Fig. 1. David Whitehouse
Vidimus is sad to report the death of David Whitehouse, former executive director of the Corning Museum of Glass, who died 17 February, following a brief battle with cancer. He was 71.
Whitehouse joined the museum in 1984 as chief curator, becoming director in 1992, and executive director and curator of ancient and Islamic glass in 1999, a role he retained until 2011. Whitehouse oversaw the growth of the Corning Museum of Glass during a critical period in its history: the museum campus underwent a major renovation and expansion, which included providing space for the Rakow Research Library, one of the world’s foremost libraries of glass-related materials. Additions to the library under Whitehouse’s leadership included not only books, but also rare manuscripts and archives from artists and glass companies from around the world.
Whitehouse was an eminent scholar of ancient and Islamic glass, and published numerous scholarly papers, reviews and monographs, in addition to serving as an advisor to various academic journals. He was editor of the Corning Museum’s annual Journal of Glass Studies from 1988 to 2011, and curated several exhibitions at the museum.
For further details, with reactions from colleagues, see the Museum’s website here.
