This event was definitely one of my favorite Becker-Rose Café series thus far! I have always had an interest and appreciation for aquatic life. While I have scuba dived before, I have never seen something as beautiful as the organisms that the Professor saw underwater off the reef or depicted in the Blaschka models. I heard of the Harvard Blaschka glass before but did not know much about it nor did I know Cornell had its very own collection.

After viewing the glass pieces on the video, I was amazed at the beauty and precision that must have went into creating such pieces. Not to mention, Professor Harvell’s remarkable reconstruction/repair of the many broken pieces. When I heard that the Blaschka pieces were sitting on a shelf in a box stored away from display, I was amazed. The beauty in those delicate pieces was most certainly depicted in the images in the documentary where the real organism was pictured side by side against the glass piece.

The discussion prior to and after the video was also very enjoyable. Professor Harvell’s dedication and enthusiasm towards the subject matter made the lecture series event that much more intriguing. I will most certainly consider taking one of Professor Harvell’s courses during my time here at Cornell. I am excited to see what other people thought of this event as well!