British glass designer Daniel Pearce (1817-1907), during a remarkable seven-decade career, created fantastical engraved and cameo-glass objects, pursued entrepreneurial ventures, and took out numerous patents. Glass scholar Dr. Cynthia Williams will explore his legacy in a Zoom evening lecture on May 21 for the Art Glass Forum | New York.

Dr. Williams will present her comprehensive research into Pearce’s career, from his 1840s student years at the new Government School of Design to international recognition at world’s fairs and his membership, starting in 1884, of the unsurpassed Woodall cameo glass team at Thomas Webb and Sons. Restoring Pearce to his rightful place in British glass history, she will look at his prizewinning works owned by patrons including the Duke of Hamilton.

In 2020, Dr. Williams completed a PhD in art history at the University of Glasgow with a specialty in 19th-century British glass and also that year was named a Fellow of the Corning Museum of Glass. From 2000 to 2015, she led the Smithsonian Institution MA in History of Decorative Arts and Design program. Since 2019 she has taught the required History of Glass course for undergraduates at Rhode Island School of Design. She serves as president of the board of trustees of The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass in New York and is an active participant in numerous art history related organizations.