APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANK YOU IT IS A PLEASURE.

>> A FRAGMENT OF THE DREAM IS

HOW TRUMAN CAPOTE DESCRIBED A

GLASS PAPER WEIGHT AND HUNDREDS

OF THOSE DREAMS IN THE FAMOUS

RUBLOFF COLLECTION AND NOW AN

ART GALLERY IN CHICAGO IS

PREPARING TO AUCTION A PORTION

OF THAT COLLECTION WITH THE

SALES GOING TO THE MUSEUM AND A

NONPROFIT.

"CHICAGO TONIGHT" GOT A PREVIEW

OF THIS UNCOMMON EVENT.

>> IN THE HISTORIC FINE ARTS

BUILDING ON SOUTH MICHIGAN

AVENUE, THE GALLERY FOCUSED ON

PAPER WEIGHTS SINCE THE COMPANY

BEGAN IN 1969.

>> A BEAUTIFUL PAPER WEIGHT IS

AN ETERNAL BUBBLE.

IT'S CREATED FROM MOLD ENCRYSTAL

AND INFUSED WITH DELICATE AND

WELL CONSIDERED PLEASING

GEOMETRIES FILLED WITH SHAPES

AND COLORED PIECES OF GLASS THAT

ARE COAXED INTO POSITION AS THE

GLASS COOLS.

>> THEY DRY YOUR EYE IN WHEN YOU

FIND ONE THAT RESONATES IN ITS

SYMMETRY OR IN ITS ORIGINALITY

IT BECOMES A PERSONAL ITEM.

>> PAPER WEIGHTS CAN BE ETCHED

WITH PORTRAITS OF NOTABLE PEOPLE

FILLED WITH LIFE LIKE CREATIONS

OF FLOWERS AND INSECTS OR

PLAYFUL ABSTRACTIONS AND YOU CAN

FIND A 50 POUND PAPER WEIGHT TO

PIN DOWN YOUR PAPERS WHEN A

HURRICANE WIND IS BLOWING.

BUT THE MOST PROMINENT WORKS

COME FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF

CHICAGO.

>> THE ART INSTITUTE HAS

CONTACTED US AND ASKED IF WE

WOULD HELP THEM AUCTION OFF SOME

OF THE DUPLICATES THAT THEY HAVE

FROM THEIR EXHIBIT THERE.

>> THE HAMMER PRICE OF THE

WINNING BID GOES TO THE ART

INSTITUTE.

AND ALSO BENEFITS THE GLASS

PAPER WEIGHT FOUNDATION.

A LAKE FOREST NONPROFIT THAT

SEEKS GREATER AWARENESS OF THE

GLASS PAPER WEIGHT AS AN ART

FORM.

NOT ONLY HAVE THE WORKS BEEN IN

A MUSEUM WHERE THEY ARE

CONSIDERED REDOESN'T DENT THEY

BELONGED TO PROMINENT

CHICAGOANS INCLUDING THE PALMER

FAMILY AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER

ARTHUR RUBLOFF.

MANY COME FROM THE SO-CALLED

CLASSICAL PERIOD IN FRANCE

ANDITALY IN THE MID-19TH

CENTURY.

AND ACCESSORIZING YOUR DESK WAS

IN FASHION AT THE TIME AND YOU

WOULD GET YOUR INK WELL AND YOUR

MATCHING PAPER WEIGHT AND THE

PAPER WEIGHT HAD A LIFE OF ITS

OWN AND THE GLASS WORKS WERE

COMPETING AND THEY ARE EASY TO

COLLECT.

SO WE HAVE MUCH MORE PAPER

WEIGHTS THAN WE HAVE INK WELLS.

>> ONE TECHNIQUE, ITALIAN FOR

1,000 FLOWERS WAS INVENTED 2000

YEARS AGO.

>> IT WAS BAB LOANIANS WHO

BABYLONIANS AND THEY WERE

PULLING PIECES OF GLASS AND

CUTTING CROSS-SECTIONS WHERE YOU

WOULD SEE A FLAT IMAGE OF THE

DESIGN THEY WANTED.

>> A MODERN TECHNIQUE, LAMP WORK

USESES A TORCH TO MOLD THE GLASS

AND CREATE THREE DIMENSIONAL

IMAGES INSIDE.

>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT A PIECE, ONE

OF THE MODERN MASTERS YOU WILL

SEE DELICATE FLOWERS AND ROOT

SYSTEMS OF PLANTS AND YOU WILL

SEE ALL KINDS OF THINGS INSIDE

THE GLASS.

>> PART OF THE MYSTERY IS HOW DO

YOU GET THE SUBJECT INSIDE THE

GLOBE?

WHAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS AT

2500 FAHRENHEIT ANYTHING CARBON

BASED WOULD INCINERATE.

SO THEY HAVE TO USE ONLY THINGS

THAT WOULD SURVIVE WHICH IS

GLASS.

>> PAPER WEIGHTS ARE STURDY BUT

NOT UNBREAK ABLE THEY ARE MOST

LIKELY TO BE DAMAGING AGAINST

ANOTHER PAPER WEIGHT.

AND THE COLOR OF THE GLASS IS AS

BRIGHT AS THE DAY IT WAS MADE.

BUT YOU DO NOT WANT TO PLACE A

PAPER WEIGHT IN SUNLIGHT.

THE GLOBES CAN REFLECT SUNLIGHT

AND START A FIRE.

FOR NOW, THE MUSEUM QUALITY

GLASS PAPER WEIGHTS ARE SEEKING

NEW OWNERS.

AT THE UPCOMING AUCTION EVERY

LOT WILL HAVE A STARTING BID OF

$1,000.

>> IT IS A RARE OPPORTUNITY.

WE WANT THE PAPER WEIGHTS TO GO

TO GOOD HOMES AND WE WANT TO BE

ABLE TO GIVE THE COLLECTORS A

PRESENT SOMETHING THAT HAS

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND

SELECTED PIECES.

>> PIECES THAT ATTRACT ART

COLLECTORS WITH AN EYE FOR

GLASS.

>> THEY LOWER YOUR BLOOD

PRESSURE THEY ARE WORLDS WITHIN

WORLDS.

>> MORE THAN 300 PAPER WEIGHTS

WILL BE UP FOR AUCTION ON

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH AND