Laurent Glass Flutes
In 1941, Dayton C. Miller donated an extraordinary collection of nearly 1,700 flutes and other wind instruments, statuary, iconography, books, music, trade catalogs, tutors, patents, photographs, and glass plate negatives related to the flute to the Library of Congress (LC). Dr. Miller was a prodigious American physicist, acoustician, and astronomer who taught for and conducted research at Case Western Reserve University for more than four decades. Of particular note in the collection are the 18 rare glass flutes, 17 of which were manufactured in Paris by Claude Laurent (December 5, 1774-June 20, 1849) during the first half of the 19th century or, after 1848, by his apprentice J. D. Breton. This is the largest holding of Laurent flutes in the world, followed by the Musée de la Musique in Paris, which holds two flutes and one glass piccolo by Laurent. Dr. Miller methodically collected the Laurent flutes, covering a distinct range in dates (1807 to 1844) and styles, from simple flute tubes with frosted exteriors to highly decorative flutes with jeweled keys and cut designs. The flutes were made for and sold to amateurs, professional flute players, and collectors, or were presented to world leaders. The collection is highlighted by a particularly beautiful Laurent flute that was made for President James Madison.
While the manufacture of flutes of glass dates back at least to Henry VIII, modern glass flutes are attributed almost wholly to Laurent. The novelty of Laurent's "flutes en cristal" arose mostly from their material, and on-going work at LC has endeavored to bring to light the remarkable story behind Claude Laurent.
More information about Laurent Glass Flutes:
- Claude Laurent and the Madison Flute: Discoveries through Archival Research (PDF, 1.03MB)
- Laurent Patent 1806 (with translation) (PDF, 316KB)
- Laurent Patent 1834 (with translation) (PDF, 151KB)
- List of Laurent Flutes (PDF, 381KB) (Note: Due to privacy concerns, only the locations of Laurent flutes held in public institutions are listed, with the exception of those noted by Dayton C. Miller before his death in 1941. The List of Laurent Flutes was based on the lifelong research of David Shorey.)