Hollywood Actress Lori Nelson’s Massive Art Glass Collection Heads to Auction

A collection of more than 300 pieces of antique art glass assembled by Hollywood actress Lori Nelson is heading to auction next month, bringing together works by Tiffany, Gallé, Steuben, Daum Nancy and other major names. Goldberg Coins & Collectibles will offer the Lori Nelson Collection on October 8 in Los Angeles and online. The collection comes from the estate of Nelson, a former fashion model who appeared in dozens of movies and television programs during a career that stretched from the 1950s into the 2000s.

But away from the screen, art glass was one of her real passions. Nelson spent years building what Goldberg Coins & Collectibles describes as one of the largest private collections of French and American art glass. The collection includes works dating back to the late 1800s, with pieces by Louis Comfort Tiffany, Émile Gallé and other prominent glassmakers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the Tiffany pieces are two signed lamps, including an example with an apple blossom design and a squat patinated base in green tones.

Gallé is also heavily represented, along with works by Daum Nancy, Steuben, Muller Frères, Argy-Rousseau, Saint-Louis, La Rochère and Lalique.

Nelson did more than simply buy pieces she liked. She became a certified appraiser of antique and French art glass and kept handwritten information inside pieces documenting where they were acquired and what made them noteworthy.

“Her glass was her absolute passion, and her eye for the most beautiful works by an artist is clearly apparent,” said Freeman Fisher, Goldberg Coins & Collectibles Director of Collectibles.

The collection also has an unusual survival story. When the 6.7 magnitude Northridge earthquake struck Southern California in 1994, all but one of Nelson’s more than 300 pieces reportedly survived intact. Goldberg credits that to the care she took in securing and preserving the collection.

Nelson died in 2020 at age 87. Her husband, Joseph Reiner, continued preserving the collection over the following six years before it was consigned for auction.

Nelson appeared in more than 50 film and television productions between 1952 and 2005. Her busiest period came during the 1950s and 1960s, while she was also actively building the glass collection that is now coming to market.

Goldberg Coins & Collectibles Co-Owner Larry Goldberg, whose family has worked in collectibles for more than 70 years, described the Nelson group as the best collection of art glass the company has ever offered.

The Lori Nelson Collection will be sold October 8 through Goldberg Coins & Collectibles.