Lightner Museum

St. Augustine, FL

March 10, 2022

The Lightner Museum sits on King Street, just across from Flagler College. Named after its' founder, Otto C. Lightner, the museum houses artifacts that demonstrate various periods in art, architecture, and history. The building became a museum in 1948, but before that, the space was Henry Flagler's Alcazar Hotel. Currently, the museum houses several arts and geological exhibits and a café in the former swimming pool.

Lightner Museum

Artifact 1: "Woman on Garden Bench"

This lead and enameled glass window panel was likely created by the Rudy Brothers Glass Company in Pennsylvania around 1900. The company rivaled Tiffany with their drapery glass and human forms. The studio also trained other well-known glassmakers.

Artifact 2: Achilles and Patroclus

This statue is bronze, crafted by Edme Anthony Paul Noel around 1880. The Latin at the base translates to "one having been plucked, another is not lacking." The statue depicts the moment Achilles vows to get revenge after Patroclus is killed by Hector. The French origin of the piece suggests that it's an allusion to the French hope for revenge after they were defeated by Germany in Sudan.

Exterior 1

Exterior 2

Image in Conversation 1

This is a picture of the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. It houses one of the largest collections of Dali's art and frequently hosts temporary exhibits from other artists. The museum itself is built to reflect the content and style of Dali's art. The Lightner Museum reminds me of this because the lavish exterior reflects the pristine, expensive artifacts housed inside. The architecture and features of museums are incredibly important in creating the atmosphere and immersing visitors in what they'll see inside.

Image Source

Image in Conversation 2

This is a picture of the Tiffany stained glass windows in Flagler College's dining hall. I love stained glass, as I grew up going to churches with intricate stained glass windows. The Lightner Museum housed a temporary exhibit of stained glass, much of which was from the Tiffany Company. The crisp geometric shapes in the Lightner's exhibit remind me of the ones in the dining hall, and I could stare at any stained glass forever.

Image Source

Image in Conversation 2

"Why do you imagine golden birds?   

Do you not see how the blackbird   

Walks around the feet   

Of the women about you?"

- "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" by Wallace Stevens

This stanza discusses enjoying the beauty of the world around us rather than focusing on unattainable concepts of beauty. Otto Lightner collected a variety of artworks and historical objects, all because it happened to suit his taste. Most museums have a theme or focus (natural history, war history, local history, science, etc.), but the Lightner Museum is unique to me because it doesn't follow a particular theme, it simply displays objects and exhibits that pique people's curiosity.

Creative Response

Swimming Pool - For the iconic swimming pool in the center of the museum

Stained Glass - For my favorite exhibit when I visited

Gardens - For the beautiful gardens outside the museum

Alcazar - For the hotel's old name

Otto - For Mr. Lightner himself

Summer Home - For all the wealthy people who stayed at the hotel to escape the cold of their homes up north

Flagler - For Henry Flagler

Collector - For Lightner's legacy

Koi Pond - For the pond out front