes crystal) co-founded the Steuben Glass Works in Corning, NY, the home of Corning Glass Company (also known as Corning Glass Works). Carder ran Steuben Glass Works from 1903 until 1932.
In 1918, Corning Glass purchased Steuben Glass Works, with Frederick Carder continuing to manage all aspects of the business. 1932, the advent of the Great Depression had a negative impact on business at Steuben. Corning Glass terminated the production of colored glass and took over the direction of the Steuben division, Carder was made artistic director for all Corning divisions.
page 71 "History of the Corning Painted Post Area : 200 Years in Painted Post Country" (revised edition published in 1991) by Thomas P. Dimitroff and Lois S. Janes has the name of Thomas G. Hawkes who was a founder of the Steuben Glass Works with Frederick Carder. Thomas Gibbons Hawkes came from England and was formerly foreman of J. Hoare & Company. Thomas G. Hawkes established the Hawkes Rich Cut Glass Works on March 12, 1882.

### After Steuben (1932–1959)

In 1932, Steuben Glass Works reorganized under a new team headed by Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., John Gates, and Sidney Waugh. Using a new glass known as G10M, Steuben crystal products became colorless and clear. While not specifically managing Steuben operations, Frederic Carder continued in Corning by directing all aspects of Corning's design, manufacturing, and marketing of many glass products. During this period, he experimented with glass casting using the cire perdue (lost wax) method used in metal foundries. The artistry of his design was acknowledged by the award of the Binns Medal in 1934. He made his notes and formulas available to others wishing to cast glass.
In 1943, Carder's wife Annie died. In 1959, Carder retired from Corning Glass Works. He died in December 1963, eighty-three days after his 100th birthday.
An elementary school located in Corning was given the name Frederick Carder Elementary School in his honor.
In 2005 Steuben Gallery, in Manhattan, mounted an exhibition of Carder's work that was curated by Donald Albrecht. The exhibition, called Frederick Carder: Glass, Passion, Invention, was designed by Pure+Applied. Photographs of the exhibition.

## Works cited

* 1 2 Gardner, Paul V. (2000) [1971]. The Glass of Frederick Carder. A Schiffer Classic Reference Book. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. p. 2. ISBN 0764313185.
* ↑ Marshall., Ketchum (2006). Frederick Carder's Steuben Glass : guide to shapes, numbers, colors, finishes and values (Rev. and expanded 2nd ed.). Atglen, PA: Schiffer Pub. ISBN 076432411X. OCLC 67616354.
* ↑ "Carder Steuben Club".
* ↑ Colman, Benjamin (5 January 2017). "Frederick Carder Glass Given to the Detroit Institute of Arts". The Decorative Arts Trust. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
* 1 2 3 Garder, Paul V. (1985). Frederick Carder: Portrait of a Glassmaker. Corning, NY: The Corning Museum of Glass, The Rockwell Museum. p. 15. ISBN 0872901114.
* ↑ Dimitroff, Thomas P. (1998). Frederick Carder and Steuben Glass : American classics. Essays by Charles R. Hajdamach and Jane Shadel Spillman. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. in association with the Rockwell Museum. ISBN 0764304860. OCLC 39116553.
* 1 2 3 4 Carder, Frederick (1956). Autobiography of an Englishman in the USA. Corning, New York: typescript mss. OCLC 56994348.
* ↑ Monumental Inscriptions Holy Trinity Church, Wordsley, Staffordshire, Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry, 1986, ref LD 929.3, held at Dudley Archives and Local History Centre
* ↑ "CORNING GLASS ART WINS BINNS MEDAL; Frederick Carder Receives Gold Award at Ceramic Society Session in Cincinnati". timesmachine.nytimes.com. The New York Times Company. February 14, 1934. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
* ↑ Kohler, Lucartha (1998). Glass: An Artist's Medium. Krause Publications. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-873-41604-7.
* ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-11-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)