John Donaubaurer of Jason Mack Glass hands a wand of molten glass to Pauline Javorsky, 7, on Friday night as she prepares to string the glass onto the world's tallest glass Christmas tree. When completed, the 36-foot tall tree at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay will have 3,000 pounds of clear and blue glass from recycled bottles and jars.
The historic Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay opened in 1897 and not only holds the world's largest refracting telescope but also, through Dec. 28, the world's tallest glass Christmas tree.
The 36-foot-tall glass Christmas tree at Yerkes Observatory is a collaboration between glass artist Jason Mack, local entrepreneurs Rob and Sarah Elliott and the community, which donated 20 tons of glass to the project. The tree only needs about 3,000 pounds of glass, so the remainder has gone to a Delavan company that processes the glass and sells it to bottle and jar manufacturers.
John Donaubaurer pulls molten glass from a mobile furnace that burns at 2,000 degrees. It takes about eight hours to melt a 300-pound batch of glass.
Christmas ornaments made by Jason Mack Glass from recycled glass were among the items for sale Friday at the World’s Tallest Glass Christmas Tree event at at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay. When the event closes Dec. 28, the glass from the tree will be made into 1,000 6-inch-tall commemorative Christmas trees that will be sold at next year's event.
Molten recycled glass is added to a steel frame to create the world's tallest glass Christmas tree.
Centered inside a 90-foot diameter dome, the 1890s-era refracting telescope at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay towers over visitors. In 2020, the University of Chicago earlier this year transferred ownership of the historic facility to the Yerkes Future Foundation, a preservation group that has refurbished the facility and reopened it to the public.
This may be one of the prettiest recycling projects on the planet, and it just so happens to be on a site well-accustomed to glass.
Barry Adams covers regional news for the Wisconsin State Journal. Send him ideas for On Wisconsin at 608-252-6148 or by email at badams@madison.com.
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The 36-foot-tall tree is being crafted from 3,000 pounds of recycled glass and will be up through Dec. 28.
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John Donaubaurer of Jason Mack Glass hands a wand of molten glass to Pauline Javorsky, 7, on Friday night as she prepares to string the glass onto the world's tallest glass Christmas tree. When completed, the 36-foot tall tree at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay will have 3,000 pounds of clear and blue glass from recycled bottles and jars.
The 36-foot-tall glass Christmas tree at Yerkes Observatory is a collaboration between glass artist Jason Mack, local entrepreneurs Rob and Sarah Elliott and the community, which donated 20 tons of glass to the project. The tree only needs about 3,000 pounds of glass, so the remainder has gone to a Delavan company that processes the glass and sells it to bottle and jar manufacturers.
Christmas ornaments made by Jason Mack Glass from recycled glass were among the items for sale Friday at the World’s Tallest Glass Christmas Tree event at at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay. When the event closes Dec. 28, the glass from the tree will be made into 1,000 6-inch-tall commemorative Christmas trees that will be sold at next year's event.
Centered inside a 90-foot diameter dome, the 1890s-era refracting telescope at Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay towers over visitors. In 2020, the University of Chicago earlier this year transferred ownership of the historic facility to the Yerkes Future Foundation, a preservation group that has refurbished the facility and reopened it to the public.
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