Tiffany Lamp & Lighting History

Tiffany Lamps

Louis Comfort Tiffany was one of the greatest painters and designers of American decorative art. He was born in New York in 1848, the son of Charles Lewis Tiffany. Charles Lewis Tiffany was the founder of Tiffany & Co. the highly regarded jewelry retailer. Incredibly talented and creative, Louis Comfort Tiffany enjoyed a remarkable career. L.C. Tiffany made his most impressive mark on the art scene by designing stained glass windows, lamps, mosaics and other fine decorative jewelry. Tiffany's work was exhibited worldwide. At the turn of the 20th century Tiffany earned several prizes, honors, and international status at the Universal Exposition in Paris. Louis Comfort Tiffany was as skillful a businessman as he was an artist. Prior to being named the first Design Director of his father's Tiffany & Co. in 1902, he managed a number of interior design firms and decorative art companies.

Louis Comfort Tiffany was incredibly innovative and single handedly set the stained glass world on a new course. Tiffany came up with an idea to amalgamate bits and pieces of discarded glass thrown off from production of his stained glass windows to form beautiful decorative lamps. Tiffany's diverse collection of eclectic colors and techniques, known today as Tiffany glass, continues to be in a class of it's own. Louis Comfort Tiffany was heavily influenced by Japanese art forms in which nature was front and center.

An artist by design

Louis Comfort Tiffany, a man of fine tastes, was a very popular interior designer. He introduced his style and left his mark in the U.S. by redecorating a number of private homes and public spaces. Mark Twain, Cornelius Vanderbilt and, the presidential White House are listed among Tiffany's clients.

A Brief Timeline of The Life of Louis Comfort Tiffany

1848	Louis Comfort Tiffany, the son of the founder of Tiffany and Co. jewelers (Charles Lewis Tiffany), is born in New York City.
1878	First business is launched, Louis C. Tiffany & Co. First stained-glass figure window is produced.
1885	Tiffany works with Thomas Edison to develop the decorative and stage lighting for the Lyceum Theater in New York City, the first theater ever to have electric illumination.
1892	Tiffany establishes his first plant, Tiffany Furnaces, in Corona, NY.
1893	Two large-scale Tiffany light fixtures are on display at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
1894	Trademark for the Favrile-glass is registered with the United States Patent Office.
1899	The first important exhibition of Tiffany products is held in London. Show includes blown-glass vases and bowls, pendants for electric lights, lamp and candle shades.
1899	The first Tiffany lamp with a heavy bronze base is introduced. Patterns include the nautilus, dragonfly and Tyler scroll.
1900	First electric Tiffany table lamp exhibited in Paris.
1902	Company name is changed to Tiffany Studios.
1904	New line of pottery, copper enamels and jewelry is shown at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis.
1906-1916	A large number of gift items are added to the line, including jewelry boxes, cigar boxes, picture frames, planters, spun metal dishes. Retailers carrying these items include Marshall Field's Neiman Marcus and Shreve's.
1913	Company introduces a new kind of glass, Tiffany linen-fold, which is used exclusively for lamp shades.
1919	Louis C. Tiffany retires from active participation in his company, but retains title of President. Tiffany Studios' sumptuous building on Madison Ave. in New York is vacated. Tiffany returns to his early love, oil painting, and devotes time to establishing the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation.
1933	Tiffany dies at age 85.

Tiffany and Tiffany & Co. are registered trademarks of Tiffany and Company.

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