Corning Museum of Glass

Local History Photos of the Week April 27, 2018

Linda Reimer , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hi everyone, here are the Local History Photos of the week!

(Click on the photos for a larger view)

Photo 1: First Congregational Church

Photo 1 shows a postcard of the old First Congregational Church of Corning. And it features a neat notation on the bottom of the photo –  “Where I went to church.” Who wrote the notation and sent the postcard, not to mention who received it – are mysteries.

However, where the old church was located is not! According to the website for the First Congregational Church of Corning, the church seen in the photo was in existence from 1890 to 1961 and was located on the corner of Bridge and Ontario Streets in Corning.

The new and modern First Congregational Church building, built in 1961, is located on Pulteney Street and is still in use today.

Photo 2: Original 200″ Disc Display 

The original 200″ glass disc, made by Corning Glass Works for the Palomar Mountain Observatory in California in the 1930s, suffered damage due to a break in the molding while the disc was being poured. The glass makers poured a second disc that was completed in perfect condition. The second disc went to the Palomar Observatory. And the original disc has been on display in Corning in the years since then.

Today the glass disc can be viewed in the Corning Museum of Glass but for a number of years after the disc was first made it was housed in a special building in the area that now encompasses Centerway Square. The clock tower in the background stood sentry then and still does today.

Have a great weekend!

Linda, SSCL

References:

Church History. First Congregational Church. Online. Accessed April 27, 2018. http://www.corningucc.org/welcome/church-history/?view=mobile

Library Local History/Creation Station Resources:

At the library you can scan your photos and slides to create digital family albums and slideshows; and even use one of the Circut machines, and other Creation Station equipment, to help you create a special paper family history album.

Also of note, we have the local paper, at times called the Corning Leader, Corning Journal or Corning Daily Journal, on microfilm from 1840 to the present — so you can visit the library and research local history and your family tree if you wish!

And…

And if you find any old photos of the Corning area that you don’t know what to do with – you can always donate them to the library!

We’re happy to add new photos to our Photo Archive!

Local History Photos November 17, 2017

Linda Reimer , , , , , , , ,

Hi everyone, here are the Local History Photos of the week!

(Click on the photos for a larger view)

1. Grove Springs Hotel Landing:

This photo, of a 1904 era postcard, is of the Grove Springs Hotel Landing on Keuka Lake. I don’t know when the hotel closed down but I did find an excellent article on the hotel in a back issue of the Crooked Lake News – here’s a link to the article:

http://www.crookedlakereview.com/articles/1_33/16july1989/16treichler.html

And if you know what happened to the Grove Springs Hotel let us know!

Photo 2. Snowy Scene on New York State Route 225:

This photo appears to have been taken in the 1930s or 1940s somewhere on New York State Route 225. The precise location remains a mystery but if we find it – we can see if the speed limit there is still 15 MPH!

Photo 3: A Flood Era Photo of the Corning Museum of Glass: 

Here’s a photo of the Corning Museum of Glass during the Flood of 1972. And even though most of us who live in the Corning area recognize where this photo was taken — it is still neat to take a look at flood era photo to see how far we’ve come in the last 45 years!

Have a great day,

Linda, SSCL

Library Local History/Creation Station Resources:

Here’s your weekly reminder that at the library you can scan your photos and slides to create digital family albums and slideshows; and even use one of the Circut machines, and other Creation Station equipment, to help you create a special paper family history album.

Also of note, we have the local paper, at times called the Corning Leader, Corning Journal or Corning Daily Journal, on microfilm from 1840 to the present — so you can visit the library and research local history and your family tree if you wish!

And…

And if you find any old photos of the Corning area that you don’t know what to do with – you can always donate them to the library! We’re happy to add new photos to our Photo Archive!

 

Local History Photo: Friday, December 2, 2016

Linda Reimer , , , , , , , , , , ,

Happy Friday everyone!

Here is our local history photo of the week.

local-history008

The record for this photo states:

Subject: “Glass Disk”

Location: “Corning Glass Center Corning”

The disk in the photo is the original 200″ reflecting telescope disk made for George Ellery Hale in 1934.

The disk was to be installed at the Palomar Observatory in California. And this disk, the first one they created, is imperfect due to the mold cracking as the glass was being poured to create the disk.

So the original disc, seen in the photo is, as it has been for many years, on display at the Corning Museum of Glass.

The second disk they poured did, indeed, go on to be used by the Palomar Observatory — where it is still being used today.

And if you’d like to know more about the disk on display at CMOG and its successor disk that went to the Palomar Observatory – here’s a link to a page on The Corning Museum of Glass website titled “MIRROR TO DISCOVERY: THE 200-INCH DISK AND THE HALE REFLECTING TELESCOPE AT PALOMAR” — where you’ll find more information:

http://www.cmog.org/collection/exhibitions/mirror-to-discovery

And stepping away from the disk discussion for a moment — here’s is an actual local history mystery question!

Does anyone know the identity of the two people seen standing next to the disc in the photo?

Our record doesn’t have that information listed…

Have a great weekend!
Linda, SSCL