The Rise and Fall and Rise of the Tiffany Lamp

Louis Comfort Tiffany saw life through colored chips of glass and created artworks of graceful beauty to bring life his vision. Known for his intricate patterns of design, using left-over glass from created windows, Tiffany Lamps are celebrated additions to any home's decor with lasting appeal.

Recreated using Tiffany's unique techniques, artists craft Tiffany style lamps that enhance home lighting concepts today. But how did the catalyst of Art Nouveau begin what is now known as Tiffany Studios?

The path began with Tiffany's love of art leading him away from the family's successful silver business. With travels to Europe, study with artists and melding minds with the "bright" Thomas Edison, Tiffany Studios became an elite producer of stained-glass windows, pottery, jewelry, art glass. They are best known for the "The Holy City," a 58 panel masterpiece created by Tiffany and on view today in Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, Maryland. It is one of the largest works with 58 panels.

At it's peak, Tiffany Studios employed over 300 artisans, and decorated houses for famous names such as Mark Twain and President Chester A. Arthur to name a few. Among those artisans, a group of anonymous women that worked in the Women's Glass Cutting Department, supervised by Clara Driscoll, contributed to the success of Tiffany Studios.

Driscoll was hired by Tiffany in 1888 after completing studies at the Metropolitan Museum Art School. Prior to her arrival, the Tiffany Lamp was static and had a geometric feel. It wasn't until recently that the world discovered that Driscoll was the creative force behind some of the famous Tiffany style lighting designs. When Tiffany Studio closed in 1930, all records were lost.

Discoveries of historical letters written by Driscoll to her mother and sister were evidence to show that she and the Tiffany girls were the creative forces behind Tiffany's most famous designs. She and her "girls" brought femininity into the Tiffany lamp, and it is now known that they were the creators of the Dragonfly, Peony and The Wisteria. Driscoll's first design for Tiffany was the Daffodil. Her career ended in 1908 because she remarried after being a window for some time. It was against the studio's policy to work while being married.

Tiffany died in 1933; however, the legacy of the studio continues. Leaving a glass-shaped print on the art world, his work is classic. Due to the recent discoveries of Driscoll's letters, he also proved that behind every great man, stands a great woman!