Magnolias and Irises, ca. 1908
A Brief History
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848 - 1933) is often associated with Tiffany & Co., the firm founded by his father, Charles Lewis Tiffany. Although Charles had hoped his son would succeed him as head of the company, Louis's interests leaned more readily toward those of an artistic nature.
Louis Tiffany began his artglass experiments somewhere between 1872 and 1878, while working at glasshouses in Brooklyn. His early patents date from 1880-81. On December 1, 1885, he incorporated the first Tiffany Glass Company, which in 1902 became known as Tiffany Studios. The factory employed more than three hundred workers: designers, artists, glass blowers, and numerous other artisans.
Tiffany's first commercially produced lamps date from around 1895, though some earlier examples were exhibited during the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. In addition to lamps and lamp shades, Tiffany Studios also produced vases, scent bottles, tiles, stained-glass windows, glass mosaics and desk furniture. The company remained in business until 1928.
In 1919, Tiffany established the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation as a summer retreat for young artists and craftsmen. He died in 1933 at the age of 85. From 1933 - c. 1936 the Foundation continued to fund the production of lamps using the Tiffany Studios die stamps and model numbers.
