April 27, 2007
On our way to the dedication of Jack Kerouac Alley on March 31st, Jami and I were invited to stop in at Lundberg Studios in Davenport to see our friend, Teresa Craddock. Teresa’s late husband, Bill Craddock, was a close friend of Carolyn’s, as was she, and we have enjoyed knowing them both for many years.
Davenport is a small town on Hwy. 1, several miles north of Santa Cruz. Davenport is not only known for whale watching from the cliffs and the old cement plant (that is still in operation), but also as a thriving arts and crafts community.
Lundberg Studios is located in a beautiful, older house at 131 Old Coast Road and is truly amazing. They specialize in blown glass, globes, lamps and fixtures, (think Tiffany!), vases and many decorative and truly beautiful objects.
Teresa’s sister, Rebecca, is the owner and Teresa works there, also. We got a tour of the glass works studio and got to watch as the artisans made many beautiful glass objects. It was great to know that the whole “crew” has been together for many years. A true “family” operation. Lundberg Studios offers wonderful tours, please call (831) 423-2532 for information, or visit lundbergstudios.com.
Teresa was kind enough to write a fascinating history of Lundberg’s innovative work, and the founder, James Lundberg.
Randy Ratto
Please email Randy with any questions, comments or media inquiries.
LUNDBERG STUDIOS
Located in the small coastal town of Davenport, California, Lundberg Studios has been producing quality paperweights since 1972. It first became known for its iridescent glass and Art Nouveau style. Later, its clear-encased weights with flower, bird, butterfly, and seascape motifs marked the emergence of a new form of paperweight.
The late James Lundberg, founder of the studio, first studied glassworking at California State University at San Jose during the late 1960’s. Classically trained in ceramics from an early age, Lundberg worked his way through college as the assistant to the head of the ceramics department, Dr. Herbert Sanders. Through his association with Dr. Sanders, a noted authority on ceramic glazes, James became fascinated with the chemistry of first glazes, and then glasses. He was later to become an authority on the chemistry of colored glasses and one of a handful of paperweight makers who formulated and melted all of their own materials.
A graduate tour took him to Germany, Italy, Spain, France and England to continue studying glassmaking techniques. One of the most important lessons that he learned was that very little was being done with colored glasses. On his way home from Europe, he stopped in New York City and was introduced to Tiffany Art Glass. Struck by both the beauty and value of Tiffany’s work, he rushed home to develop similar iridescent luster colors. Today Lundberg Studios is the foremost replicator of Tiffany Style art glass.
In 1972, with the encouragement of L. H. Selman, James began applying his iridescent glasses and Tiffany decorative techniques to paperweight design. They were an immediate success and in such demand that a year later the studio moved to it’s present and much larger facility in Davenport.
The paperweight department of Lundberg Studios has consistently been staffed by glass artists working in the Renaissance Studio tradition, with each contributing his unique skills to the creative process.
Out of the combined experience and expertise of all the artists, a new type of paperweight began to be produced at Lundberg Studios around 1978. Called the California Paperweight Style (or torchwork) it represents a hybridization of two antique styles: the Art Nouveau “ice pick” technique and the lampworking procedures of the French paperweight. It allowed for the direct application of complex three-dimensional imagery and enlarged the range of paperweights offered by Lundberg. By 1978 the studio was producing crystal encased weights in the new style on a regular basis.
Today the influence of Lundberg Studios can be seen in the works of many prominent glass houses and continues to be a leader in developing new designs and motifs. Examples of their work are included in almost every major museum and private glass collection.
The studio houses the talents of several teams of glass artists who work to create the beautiful lustered lamps, vases, scent bottles and paperweights that have steadily become an important area of production.
In 1989 James Lundberg developed the Worldweight. This earth paperweight, using a complex powdered glass drawing and several layers of specially formulated glasses represents yet another new style pioneered by Lundberg. The Worldweight has been used by numerous corporations, the President of the United States, Jacques Cousteau, and the National Geographic Society as a special award for achievement, and the demand continues for this very unique piece.
The Master Craftsmen at Lundberg Studios continue to produce the Worldweight, in addition to their other beautiful designs, under the direction of Rebecca Lundberg.
