The Blaschkas were a father and son team of glass blowers who worked out of Dresden in the late 1800’s. They created glass menageries of sea animals, flowers and even enlarged microscopic organisms such as hydrazoans. Blaschka models were distributed and acquired by museums and university collections worldwide but due to the fragility of their construction very few remain intact. The Blaschka sculptures are known as unique examples of anatomically detailed, scientifically correct glass representations of hundreds of species of marine animals, and greatly magnified microscopic organisms. The sculptures are so detailed that they are in many cases startlingly realistic. Modern glass artists have been unable to recreate these stunning, intricate sculptures and they remain ‘an artistic marvel in the field of science and a scientific marvel in the field of art.
The Redpath Museum holds a suite of some of the oldest Blaschka models in North America.