Illuminated Tiffany Lamps - A collage
by Dora Sofia Caputo
Title
Illuminated Tiffany Lamps - A collage
Artist
Dora Sofia Caputo
Medium
Photograph - Photographs
Description
Illuminated Tiffany Lamps - A Collagle - By Dora Sofia Caputo
Artful collage designed by Dora Sofia Caputo
Images of beautiful vintage stained glass Tiffany Lamps captured on a recent visit to the New York Historical Society Museum and Library.
As the centerpiece of the transformed fourth floor, the Gallery of Tiffany Lamps features 100 illuminated Tiffany lamps from its spectacular collection, displayed within a dramatically lit jewel-like space. Regarded as one of the world’s largest and most encyclopedic, the Museum’s Tiffany Lamp collection includes multiple examples of the Dragonfly shade, a unique Dogwood floor lamp (ca. 1900–06), a Wisteria table lamp (ca. 1901), and a rare, elaborate Cobweb shade on a Narcissus mosaic base (ca. 1902), among many others.
The hidden history behind the lamps offers a fascinating look at the contributions of women in the creation of this art. Louis C. Tiffany (1848–1933) was the artistic genius behind Tiffany Studios. However, he was not the exclusive designer of its lamps, windows, and luxury objects: Clara Driscoll (1861–1944), head of the Women’s Glass Cutting Department from 1892 to 1909, has recently been revealed as the designer of many of the firm’s leaded glass shades. Driscoll and her staff, self-styled the “Tiffany Girls,” labored in anonymity but were well compensated. Driscoll’s weekly salary of $35 was on par with that of Tiffany’s male designers, a reflection of his regard for her abilities. The lamps in this exhibition reflect the prodigious talent of designers and artisans who worked in anonymity to fulfill Tiffany’s aesthetic vision.
Uploaded
November 18th, 2017
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Comments (184)
Dora Sofia Caputo
Thank you so veyr much Nikolyn for your visit and kind, supportive comments. Much appreciated.
Nikolyn McDonald
These are such beautiful lamps - what a great idea to put them all together for us to enjoy.