I toured the New York Historical Society recently where they have a two-floor display of Tiffany stained glass lamps. Few things in life are more exquisite than a Tiffany lamp. The wisteria lamps were my personal favorite, although the daffodil, tulip, and dogwood were just as fabulous. If you’ve read Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland, you would enjoy the exhibit, and if you haven’t read it, you should. It’s an historical fiction account of the creating of these lamps, many of which were created by Clara Driscoll who worked for Louis Comfort Tiffany. In the museum, her name appears on almost every sign as a probable creator. Tiffany got the fame, but so much of his success came from her creativity and hard work. It was also interesting to read about how Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb around this time made her work even more relevant. If you can, I encourage you to see the lamps in person, and to read the novel if you haven’t already.
