A Memorial Exhibition of fifty English wine glasses and vessels of the 17th and 18th centuries
From the William and Margaret Morgan Endowment
Free entry
NGV International
26 May 72 – 30 Jun 72
As well as displaying some of the most significant examples of British glass in the NGV’s Decorative Arts collection, this exhibition was also a tribute to one of the department’s biggest supporters.
The William and Margaret Morgan Endowment was formed in 1968 specifically to acquire a rare and valuable collection of glass belonging to Sydney collector, Gordon Russell, in its entirety. Russell had offered the collection to the NGV on ‘generous terms’, however the Gallery was unable to acquire it at the time due to a funding shortage. On hearing this, William and his wife Margaret stepped in to fund the acquisition. The collection was acquired in two parts – the first in 1968 and the second in 1973.
The Morgan family continued to generously support the NGV’s Decorative Arts collection for many years.