Clara And Mr. Tiffany

In Clara And Mr. Tiffany (#35), Susan Vreeland introduces us to Clara Driscoll, a real employee of Tiffany Studios, and probably the person who first conceived of the idea of stained glass lamp shades.  Ms. Vreeland became interested in her after visiting recent Tiffany exhibits in New York in which Clara's work was displayed.  The discovery of Clara Driscoll's letters in 2009 detailing her own life and work at Tiffany's clinched the idea of writing this book.  Although this is a work of fiction, Clara's friends and associates are also real people, and the bones of the story are based on the factual records.

In the novel, Clara is portrayed as having a special bond with Louis Comfort Tiffany, one that was eventually betrayed both over the male union's efforts to oust the women, and later by the pressure to sacrifice the artistry of original design to the profitable high output items.  In her personal life she suffers from failed relationships, making her career a substitute.  At the same time Clara struggled with the administrative headaches of recruiting and retaining talented women in the workshop.  Reading about the individual and team processes involved in creating a two dimensional window or the even more complex three dimensional lampshades helps you to understand how this creative passion could consume Clara.
I will definitely be heading to the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum in Winter Haven, Florida to feast my eyes on Tiffany's output.  It has one of the largest collections of Tiffany objects, and is just about to open a new section of the museum featuring Laurelton Hall, Louis Comfort Tiffany's extravagant home.  If you would like to see photos of some of the objects Clara's group of women worked on that were discussed in Clara And Mr. Tiffany, you can see them on the museum website:  Morse Museum - Tiffany Collections

If I could afford it, I would probably collect glass.  My grandmother had one of Mr. Tiffany's lamps.  The church I attended in Massachusetts had several Tiffany windows; I remember touching (!) the drapery in an angel's gown and wondering how they put the folds in the glass.  This book helped me understand that.  I've watched glass being blown by local craftsmen, and in studios in Murano, Italy.  The best place to go, though, if you're interested in watching these artists at work is the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington.   Their Hot Shop has featured artists who blow glass, with cameras showing you closeups on large monitors, and someone who explains what is going on at any given time and answers questions from the audience.   I've included a link to their site so you can check it out for yourself: Museum of Glass

Now if only I could find a similar place to watch the stained glass process...