Joel Bartsch: Famous Works from Russian Jeweler Peter Carl Faberge

Monday, May 4, 2020

Famous Works from Russian Jeweler Peter Carl Faberge

Before serving as the head curator of the gems and minerals collection at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS), Joel A. Bartsch operated in executive capacities at the California State Mining and Mineral Museum and the Lyman House Memorial Museum in Hawaii. Joel Bartsch manages HMNS’s permanent exhibitions, which include more than 600 pieces from the largest private collection of Faberge treasures.

Second-generation jeweler Peter Carl Faberge created the most famous Faberge line. After receiving his appointment as a designer for the Russian royal family, he created the Imperial Easter Eggs - 50 bejeweled eggs made of gold, emeralds, pearls, and other precious stones and metals.

Some of the most famous examples include the exquisite Lily of the Valley, a delicate pink egg covered with lilies made from pearls and diamonds. Another notable specimen, the Coronation Egg, was created with layers of gold, painted enamel, and diamonds. Every egg was designed to reveal a hidden surprise, which in most cases took the form of a jewel-encrusted miniature.

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About Joel Bartsch

Since 2004, Joel A. Bartsch has led the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) as president and CEO. In this capacity, he coordinates and leads museum staff and curators in the creation and maintenance of immersive exhibits, implements renovation strategies, and promoting museum-wide leadership. Through these efforts and many others, Joel A. Bartsch has nearly doubled both the institution’s annual attendance and membership base. He also oversaw two major expansions at the museum that added more than 250,000 square feet of space.

Mr. Bartsch began gaining experience in museum leadership more than three decades ago, when he joined the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum as a curatorial assistant and assistant to the director. He held this role during his last years as a mining engineering student at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. From there, Mr. Bartsch took on staff roles at the Texas Memorial Museum and HMNS, curator of earth sciences at Lyman House Memorial Museum in Hawaii, and director and curator of the California State Mining & Mineral Museum.

Through these positions, Joel Bartsch gained extensive experience in everything from managing daily operations and directing fundraising efforts to writing corporate grant requests. He drew on this experience when he returned to HMNS as a curator, project manager, and director of earth sciences, the positions he held immediately prior to his current role as the president and CEO.