Tiffany glass refers to the many and varied types of glass developed and produced from 1878 to 1929-1930[1][2][3][4] at the Tiffany Studios in New York City, by Louis Comfort Tiffany and a team of other designers, including Clara Driscoll,[5][6] Agnes F. Northrop,[7] and Frederick Wilson.
In 1865, Tiffany traveled to Europe, and in London he visited the Victoria and Albert Museum, whose extensive collection of Roman and Syrian glass made a deep impression on him. He admired the coloration of medieval glass and was convinced that the quality of contemporary glass could be improved upon because the production of art glass in America during this time was not close to what Europeans were creating. In his own words, the "Rich tones are due in part to the use of pot metal full of impurities, and in part to the uneven thickness of the glass, but still more because the glass maker of that day abstained from the use of paint".
Tiffany was an interior designer, and in 1878 his interest turned toward the creation of stained glass, when he opened his own studio and glass foundry because he was unable to find the types of glass that he desired in interior decoration. His inventiveness both as a designer of windows and as a producer of the material with which to create them was to become renowned.[8] Tiffany wanted the glass itself to transmit texture and rich colors and he developed a type of glass he called "Favrile".
Tiffany Studios edit
The favrile, or "fabrile" glass was manufactured at the Tiffany factory located at 96-18 43rd Avenue in the Corona section of Queens[9] from 1901 to 1932. Today, the Louis Tiffany School or New York City's P.S. (public school) 110Q, is now built on the old site.[1]
Closing edit
The closing of the factory has been a matter of some controversy. Tiffany’s glass fell out of favor in the 1910s, and by the 1920s a foundry had been installed for a separate bronze company. Tiffany's leadership and talent, as well as his father's money and old firm allowed Tiffany to relaunch Tiffany studios as a marketing strategy in order for his business to thrive. In 1932, Tiffany Studios filed for bankruptcy. Ownership of the complex passed back to the original owners of the factory — the Roman Bronze Works — which had served as a subcontractor to Tiffany for many years.”[1][3][10] John Polachek, founder of the General Bronze Corporation —who had worked at the Tiffany Studios earlier— purchased the Roman Bronze Works (the old Tiffany Studios).[2][4] General Bronze then became the largest bronze fabricator in New York City formed through the merger of his own companies and Tiffany's Corona factory.[2][11][4] Louis Tiffany subsequently died in 1933.
Types edit
Opalescent glass edit
The term "opalescent glass" is commonly used to describe glass where more than one color is present, being fused during the manufacture, as against flashed glass in which two colors may be laminated, or silver stained glass where a solution of silver nitrate is superficially applied, turning red glass to orange and blue glass to green. Some opalescent glass was used by several stained glass studios in England from the 1860s and 1870s onwards, notably Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Its use became increasingly common. Opalescent glass is the basis for the range of glasses created by Tiffany.[notes 1]
In addition opalescent glass comes in three main types. The first type is exemplified by blue-tinged semi-opaque or clear glass with milky opalescence in the center, seen in creations by Lalique, Sabino, and Jobling's. This effect is achieved through slower cooling, causing crystallization. The glass glows golden when backlit and a beautiful blue when front-lit. Many French companies in the 1920s and 1930s, such as Lalique and Sabino, produced opalescent art deco pieces. The second type features a milky white edge or raised pattern on colored pressed glass. Reheating sections during the cooling process turns them white, creating a decorative effect. This method was employed by various companies, including Barolac in Bohemia, Joblings in England, and Val St Lambert in Belgium. The third type involves hand-blown glass with two layers, containing heat-reactive components like bone ash. The glass is blown into a mold with a raised pattern, and reheating turns the heat-sensitive glass milky white, creating a contrasting silhouette against the clear background (for more information [1]).
Favrile glass edit
Tiffany patented Favrile glass in 1892. Favrile glass often has a distinctive characteristic that is common in some glass from Classical antiquity: it possesses a superficial iridescence. This iridescence causes the surface to shimmer, but also causes a degree of opacity. This iridescent effect of the glass was obtained by mixing different colors of glass together while hot.
Favrile glass is distinguished by brilliant or deeply toned colors, usually iridescent like the wings of certain American butterflies, the necks of pigeons and peacocks, the wing covers of various beetles.
Louis C. Tiffany
Streamer glass edit
Streamer glass refers to a sheet of glass with a pattern of glass strings affixed to its surface. Tiffany made use of such textured glass to represent, for example, twigs, branches and grass. Streamers are prepared from very hot molten glass, gathered at the end of a punty (pontil) that is rapidly swung back and forth and stretched into long, thin strings that rapidly cool and harden. These hand-stretched streamers are pressed on the molten surface of sheet glass during the rolling process, and become permanently fused.
Fracture glass edit
Fracture glass refers to a sheet of glass with a pattern of irregularly shaped, thin glass wafers affixed to its surface. Tiffany made use of such textured glass to represent, for example, foliage seen from a distance.The irregular glass wafers, called fractures, are prepared from very hot, colored molten glass, gathered at the end of a blowpipe. A large bubble is forcefully blown until the walls of the bubble rapidly stretch, cool and harden. The resulting glass bubble has paper-thin walls and is immediately shattered into shards. These hand blown shards are pressed on the surface of the molten glass sheet during the rolling process, to which they become permanently fused.
Fracture-streamer glass edit
Fracture-streamer glass refers to a sheet of glass with a pattern of glass strings, and irregularly shaped, thin glass wafers, affixed to its surface. Tiffany made use of such textured glass to represent, for example, twigs, branches and grass, and distant foliage. The process is as above except that both streamers and fractures are applied to sheet glass during the rolling process.
Ring mottle glass edit
Ring mottle glass refers to sheet glass with a pronounced mottle created by localized, heat-treated opacification and crystal-growth dynamics. Ring mottle glass was invented by Tiffany in the early 20th century. Tiffany's distinctive style exploited glass containing a variety of motifs such as those found in ring mottle glass, and he relied minimally on painted details.
When Tiffany Studio closed in 1929-1930,[3][1][2][4] the secret formula for making ring mottle glass was forgotten and lost. Ring mottle glass was re-discovered in the late sixties by Eric Lovell of Uroboros Glass.[12] Traditionally used for organic details on leaves and other natural elements, ring mottles also find a place in contemporary work when abstract patterns are desired.
Ripple glass edit
Ripple glass refers to textured glass with marked surface waves. Tiffany made use of such textured glass to represent, for example, water or leaf veins. The texture is created during the glass sheet-forming process. A sheet is formed from molten glass with a roller that spins on itself while travelling forward. Normally the roller spins at the same speed as its own forward motion, much like a steam roller flattening tarmac, and the resulting sheet has a smooth surface. In the manufacture of rippled glass, the roller spins faster than its own forward motion. The rippled effect is retained as the glass cools.
Drapery glass edit
Drapery glass refers to a sheet of heavily folded glass that suggests fabric folds. Tiffany made abundant use of drapery glass in ecclesiastical stained glass windows to add a 3-dimensional effect to flowing robes and angel wings, and to imitate the natural coarseness of magnolia petals. The making of drapery glass requires skill and experience. A small diameter hand-held roller is manipulated forcefully over a sheet of molten glass to produce heavy ripples, while folding and creasing the entire sheet. The ripples become rigid and permanent as the glass cools. Each sheet produced from this artisanal process is unique.
Cutting techniques edit
In order to cut streamer, fracture or ripple glass, the sheet may be scored on the side without streamers, fractures or ripples with a carbide glass cutter, and broken at the score line with breaker-grozier pliers.In order to cut drapery glass, the sheet may be placed on styrofoam, scored with a carbide glass cutter, and broken at the score line with breaker-grozier pliers, but a bandsaw or ringsaw are the preferred.
Locations and collections edit
Stained glass in situ edit
- Canada
- Ontario
- London – St Paul's Cathedral, four windows, two signed by Tiffany
- Quebec
- Montreal – Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Bourgie Pavilion (formerly Erskine and American United Church), twenty windows signed by Tiffany
- Ontario
- Mexico
- United States
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Colorado Springs – First United Methodist Church
- Connecticut
- Florida
- St. Augustine – Flagler College
- Georgia
- Atlanta – All Saints' Episcopal Church[16]
- Jekyll Island – Faith Chapel
- Macon – St. Paul's Episcopal Church
- Savannah – Gryphon Tea Room
- Thomasville – St. Thomas Episcopal Church
- Illinois
- Chicago –
- Macy's on State Street, formerly Marshall Field's
- Second Presbyterian Church on South Michigan Avenue
- Chicago Cultural Center
- Springfield – First Presbyterian Church
- Tinley Park – St. Andrew's Anglican Church[17]
- Chicago –
- Indiana
- Indianapolis – Second Presbyterian Church
- Richmond – Reid Center, formerly Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Topeka – First Presbyterian Church
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Boston –
- Wellesley – Houghton Memorial Chapel at Wellesley College
- Nantucket – St. Pauls Episcopal Church[22]
- Michigan
- Ann Arbor –
- Grand Rapids –
- Ladies Literary Club
- Temple Emanuel
- Marquette –
- The Resurrection Window, Morgan Chapel, St. Paul's Episcopal Church
- Mississippi
- University – Ventress Hall at The University of Mississippi Tribute to the University Greys[23]
- Missouri
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Hackensack – Second Reformed Church
- Maplewood – Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church
- New Brunswick – Kirkpatrick Chapel at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey[24][25]
- New York
- Albany – First Presbyterian Church of Albany[26]
- Albion – Pullman Memorial Universalist Church
- Auburn – Willard Chapel
- Bath – First Presbyterian Church
- Beacon – St. Andrew's Church [27]
- Briarcliff Manor – Congregational Church[28]
- Buffalo – St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral [29]
- Irvington –
- Irvington Presbyterian Church
- Irvington Town Hall – Clock face and reading room
- Lockport – First Presbyterian Church[30]
- New York City –
- Brooklyn –
- Brown Memorial Baptist Church and church house[31]
- Flatbush Reformed Church and church house
- First Unitarian Congregational Society and Rev. Donald McKinney chapel
- Manhattan –
- Grand Central Terminal – 13-foot (4.0 m) clock face on south facade[32][33][34][disputed ]
- West End Collegiate Church, West End Avenue
- St. Michael's Church, New York City, Amsterdam Avenue at 99th Street
- Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
- Brooklyn –
- Roslyn – Trinity Episcopal Church[35]
- Roxbury – Jay Gould Memorial Reformed Church
- Saugerties – St. Mary of the Snow, 36 Cedar Street
- Troy – Troy Public Library St. Joseph's Catholic Church
- Tuxedo Park – St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo Episcopal Church
- Garden City – St Paul's School, endangered glass[36][37]
- Washingtonville – Moffat Library
- Ohio
- Cleveland – Wade Memorial Chapel in Lake View Cemetery
- Dayton –
- Westminster Presbyterian Church, 125 N. Wilkinson Street[38][39]
- Historic Woodland Cemetery & Arboretum, 118 Woodland Avenue[40]
- Pennsylvania
- Altoona – St. Lukes Episcopal Church
- Brownsville – Christ Church
- Erie –
- Cathedral of St. Paul
- First Presbyterian Church
- Franklin – St. John's Episcopal Church
- Franklin – Christ's Church[41]
- Kittanning – Grace Presbyterian Church
- Lancaster – First Presbyterian Church
- Lewistown –
- St. Mark's Episcopal Church[42][failed verification]
- First United Methodist Church[43][failed verification]
- Montgomery Township – Robert Kennedy Memorial Presbyterian Church
- New Castle – St. Jude's Episcopal Church, formerly known as Trinity Episcopal Church
- Philadelphia –
- Pittsburgh –
- Calvary United Methodist Church[44]
- Emmanuel Episcopal Church
- Shadyside Presbyterian Church
- First Presbyterian Church
- Third Presbyterian Church
- St. Andrews Episcopal Church
- Sewickley –
- First Presbyterian Church
- St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
- Sharon – Buhl Mausoleum
- Titusville - St. James Memorial Episcopal Church
- Uniontown –
- Trinity United Presbyterian Church
- St. Peter's Anglican Church[45]
- Whitemarsh Township – St. Thomas' Church
- Williamsport – Christ Community Worship Center, formerly the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- St. Johnsbury – Grace United Methodist Church
- Virginia
- Newport News – St. Paul's Episcopal Church
- Norfolk – St. Paul's Episcopal Church
- Richmond – Congregation Beth Ahabah
- Petersburg – Blandford Church
- Staunton – Trinity Episcopal Church[51]
- Washington
- Wisconsin
Museums edit
- United Kingdom
- United States
See also edit
References edit
Informational notes
- ^ The use of the term opalescent is actually a misnomer. Opalescence actually refers to the quality of changing color under transmitted light, rather than the quality of having several colors present. A rare example of true opalescent glass is the Roman Lycurgus cup in the British Museum
- ^ Stage "curtain" which is a stained glass foldable panel created out of nearly a million pieces of iridescent colored glass by Tiffany's in New York.
Citations
Further reading
- Eidelberg, Dr. Martin (2007). Tiffany Favrile Glass and the Quest of Beauty. New York: Lillian Nassau LLC. ISBN 978-0-615-16761-9.
- Frelinghuysen, Alice Cooney (2006). Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall: an artist's country estate. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 1588392015.
External links edit
- Publications and ephemeral materials from Tiffany Studios, Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company, Tiffany and Company, and the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation – held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art