It is so unlike an Indian that I had not visited Niagara Falls even after 15 years of my regular visits to USA.
At last Vinu made it possible for us to visit this famous Falls. I was told by Anu that the view from Canada is the best and it is not worthwhile to go if we don't go to Canada side. Unfortunately, we did not have time to get our Canada Visa due to our Africa trip and decided to go to Niagara any ways.
We start on 4th September Thursday by 7 p.m. by Car from Manhattan. I very much wanted to go to Corning, the place where the world famous Corning Glass works is situated. This is on the way to Niagara Falls from New York.
We stay in a place called Brimington (in double tree/Hilton group of hotel) reaching there by 10.30 pm. I have packed lot of food .(being finicky about food it has become a habit with me to take chapathis, tamarind rice, etc etc wherever I go.)
Next day 5th September we start from Brimington and reach Corning by 9 a.m. an hours drive.
We proceed to Corning Museum.
Ah My Shop!
The bones represented in Glass. Can not believe it is Glass.
I didn't know that one could make such wonderful artifacts from Glass. Many artists have expressed themselves through the medium of glass. It is too good.
Even the wire in this piece of art is Glass. Unbelievable.
This art form was started around 1960s and 70s, when glass blowing methods were improved.
The History of Glass making was also exhibited in the Museum. Romans and Egyptians had made Glass even before Christ (in BC) . I found out Glass was introduced to India only in 16th or 17th Century. (How I wish we had a Museum in India for Metal Art like Gun Metal, Bronze etc and it would be amazing )
The exhibits are so amazing that it is unbelievable that it was all created so long ago.
What a Beauty!
Perfume bottles
can you believe that, this picture is made out of tiny glass mosaics. amazing!
In this close up picture the pieces one can make out the pieces .
I never expected to see such an impressive Museum in Corning. I had heard about Corning ware and Corelle dinner ware etc could be bought cheap here. (May be that is the reason I insisted on going to Corning!). What ever the reason I felt happy that Corning Museum turned out to be so good.
Some more lovely exhibits. I fell in love with these lovely colours.
Yes this is also Glass.
We saw two Demonstration of Glass Art.
One with a mobile kind of fire which could be like a hand held torch (the heat is unimaginable it is 3000degrees plus.) The person demonstrating held two glass sticks or rods and fused them by turning the rods in both hands and kept moulding it with the fire from the torch which was kept in a stand. He kept pulling it and giving it shape slowly. and wow he made a humming bird with a long beak with those two sticks.
He said he is in this place for the past 24 years and was an apprentice here and it took 6 to 8 years and thousands of hours of practice to become a professional. Amazing !what Passion! For some one who wants to do something different from the ordinary this much of dedication is needed.
Demo the rod and the torch.
Hey and Presto . the Humming Bird the End Product.
The Second Demo
As the product which was made had to be cooled we see lots of Vase sitting in the
stage which are already cooled.
Heating the Vase in the hot Furnace.
We saw one more demo with a furnace which was like 4000 degrees plus heat and glass was blown to make shape and made it into a nice thin flower vase. Fusing with another glass stick, blowing again heating in the furnace, the continuous process was amazing to watch. The piece had to be cooled very gradually so that it does not break.
We did go to Corelle and Corning ware section where I could get my dinner plates at discount rates!!
Outside the museum there were benches and tables where we could sit with our picnic food and eat.
Corning is a little lovely town . We went to the city center to have our coffee after lunch.
The town centre Corning.
We started our journey to a state park called Letchworth State park. This is a deviation from the route towards Niagara . Since Vinu wanted to take us to as many places as possible, had planned it this way.
There is a Canyon on the side of which there is a winding road with lots of trees.
The Canyon
The lone wild animal we saw the Fox.
The Falls and the rainbow can be seen faintly. it was much brighter than the picture.
It has small wild life like jackals, deer etc but we could sight only a small fox. There are many view points where you can see the canyon down below and a small river is flowing. There are three falls called lower, middle and upper falls. As it was late afternoon, due to sunlight we could see a rainbow across the falls (water). It is a 'Picture Perfect' sight across the Niagara falls, but may be we saw it here as the next day when we went to the Niagara it was cloudy and so no rainbow.
At last Vinu made it possible for us to visit this famous Falls. I was told by Anu that the view from Canada is the best and it is not worthwhile to go if we don't go to Canada side. Unfortunately, we did not have time to get our Canada Visa due to our Africa trip and decided to go to Niagara any ways.
We start on 4th September Thursday by 7 p.m. by Car from Manhattan. I very much wanted to go to Corning, the place where the world famous Corning Glass works is situated. This is on the way to Niagara Falls from New York.
We stay in a place called Brimington (in double tree/Hilton group of hotel) reaching there by 10.30 pm. I have packed lot of food .(being finicky about food it has become a habit with me to take chapathis, tamarind rice, etc etc wherever I go.)
Next day 5th September we start from Brimington and reach Corning by 9 a.m. an hours drive.
We proceed to Corning Museum.
Ah My Shop!
The bones represented in Glass. Can not believe it is Glass.
I didn't know that one could make such wonderful artifacts from Glass. Many artists have expressed themselves through the medium of glass. It is too good.
Even the wire in this piece of art is Glass. Unbelievable.
This art form was started around 1960s and 70s, when glass blowing methods were improved.
The History of Glass making was also exhibited in the Museum. Romans and Egyptians had made Glass even before Christ (in BC) . I found out Glass was introduced to India only in 16th or 17th Century. (How I wish we had a Museum in India for Metal Art like Gun Metal, Bronze etc and it would be amazing )
The exhibits are so amazing that it is unbelievable that it was all created so long ago.
What a Beauty!
A box made with glass beads
In this close up picture the pieces one can make out the pieces .
I never expected to see such an impressive Museum in Corning. I had heard about Corning ware and Corelle dinner ware etc could be bought cheap here. (May be that is the reason I insisted on going to Corning!). What ever the reason I felt happy that Corning Museum turned out to be so good.
Some more lovely exhibits. I fell in love with these lovely colours.
Yes this is also Glass.
We saw two Demonstration of Glass Art.
One with a mobile kind of fire which could be like a hand held torch (the heat is unimaginable it is 3000degrees plus.) The person demonstrating held two glass sticks or rods and fused them by turning the rods in both hands and kept moulding it with the fire from the torch which was kept in a stand. He kept pulling it and giving it shape slowly. and wow he made a humming bird with a long beak with those two sticks.
He said he is in this place for the past 24 years and was an apprentice here and it took 6 to 8 years and thousands of hours of practice to become a professional. Amazing !what Passion! For some one who wants to do something different from the ordinary this much of dedication is needed.
Demo the rod and the torch.
Hey and Presto . the Humming Bird the End Product.
The Second Demo
As the product which was made had to be cooled we see lots of Vase sitting in the
stage which are already cooled.
Heating the Vase in the hot Furnace.
We saw one more demo with a furnace which was like 4000 degrees plus heat and glass was blown to make shape and made it into a nice thin flower vase. Fusing with another glass stick, blowing again heating in the furnace, the continuous process was amazing to watch. The piece had to be cooled very gradually so that it does not break.
We did go to Corelle and Corning ware section where I could get my dinner plates at discount rates!!
Outside the museum there were benches and tables where we could sit with our picnic food and eat.
Corning is a little lovely town . We went to the city center to have our coffee after lunch.
The town centre Corning.
We started our journey to a state park called Letchworth State park. This is a deviation from the route towards Niagara . Since Vinu wanted to take us to as many places as possible, had planned it this way.
There is a Canyon on the side of which there is a winding road with lots of trees.
The Canyon
The lone wild animal we saw the Fox.
It has small wild life like jackals, deer etc but we could sight only a small fox. There are many view points where you can see the canyon down below and a small river is flowing. There are three falls called lower, middle and upper falls. As it was late afternoon, due to sunlight we could see a rainbow across the falls (water). It is a 'Picture Perfect' sight across the Niagara falls, but may be we saw it here as the next day when we went to the Niagara it was cloudy and so no rainbow.
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