About Tiffany Lamps
Since its creation over a century ago, the Tiffany lamp has been a symbol of elegance and originality. These lamps feature ornate shades made of stained glass arranged in geometric patterns. Many of the shade patterns are inspired by nature, and may include flowers, insects or wildlife. Each lamp was handmade by skilled artisans, and original Tiffany lamps can sell for large sums of money. The history of this company is quite surprisingly, from its early inspiration to recent developments.
Louis Comfort Tiffany
In 1848, Louis Comfort Tiffany was born in the United States. His father was the founder of the famous Tiffany & Co. jewelry store. Rather than follow in his father's footsteps, Louis Comfort turned to his true passion, which was art. He dabbled in painting and sculpture early on, but was interested in all types of fine art. During the 1870s, he traveled to London and toured the Victoria and Albert Museum. He was impressed by the ancient Romans' use of colored glass, and decided to incorporate glass into his artwork.
Tiffany Glass is Created
After returning home, Tiffany set up an interior design business in New York. He focused on bringing his love of fine art into his clients' homes, which included the White House under Chester Arthur, as well as the home of writer Mark Twain. While decorating homes, he often added stained glass features, inspired by the exhibits he had seen in London. In 1875, he founded the Tiffany Glass Company because he was dissatisfied with the glass on the market. By 1880, he had patented his own type of glass, called Favrile, after the French term for "handmade." His Favrile glass possessed many of the qualities he admired in the stained glass used throughout history, including a shimmery iridescence and natural blend of colors.
The First Tiffany Lamp
In the late 19th century, Louis Tiffany was working on the design of a movie theater called the Lyceum. The designer in charge of the lighting for the theater was Thomas Edison. As Tiffany installed his famous stained glass windows in the Lyceum, Edison suggested he combine the beautiful glass with his own invention of the electric light bulb in the form of a lamp. In 1899, Tiffany created and sold his first lamp, though it was powered by oil, not electricity. It features a bronze base topped with an ornate glass shade. The shade itself was handmade from Tiffany's Favrile glass and lead soldering. By 1906, Tiffany had developed more than 300 shade designs. His lamps were an immediate hit with those wealthy enough to afford them.
Tiffany Through the 1920s
From 1900 to 1920, Louis Tiffany oversaw every step in the production process of his lamps. He has been credited with developing many famous shade designs, including the Magnolia, the Wisteria, and the famous Dragonfly. In 1918 he retired, but still kept a close watch on his company and its craftsmen. By the 1920s, new styles and trends had replaced the art nouveau style of the earlier decades, and the Tiffany lamp began to fall out of style. Through the 1920s and early 1930s, the company stayed afloat by selling furnaces and other goods. In 1933, Louis Tiffany died, his company all but bankrupt.
Clara Driscoll
By the late 20th century, an original Tiffany lamp was considered a valuable collector's item, and some models had sold for well over $2 million at fine arts auctions. This is considered a true testament to the design brilliance of the lamp. By the early 21st century, the credit for that design brilliance would no longer be given entirely to Louis Tiffany. A Rutgers professor who was doing research on the company came across a collection of letters at Ohio's Kent State University. The letters were written by Clara Driscoll, who had started work at the Tiffany Glass Company in 1887. From her letters, researchers were able to deduce that most of the famous Tiffany lamp designs were created by Driscoll, not by Louis Tiffany. A 2007 exhibit at the New York Historical Society finally gave Driscoll the design credit she had earned nearly a century before.
Tags: Louis Tiffany, stained glass, Louis Comfort, Tiffany Glass, Clara Driscoll, Comfort Tiffany