| Louis Comfort Tiffany was the son of Charles | | | | Tiffany's first commercially produced lamps date |
| Lewis Tiffany, founder of Tiffany and Company. | | | | from around 1895. Much of his company's |
| He was born in February 18, 1848, heir to an | | | | production was in making stained glass windows |
| already successful enterprising family. | | | | and Tiffany lamps, but his company designed a |
| Tiffany studied painting in Paris and painted oils | | | | complete range of interior decorations including |
| and watercolors in Europe and Morocco. His family | | | | pottery and enamel pieces, as well. At its peak, |
| wealth and connections ultimately would help | | | | his factory employed over three hundred artisans. |
| make his own artistic business do very well. Louis | | | | Tiffany used opalescent glass in a variety of |
| Tiffany became interested in glassmaking in 1875 | | | | colors and textures to create a unique style of |
| and then worked at several glasshouses in | | | | stained glass. He used all of his skills in the design |
| Brooklyn until 1878. In 1879, he partnered with | | | | of his own house, an 84-room estate called |
| Candace Wheeler, Samuel Coleman and | | | | Laurelton Hall, in Oyster Bay, Long Island. It was |
| Lockwood de Forest to form a company known | | | | completed in 1905. Later this estate was donated |
| as Louis Comfort Tiffany and Associated | | | | to his foundation for art students along with 60 |
| American Artists. Establishing Tiffany Studios, the | | | | acres of land. The entire estate was sold in 1949, |
| firm specialized in favrile lamps and vases of | | | | and, unfortunately, was completely destroyed by |
| iridescent glass made in natural forms in the art | | | | a fire in 1957. |
| nouveau style. He trademarked Favrile (a French | | | | The Morse Museum of American Art in Winter |
| word meaning handmade) on November 13, 1894. | | | | Park, Florida was founded by Hugh McKean, a |
| The lamps became very popular and were widely | | | | former art student at Laurelton Hall. The Museum |
| imitated. To this day, Louis Comfort Tiffany is | | | | houses the world's most comprehensive collection |
| best known for his work promulgating the Art | | | | of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany, including |
| Nouveau and Aesthetic art movements. Ironically, | | | | Tiffany jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, |
| he did not trademark his own name and to this | | | | leaded-glass windows, lamps, and the chapel |
| day, the term "Tiffany" describes the stained | | | | interior he designed for the 1893 World's |
| glass technique and style used in the manufacture | | | | Columbian Exposition in Chicago. After the close of |
| of objects, including light fixtures, vases, bowls, | | | | the exposition, a generous benefactor purchased |
| windows and architectural details. | | | | the entire chapel for installation in the crypt of the |
| Although he embarked on starting his own | | | | Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York in |
| business, Tiffany always kept close ties with the | | | | New York City. As construction on the cathedral |
| family firm and he became Artistic Director of | | | | continued, the chapel fell into disuse, and in 1916 |
| Tiffany & Co. after his father's death in 1902. | | | | Tiffany removed it and re-installed it at Laurelton |
| The Tiffany Studios remained in business until | | | | Hall. After the 1957 fire, the chapel was rescued |
| 1932. | | | | by Hugh McKean and it now occupies an entire |
| Tiffany loved the textures, color and mineral | | | | wing of the Morse Museum. Many glass panels |
| impurities of commercial jelly jars and bottles. Fine | | | | from Laurelton Hall are on exhibit as well. |
| glassmakers would not leave the impurities in, so | | | | A major exhibit at New York's Metropolitan |
| he began making his own glass that had those | | | | Museum of Art on Laurelton Hall opened in |
| textures and impurities. In 1893 Tiffany built a | | | | November 2006. A new exhibit at the New-York |
| new factory, which became known as the | | | | Historical Society in May, 2007, features new |
| Tiffany Glass Furnaces, located in Corona, | | | | information about the women who worked for |
| Queens, New York. In 1893, the Tiffany | | | | Tiffany and their contribution to designs credited |
| Company introduced the term, favrile in | | | | to Tiffany. Louis Comfort Tiffany died on January |
| conjunction with his first production of blown glass | | | | 17, 1933. He is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in |
| at his new glass factory. Tiffany lamps were | | | | Brooklyn, New York. |
| exhibited in the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. | | | | |