Collection of artistic glass-blowing by Rex Bailie

Artifact Number:

2021-062

Description

A collection of eighteen glass-art pieces made by Rex Bailie, glass blower extraordinaire, who worked for many years in the Chalk River glass-blowing shop that was a part of Applied Physics.   In addition to producing many extremely-complicated, glass-based, pieces of research equipment, Rex used his equipment at Chalk River in his spare time to produce lovely pieces of art.  One of his favourite subjects was a marlin swordfish and ten of the eighteen pieces feature it in their stems in various sizes and colours.  Serpents are featured in two other pieces.  The artifacts vary from 6 cm to 25 cm in height and vary widely in complexity.  Some were used as gifts and display dedication messages which are ground into the glass.

Details

Keywords:
glass, memento
Date:
1950-1978
Associated artifacts:
See artifact 2019-120.
Notes:

Rex Bailie produced many pieces of glass art which were used as gifts for retirees and friends both at the laboratory and outside.  Colin Mawson, a close friend, collected many of his pieces and this collection of eighteen was one that Colin donated to the Town of Deep River.  It was passed on to the Library Arts Committee which displayed it in the Town Hall for a number of years. 

The Society then agreed to provide a suitable home for this display of the talents of a craftsman who craft was critical to the development of much of the equipment used by the Chemistry Division at the start of the nuclear industry. (Several of the pieces, some dated as early as 1963, were dedicated by Rex to the Mawson family. These dedications include “Colin and Eleanor, Christmas 1963”; “Beatrice, Christmas 1963” and in French and English “Here comes the Englishman with his usual bloody cold, Merry Xmas, Rex”.)

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