Charles Lewis Tiffany founded Tiffany & Co. (Yes, as in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's.) Later on his son Louis Comfort Tiffany inherited the company. While C.L. Tiffany concentrated on such things as jewelry, flatware and home accessories, his son was very interested in stained glass.
Several years ago two researchers independently discovered a series of letters and sketches by a woman named Clara Driscoll. It turns out she was integrally involved in the designing of many iconic Tiffany pieces - including many of the lamps. So much so that when she married in 1909 and left the company for good, the company's output declined markedly.
The Tiffany Girls refers to the group of 27 women who were responsible for the color selection, cutting and lead foiling of the glass pieces used in the lamps and other decoratives. The pieces were assembled and soldered together by a group of men at another location.
Here is one of the lamps believed to have been designed by Clara Driscoll. It's one of a series of lamps using dragonflies as a motif.
Other motifs attributed to Clara Driscoll include a series of poppies (both red and yellow), wisteria, and an interesting cobweb design, among many others.
The exhibit was very interesting and also very beautiful. All the lamps were lighted to show the glass. Plus, many/all of the bases were also created by the crafters at Tiffany's.
My one and only complaint was the display of about half a dozen pieces. There were several lamps that stood on pedestals that were just high enough to make the top side of the lamp shades visible. I'm 5'8" and had a slight problem seeing the top side. Also there were several hanging lamps that were high enough to make the top side, once again, hard to see. If they would have lowered the pieces in question by about 4 to 6 inches, it would have made viewing of the pieces easier.
Otherwise it was a lovely exhibit. It runs through August 21st and I plan on going back for another viewing.
Papillon
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