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Victorian Traditional Blown Glass Arts & Crafts Hand Painted Sculptured Modern |
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Tiffany Lamps and LightingLouis Comfort Tiffany: An American Entrepreneur Louis Comfort Tiffany, an immensely successful producer of decorative arts, based his workshops of handmade decorative arts not on the factory methods of the nineteenth-century American glass industry, but on the methods of William Morris. He shaped mass taste by producing and selling his products and marketing a variety of goods that directly reflected his preferences and technical experiments. Like Morris, Tiffany championed the production of fine craftsmanship within the decorative arts , and combined his artistic talents with the large-scale production of hand crafted objects. Tiffany Glass' larger market outlook than that of Morris & Co. meant that it successfully reached a significant portion of the population by making both expensive and less costly items. Thus, Tiffany's company, more successfully than Morris', brought "hand-crafted" objects to the public at large. Like Morris, the creation of objects of great beauty and expert craftsmanship fulfilled Tiffany's ultimate goal. The glassware exemplifies Tiffany's quest for technical and aesthetic achievement within a workshop setting. The numerous imitators which emerged in later years provide a further testament to the achievement of Tiffany. Tiffany's knowledge of the objects and production methods of William Morris undoubtedly emerged from contacts within his own father's business, Tiffany & Co. Those working within any sector of the American decorative arts enterprise certainly knew about the developments of the English Arts and Crafts movement. Tiffany's first direct contact arose during his 1867 trip to Europe. In London he may well have met and conversed with the leading artistic intellectuals of the day - among them William Morris, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Edward Burne-Jones. In his early years as a painter the naturalistic approach to art of the English Arts and Crafts movement influenced Tiffany. Overwhelmed by the industrialization of the nineteenth century, the movement's members aimed to revive individual craftsmanship, an ideal Tiffany also strongly supported. Further, he agreed that the craftsman needed freedom from his slavery to factory machines. He also extolled the need to restore the "simple life" that technology seemed to usurp. Morris influenced Tiffany's methodology and ambitions for craftsmanship. Like Morris, Tiffany envisioned a workshop with himself as the master surrounded by many assistants. His desire to use art to improve glass wares and to raise the standards of design for objects used in the home, mirrors the aspirations of William Morris. Early on the press linked Tiffany to Morris, ultimately viewing him as an American version of the Englishman. As the contemporary journalist Gardner C. Teall wrote in 1899: We know what such men as William Morris have done for the useful arts, how they led them to a lasting companionship with the fine arts...In America Mr. Louis C. Tiffany has probably done the most of anyone practically toward forwarding a feeling for the beautiful as applied to our necessities...Mr. Tiffany's work is a lesson to every craftsman...He has not been content with the mere discovery of things, but like Morris, he has spent quite as much energy in applying his art.1 Such praise was common to Tiffany as he was often viewed as an American version of William Morris. It is noteworthy, however, that the socialist beliefs that shaped Morris & Co. did not correspond directly with Tiffany's beliefs. Rather, Tiffany's concerns manifested themselves in the commercial operations of his business, using the model of Morris & Co. not for idealist reasons, but to create highly marketable, hand-crafted objects. As contemporary art critic Cecilia Waern wrote in 1897, "As for the social gospel that lies at the heart of the English movement, the noble desire for the regeneration of society on widespread and practical lines, it is obviously out of the question here. For the present, it would be almost absurd to expect a serious 'return to simplicity' in the land of mushroom fortunes."2 Waern later continued in this vein, saying that "The Tiffanys certainly do not try to emulate Morris & Co. in educating the public taste; their aim is to sell, to persuade, not to elevate or instruct; there is also a tendency to simplify the labor expended, as far as possible, with a view to reducing the cost of production."3 Morris' socialist philosophy did not directly influence Tiffany. Instead, only Morris' methods inspired Tiffany's production. Available for purchase Similar to the forerunner of Morris & Co., Morris, Marshall, Faulkner, & Co., and Tiffany's Associated Artists sprang from the collaboration of Tiffany's friends and acted as a forerunner to the Tiffany Glass Company. Samuel Colman, Lockwood de Forest, and Candace Wheeler joined Tiffany in 1879 to combine their talents in the creation of exotic interiors. The group, influenced by such aesthetic traditions as those of Persia, India, Byzantium, Japan, and North Africa, displayed their fascination with light and color. Unlike Morris, Tiffany and the Associated Artists did not face moral dilemmas about catering to the wealthy. By coordinating furniture, wallpaper, tapestries, carpets, and light fittings, they created sumptuous interiors for their patrons; the newly wealthy American industrialists. Associated Artists rapidly rose to fame. Only three years after they completed their first interior, they received a commission from the White House. Their success resulted from a combination of design originality, extensive promotion, and personal connections. During this time Tiffany developed a keen awareness of the available interior materials and changing American tastes. When his interest and experiments in glass overtook his interior design aspirations, he broke off from the group, as had Morris, in order to pursue his own artistic ideals. The year 1879 marked the beginning of Tiffany's experiments with art glass. An explosion and two fires initially set back the formation of Tiffany's company. However, he reached the necessary development in glasswork to form the Tiffany Glass Company in 1885. Tiffany described the laborious process of learning to produce glass: "Year by year the experiments that baffled hope gave way to better results; and so, in the course of time, through hard work and with the assistance of others, I have reached the point where it is possible to produce any color and any luster that may be required."4 In 1892, the company name changed to "Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company" in conjunction with the opening of his glass furnaces in Corona, New York. His extensive travels, his study of objects and production methodology placed him in a promising position in terms of glassware manufacturing. His affiliation with the Associated Artists well acquainted him with consumer desires as modern art historian Neil Harris concludes: Having begun his decorating career as a special advisor to individual projects, obtaining influence through distinguished example, Tiffany now proved to be a master of influence through distribution, his objects reiterating, by their multiplication and use of certain materials, the stylistic and technological contributions which had absorbed so much of his energy.5 Using the workshop approach of William Morris, Tiffany simultaneously applied the new taste for craftsmanship with the mass production of objects to fulfill America's desire for such products. Tiffany did not invent or even create a public taste for the iridescent glass that he patented "Favrile" in 1880. Rather, as an American industrialist he produced high quality glass in large quantities and shipped it to retailers across America as well as in London and Paris. His iridescent glass products became synonymous with good taste and fine craftsmanship, receiving acclaim from the public and critics alike. The Swedish corespondent of the Brooklyn Eagle, referring to the Stockholm Exposition of 1897, wrote: "It is pleasant to find in talking with the men in charge of these exhibits how enthusiastic they are about the glass of Louis C. Tiffany. 'No one else in the world can make anything equal to it' they declared with decision."6 A Tiffany Glass brochure published in 1896 states that the origins of the glass' trademark name stemmed from the Old English word "fabrile" meaning "belonging to a craftsman or his craft". With his glass, Tiffany sought to directly associate his products with the craftsman. The relationship between master and pupil lay at the heart of Tiffany's project. He wished to use that alliance to produce exquisite wares of fine craftsmanship. Like other contemporary decorative arts firms, the master/ apprentice relationship played a crucial role in the creation of the wares. The journal Kunst und Kunsthandwerk reported in 1898: Tiffany saw only one means of effecting this perfect union between the various branches of industry: the establishment of a large factory, a vast central workshop that would consolidate under one roof an army of craftsmen representing every relevant technique: glass makers and stone setters, silversmiths, embroiderers and weavers, casemakers and carvers, gilders, jewelers, cabinetmakers - all working to give shape to the carefully planned concepts of a group of directing artists, themselves united by a common current of ideas.7 Tiffany wished to surround himself with talented people whom he educated through exposure to both master craftsmen and beautiful objects. To this end, Tiffany's glass house employed teams of workers organized as "shops" composed of a master craftsman, called a gaffer, and a team of assistants with precise roles: mixer, server, blower, decorator. A glass technologist, considered an expert in the chemistry and production of glass, oversaw the entire operation. Like Morris at Merton Abbey, Tiffany found that the most effective way to disseminate his ideas was in the training his own apprentices. At first the hiring of too many boys caused Tiffany's only strike, due to the labor surplus and their young age. He immediately let the boys go, and replaced them with young women from the local art schools whom he trained himself. However lacking the socialist views of Morris, Tiffany's demand for perfection superseded his relationship with his employees. States art critic Alistar Duncan, "Tiffany was a man obsessed with excellence, which on occasion manifested itself negatively in his relationship with his staff. Tiffany could be an arbitrary, high-handed, and uncompromising employer." Waern wrote that the handiwork, so highly organized that it allowed for the personal interest on the part of the worker, still remained faithful to the inspiration from the fountainhead.9 Like Morris, Tiffany's main concerns focused on the objects created, using the workshop method to achieve a high quality product of unparalleled beauty. Tiffany emulated Morris' tendency to experiment with a variety of working methods. Tiffany's glass contained bubbles, natural imperfections and varying grain and thickness due to the accidents of throwing. Tiffany viewed each piece as an unique and original work of art due to its faults. Available for purchase Yet the methods of William Morris did not always suit Tiffany's production needs. By mass-producing stained glass windows and lamps Tiffany employed a factory methodology. The execution of Tiffany Studios windows on a production line meant that each window passed from a designer to a cartoonist, and so on to cutters, painters, and glaziers. The elite designers, formally educated artists, left the workers little autonomy. A seemingly insatiable market created a demand for the lamps which were manufactured in multiples and mass produced in innumerable quantities. It is unclear whether Tiffany invented any particular leaded glass method, but he perfected the process to create mass produced items, composed from copies of leading with glass templates. The only artistic input that the assembly line workers exercised was that they freely chose their own glass colors and textures for the lamp pieces. Tiffany's range of glass included hundreds of colors. Charles de Kay, in writing the commissioned biography of Louis Comfort Tiffany, avoids any mention of glass lamp operation, an odd fact considering the quantity and popularity of the lamps. In addition, there is no other surviving literature in which Tiffany refers to the lamps. Most likely, Tiffany considered the lamps uncharacteristic of Tiffany Studios, probably due to their means of production and lack of artistic application. In public, Tiffany made little distinction between his handmade glass wares and the production line items. The wide range of colors, combined with multiple designs, made Tiffany lamps and windows seem more hand crafted than they really were. Tiffany's business-like operations, his embrace of industrial discipline, his talent for mass production combined with his artistic obsession with form and color impressed Sigfried Bing, the French champion of Art Nouveau. The almost imperceptible distinction between the objects from the production line and the handcrafted ones reflected Tiffany's ability to effortlessly service the public's taste for fine craftsmanship. Harris states, "The Tiffany stamp was singular enough to provide the cachet of the artist without losing the advantage of a brand name." Critics often accused Tiffany of betraying artistic principles for commercialism. His means of production led to the creation of beautiful objects in mass quantities not produced by traditional factory methods. On one level, mass production never affects blown glass due to the unique quality, by its very nature, of every piece. In order to meet costs, Tiffany tried to produce as much glass as possible. The return was insufficient for the company to profit, though the plant at Corona produced several thousand articles per year. At the end of every fiscal year, Tiffany himself wrote a check to offset the outstanding debt of the company. Alistar Duncan states that "full comprehension of Tiffany's achievements as an artist has largely been blurred by his other role, that of owner and director of a firm which mass-produced household and liturgical objects."11 However, his love of decorative objects rivaled that of Morris, and his devotion to craftsmanship in order to attain this end transcends his mass production means. As Morris used the machine to keep costs low and his workers from tedious labors, Tiffany, too, used mass production methods to produce the quantity which allowed anyone who wanted a piece of Tiffany glass to purchase one. He stated time and again that he simply wanted to provide good art for American homes, objects of quality for the widest possible audience. Cecilia Waern wrote for the International Studio, "But no commercial considerations are allowed to stand in the way of the alert curiosity of the highly gifted artist who is the soul of the concern."12 Tiffany enjoyed a wide audience: he sold his glasswares to museums, showed in international exhibitions, and sold them to the public through stores. This method allowed practically any middle class consumer to own a piece of glass comparable to that exhibited in museums. Tiffany priced almond and bonbon dishes, butter plates, cordial glasses, and salt cellars reasonably at $1.00 to $1.50. Wealthier buyers could purchase vases at $150 to $175. Yet, critics accused Tiffany of pandering to the market in his designs. Writing for a British audience, Cecilia Waern reported in 1897, "The art outcome of a country and a period does not, unfortunately, conform to the taste of the highest type, but to the demand of the general public and this public is more powerful here than elsewhere."13 However, in order to remain solvent, Tiffany needed to cater to the market. His unique method of selling meant that his role encompassed the manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer. The company placed wares in shops on a "sale or return" basis, with prices firmly fixed by Tiffany. The products remained his property until a sale occurred or returned after three months if they did not sell. In this way, Tiffany assured his buyers of new products and equal pricing across the United States. Thus, he successfully mass-distributed his wares without losing control of his market. The fact of his many imitators demonstrates Tiffany's success in creating a demand for blown glass, in particular for iridescent glass. By 1900 every American studio was working in opalescent glass.14 Firms in pursuit of the most profitable segment of the glass market specialized in iridescent copies of Tiffany. The non-market expanding wares failed to introduce new forms or techniques but rather used the success of Tiffany for their own profit motive. The Quezal Art Glass and Decorating Company, formed in 1902 by former employees of Tiffany, was one such imitator. Martin Bach, as a mixer for Tiffany, learned all the proportions and mixing techniques for Tiffany's glass before the quarrel which resulted in his departure. Intent on producing a rival glass, Thomas Johnson, a glassblower dismissed from his gaffer position, and two other former employees joined Bach. Quezal glass featured more definition, but less spontaneity and freedom than Tiffany wares. Its more regular and brightly colored decoration further sets it apart. Frederick Carder began Steuben Glassworks in 1903. The Englishman first produced his iridescent "aurene" in 1904 in shapes identical to earlier Tiffany. However, when Tiffany brought a suit against Steuben in 1913, they decided to settle the case out of court. Judges ruled that all glass blowers knew the procedure for obtaining iridescence by that time. The principles of quality workmanship and aesthetics led to the immediate success of both Morris and Tiffany. Though they differed on the question of socialism, Morris provided a useful model because he tackled the question of the workplace and the conditions of labor. Starting out in artist collectives, both men decided to run their own companies. They devoted all their artistic and directive energy toward producing and distributing decorative arts destined to change the interiors of homes of buyers everywhere. Tiffany, a true American entrepreneur, not only created items of quality and technical innovation, but did so in such quantities as to allow practically anyone access to them. Though his hand-crafted wares were achieved through mass production he successfully brought quality items of fine workmanship to market at a reasonable price. Available for purchase
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Tiffany lamps and lighting fixtures from Victorian to Modern styles for the home and office. All of Paul Sahlin Tiffany 's Victorian stained glass lamps and blown glass lamp shades are real glass. Each stained glass shade is hand foiled and then soldered together by craftsmen; each Victorian glass shade is hand blown. Please remember that no two pieces of glass are exactly alike. They do have some blisters, seeds, lines, and variations in the surface. These are not defects, but are simply characteristic of hand crafted lighting fixtures and stained glass. Paul Sahlin Tiffany 's bases are zinc with either a hand polished antique brass, pewter or special two-tone antique brown finish. All lamps and lighting fixtures are U.L. approved. Many Victorian items are available in a variety of color combinations in addition to what is pictured. Please inquire. Please note actual lampshade colors may vary according to your monitor settings and room light.
Home View Cart / Checkout Contact Us Shipping Return Policy Customer Service LodgeCraft™ is an Authorized Dealer of Paul Sahlin Tiffany Lamps and Lighting 150 Cliff Ave Eureka Montana 59917 1-800-449-3145 info@tiffany-lamps-lighting.com Victorian Traditional Blown Glass Arts & Crafts Hand Painted Sculptured Modern Tiffany Lamps and Lighting Lights About Paul Sahlin Tiffany
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