Crystal Visions

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Crystal Visions

Even after a century, a Manhattan mirror atelier is discovering new shapes and guises for reflective glass.
Each custom - made mirror that emerges from Mirror Fairs three - story workshop on East 95th Street bears a certificate declaring it to be "handcrafted in the borough of Manhattan in the city of New York." Its a rare boast nowadays - especially on the Upper East Side, home to some of the priciest real estate in the world, where the locals are more likely to bask in reflected glory than they are to fabricate it.
And yet, since 1963, when Mirror Fairs factory moved there from midtown, it has produced someof the worlds finest reproduction mirrors - from convex Federal models to ornate Queen Anne styles. The company, which sells only to the trade, is a favorite of such decorators as Tony Ingrao and Brian McCarthy. Fashion designer Tory Burch recently commissioned Mirror Fair to create Adam - style mirrors for her New York showroom. "Were the last 18th - century - style factory in Manhattan," says Stefan Cavallo, a former The elder Cavallo inherited the business from his parents, who founded it in 1911 and sold antiques and reproduction furniture. In the 1960s, Cavallo and his son decided to specialize in mirrors and changed the companys name to Mirror Fair. Today they operate showrooms on New Yorks Third Avenue and in High Point, North Carolina.
The Cavallos also repair mirrors for antiques dealers and museums around the world. As a result, they have handled numerous priceless examples. "Sometimes you wonder, is it luck or genius that they were able to get such great proportions?" Stefan says of the antique mirrors he has worked on. They obtain permission to replicate antique mirrors for Mirror Fairs core collection, and they also manufacture licensed reproductions for the Winterthur Museum and British Stately Homes.

The Cavallos teach their employees, a team of 13 artisans from around the world, methods that go back centuries. Many of the frames gilded in 22 - karat gold leaf using camel - hair brushes and agate tools. Molten glass is poured and shaped to create countless effects, from beveling to pleating to elaborate engraving. "We do everything by hand, much of it the way it was done 500 years ago," Stefan says, "from building the frames to water gilding and handblowing the glass. Its all bespoke."
They also pioneered their own proprietary methods for silvering glass so that it looks authentically aged. The results are so effective that it is difficult - even for museum professionals - to tell the difference between a Mirror Fair mirror and a mercury - and - tin model made centuries ago.
The firm also produces mirrored furniture, from Venetian - style cocktail tables to Queen Anne - inspired three - panel screens. Lately, it has been expanding into a new area: architectural mirrored glass. Bergdorf Goodman in New York ordered a mirrored fireplace surround for a holiday window, and architect Peter Pennoyer asked the Cavallos to fabricate a mirrored entrance foyer for a clients Federal - style house. "They crafted the entire room, down to the moldings, in mirrored glass," he explains.
His son supervises the factory, but the elder Cavallo still walks to work on most weekdays from his townhouse down the street. Since business is good and they own their factorys building, they promise that Mirror Fairs designs will be handcrafted in Manhattan for years to come. "Anything made in the city is a collectible," says Stefan, with visible pride. "Theyre antiques of the future. Thats the way we feel about it."

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Crystal Visions

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