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The Book Club Online is the oldest book club on the Internet, begun in 1996, open to everyone. We offer cordial discussions of one book a month, 24/7 and enjoy the company of readers from all over the world. Everyone is welcome to join in.
CLARA and MR. TIFFANY
by Susan Vreeland
| "For a century, everyone assumed that the iconic Tiffany lamps were conceived and designed by that American master of stained glass, Louis Comfort Tiffany. Not so! It was a woman!" (Susan Vreeland) | (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/claracoversm.jpg) | Vreeland captures Gilded Age New York and its atmosphere--robber barons, sweatshops, colorful characters, ateliers from the voluminous letters belonging to the Tiffany glass studio manager, Clara Driscoll, discovered by the author
(Amazon review ). |
| (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/dragonflylge.jpg) |
"My last lampshade was accepted and I am
having it made now. It will be quite expensive,
but I think it will be attractive and that the
general public will admire it. The one before
this was a purple and red scheme with opal
to lighten and soften it. Mr. Tiffany thought
it was very fine and Mr. Mitchell thought it
was the ugliest thing he ever saw."
(Letter from Clara Driscoll) | (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/aurora2.jpg)
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Discussion Schedule:
May 1-8 ~ Chapters 1-12
May 9-15 ~ Chapters 13-24
May 16-22 ~ Chapters 25-37
May 23-31 ~ Chapters 38-47
and the Afterward
Some Topics for Consideration
May 1-8 ~ Chapters 1-12
1. Have you had any experience with stained glass? Do you think the technical aspects of making stained glass add or distract from the story?
2.What about the terminology here, like "cartoon." Was that a surprise? Are you becoming familiar with the different duties or jobs associated with the entire process?
3. What do you know about boarding houses and/or people who lived in them? Which of the residents from Clara’s house have made the most impression on you?
4. How would you describe Louis Comfort Tiffany? Do you like him, does he make any particular impression on you?
Related Links: NPR Interview with Susan Vreeland (http://www.npr.org/2011/01/09/132781989/-Clara-And-Mr-Tiffany-A-Brightly-Colored-Story);
Morse Museum, Winter Park, FL - World's largest collection of Tiffany glass (http://www.morsemuseum.org/collection/louis_comfort_tiffany.html);
Tiffany Girls on Exhibition Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1wSmcde07o&feature=related);
Susan Vreeland Website for Clara (http://www.svreeland.com/tiff.html)
Discussion Leaders: Pedln (ann.bartlett@att.net ) & Annie (ADOANNIE35@YAHOO.COM)
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Well, I checked to make sure we had swept and dusted before you all joined us in what we hope will be an interesting and fun discussion about the era covered in the book plus the people who lived in those changing times. I keep hearing that old song "The Side Walks of New York" while reading.
http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/sidewalk.htm (http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/sidewalk.htm)
Do join us as we talk about Clara Driscoll, the Driscoll/Tiffany Girls and Louis Comfort Tiffany and a whole boarding house full of interesting folks who have quite a nice life there. I hope you enjoy the time you spend
here!
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East Side, West Side . . . . (Just like the Angie's List commercial and the cleaner who sings -- that tune is running through my head)
Welcome everyone, and happy May Day, a very fitting day to open the discussion. That famous Columbian Exposition in Chicago opened on May 1, 1893. And as our story opens, fifteen months earlier, Louis Tiffany is up to his ears in preparations for the chapel that is going to be his contribution to the Exposition.
Enter Clara Driscoll, a new young widow, 31 years old, hoping her old boss still has need of her talents. Indeed he does.
We’re so glad you can be with us as we gather here to talk about Clara and all the folks at the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company, New York City in the Gilded Age, and all those new friends at 44 Irving Place.
First impressions, anyone? Please go ahead.
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I'm pedaling in on my "wheels" - taking a turn around the park and stopping for tea.
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Marking a place
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I have this on the IPAD , so that I can keep up.. You ask about Stained Glass. My husband took a class and fell in love. My house has all sorts of types of stained glass. He made some beautiful pieces.. We had to revamp a room in the house with hard tile, etc, since the shards of glass can fly anywhere. It is very painstaking and very precise. The selection of color took him hours..
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Steph, what beautiful reminders you have in your home to surround you with memories of Tim. Such a rewarding pasttime. Can you describe some of the pieces?
Several years ago we took a trip to Venice - and while there a boat ride (everything in Venice requires a boat ride) to the little island of Murano to the glass factories for which the island is known. The colors, the blues, the greens, the amethysts...were breath-taking and memorable. What I remember were the vases, the jewelry, the chandeliers. This was blown glasss.
Never did I see the large thin panes of colored glass used for making stained glass windows though. This will be a learning experience. My knowledge of Tiffany glass - lampshades. Reading about the stained glass windows Clara is working on - a real eyeopener. I love the fact that that Susan Vreeland is naming these pieces. Makes it possible to "see" what she is writing about -
(http://svreeland.com/tif-c-gal001.jpg)
Steph, if I'm reading this right, the actual Peacock is in the Morse Museum in Winter Park! YOU saw it! Maybe we can all come down to Florida for a field trip when the discussion is over!
My only bit of information to contribute to this discussion at this point is that Tom Hoving - (of the Metropolitan Museum of NY) was the son of Walter Hoving, a Swedish immigrant who rose to become the president of Bonwit Teller and CEO of Tiffany's - Jewelers - Another fascinating insight into the conditions of the immigrants at the turn of the century.
(http://www.morsemuseum.org/collection/tiffany_chapel.html)In 1955 he bought control of Tiffany's, which at the time seemed to many to be on the brink of going out of business. He started his regime by getting rid of everything in the store that did not meet his standards, holding a giant sale - the first in the store's history -of everything from silver matchbook covers at $6.75 to a diamond and emerald brooch marked down to $29,700.
Under his guidance, the faltering store reacquired its cachet and a new popularity - Tiffany's salesclerks were under orders to treat everyone, even the most obvious browser, as a potential customer - until by Christmas 1980, its aisles were jammed with shoppers.
I find the rivalry and the support between Louis Comfort Tiffany and his father Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of Tiffany's fascinating. I'm glad that Susan Vreeland brings this into the story.
This is historical fiction, I understand. Is Mrs. Clara Driscoll part of the history - or part of Vreeland's fiction? I hope she was real.
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Is Clara real? That's interesting JOANP.
She's determined, self-relliant, very competent and she likes men, do you agree?
From the first page - "I gave him a look that implied, I was here before you were born and pushed his arm away" I thought the lady was going places.
I love stained glass windows, the work that goes into it all is fantastic. But I don't like the lampshades; I wouldn't want one in my home.
When Clara went to the boarding house and a Mr. Booth came in my first thought was OH, NO, all we need is for a Mr. Luce to appear on the scene! And then I thought, NO, too early in history for her.
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Enjoy your tea, Callie, and Barb, we’ll save your place. Glad to see you here this morning.
Steph, your husband and Joan Roberts’ husband also, both have worked with stained glass. That’s wonderful. JoanR, did you see JoanP’s post about sending her the picture of the window, and she’ll post it here. We’d love to see it. And Steph, if you have a picture of husband’s stained glass, would you also send it.
Are you overwhelmed? I am. And not just by the number of characters in the book, but by their capabilities and talents as well. Clara, to begin with – she taught school back in Ohio, and I think , also studied art at the Metropolitan. I wonder how long she had been absent from Tiffany’s. Mr. Tiffany certainly didn’t waste any time putting her back in her former position, giving her a lot of leeway in the hiring process. And the young women she hired – did not come empty-handed. They have had some training in the arts, whether it be at the Metropolitan or the YWCA.
What are your thoughts about Clara and the Tiffany girls, and Mr. Tiffany and his ambitions?
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JoanP and Ella, we were posting at the same time. Back later. Off to Concierge at the library.
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Honest truth! I took lessons for making stained glass pictures and loved doing it until I realized I was working in the kitchen sometimes and that tiny shards of glass could become part of our food. So, I took everything to the basement work shop where it remained for years. Instead of cutting up glass into tiny pieces and putting them back together with lead, I took a class in quilting and preceded to cut fabric into tiny pieces and sew them back together for many quilts. I think the quilting was safer! :D
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JoanP and Ella, she is definitely real. Susan Vreeland, on her website for this book (in the heading) goes into great detail about the real Clara. (See her “Discovering Clara.”)
If it weren't for the zest of the Victorians to write frequent, voluminous letters, this book would never have come to be.. . . . By a remarkable coincidence, three individuals unknown to each other, a distant relative of Clara Driscoll, a Tiffany scholar, and an archivist at the Queens Historical Society, each aware of only one collection of Clara's letters, brought the correspondence to the attention of two art historians steeped in the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany.
The art historians learned of each other, came together in a scholarly partnership, and were shortly joined by Margaret K. Hofer, Curator of Decorative Arts at the New York Historical Society which owns a substantial collection of Tiffany lamps, including 132 from one donor, Dr. Egon Neustadt. It was immediately clear to the team of three that NYHS was the perfect venue to mount an exhibition and share what was contained in the letters with the public. A revelatory and fascinating 200-page catalog of the exhibition, A New Light on Tiffany: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls, was written by the three curators for the opening of the exhibition in 2007.
The video listed in the heading, from an exhibit at a Netherlands museum, displays many of the Neustadt Tiffany lamps. Vreeland’s website itself is a treasure trove of information. What amazes me is that nobody today was really aware of Clara Driscoll until just a few years ago.
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I've just browsed through the various links on the "Susan Vreeland Website for Clara." How marvelous! Actual photos of most of the Tiffany girls featured in the book - the work room - drawing a cartoon - and the wonderful section on the lamps mentioned in the book with quotes from the Chapters in which they're described.
Wonderful! Many thanks to whoever provided that link.
It makes the book so much more relevant.
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Take a long look at this exhibit! Its a meditation of beauty and sound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1wSmcde07o&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1wSmcde07o&feature=related)
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Pictures of the glass. They are quite difficult. I have tried many times to take pictures of a swan drawing that my husband executed, but the pictures never do it justice..
I see someone beat me to it. Clara is quite real. I wish I had known last year that they were doing an exhibition of her and her girls..I would have loved to have seen it.
I am up to Chapter 8 and loving it. I will read more of Susan Vreeland after this. She makes NYC so alive..and Clara so real.
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Did you know that a lady named Candace Wheeler started an interior decorating company with Tiffany, known as Wheeler Tiffany? http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/wheeler.html (http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/wheeler.html) When she decided to open her own textile company, Tiffany renamed the company, Louis C Tiffany and Associates.
I am wondering if her leaving left Tiffany thinking that married women weren't to be relied on?? And if that's when he stopped hiring them?
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You should not have put up that last link, Annie, the one from Harvard -- you've lost me for the rest of the day, as I browse and get deeper and deeper into the site. What an amazing amount of information is available on the Internet. In this case an article written by Candace Wheeler in 1893 and preserved for those of us interested in Women's Arts.
Interesting, isn't it that there was a separate building at the Columbian Exposition (White City, 1893) just for Women's Arts.
I've been wondering about Tiffany's policy of no married women, too, but as I get deeper into the book, I wonder if he was primarily concerned about childbirth. The work of the Tiffany Girls was not something that could easily be picked up in a day or a month. And training them took time away from the more experienced who were involved in projects. That came up when Tiffany told Clara to hire more girls in order to prepare for the Exposition.
"Doubling the department all at once would mean some of the experts and I would be drawn off our projects to train so many new girls."
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One of the reasons Mr. T liked to hire women was that they weren't allowed to join the labor unions...as we see here. If he had hired married women whose husbands were members of the union, there may have been a conflict within a household. Perhaps the husband would lose benefits if his union struck while his wife kept working.
He seems to want his girls on call for overtime when there are deadlines to be met. Difficult to do if there are children to consider. So there really was a Clara Driscoll. As I began reading the early chapters, I thought there was going to be a romance - with Mr. T...but now I see the man is married and it's becoming clearer that Clara loves her job, her position - her rank...as she strives for admiration from Mr. T.
Isn't he an odd duck? A real artistic temperament. Volatile, perhaps? I was interested in the fact that he didn't go right into his father's jewelry business, but started out as an artist. Happily S. Vreeland included the names of some of his paintings in these early chapters.
(http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/images/objects/size2/06.329_SL1.jpg)
Citadel Mosque of Old Cairo 1872 Brooklyn Museum
(http://artmight.com/albums/classic-l/Louis-Comfort-Tiffany/normal_Tiffany-Market-Day-Outside-the-Walls-of-Tangier.jpg)
Market Day outside the Walls of Tangier 1873 Smithsonian, DC
The luminous qualities , the colors...give an idea of what is to come...
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I've not got the book yet ... who knows when.
JoanP Thanks for posting those paintings above - 'luminosity' was the word that immediately leapt to my mind. The focal points and the depth he achieves are brilliant. Thanks for sharing.
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JoanP - Thanks for offering to post my photo for me, however my e-mail to you was returned as undeliverable. I must have the wrong address for you!! Therefore I sent it to Pedln and asked her to forward it hoping that that would solve the problem and hoping also that she wouldn't mind!!
I am a little way into the book and am enjoying it already. Ordered my copy from Amazon figuring that this would certainly be a keeper. Such great links you all are putting up here! I've transfered some to my favorites list so they wouldn't disappear.
Pedln - Thanks for helping with the photo!
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Pedl'n,
I was enticed almost immediately by that link to the Women Working and spent a fair amount of time there. Did you read any of the diaries??
Ella,
I left a link in Post 14 so that you might change your mind concerning the lamps of Tiffany and Clara. Its a U-Tube link to a fantastic showing with wonderful sort of Asian music. Very relaxing!! Very good!
As we get further into the book, we come to Clara's description of a particular window or mosaic. I am wondering if that is what is pictured in the previous link of two women. Here's the link again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1wSmcde07o&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1wSmcde07o&feature=related)
As we read about Clara's ideas and her learning about how leading is done, we see a fantastic amount of not only the lead around the object but also used like tiny veins of what would be tree limbs, dead vines. Very hard to do!
Steph,
We have discussed two of Susan Vreeland's books. I'm glad to say she has a wonderful ability to place a reader in the exact place that she is writing about.
JoanP,
Love those paintings. What you have to say about working women and possible pregnancies was still true in the 50's and 60's.
Speaking of the unions, I looked up when they started here in the states.
"History of the Labor Unions of the United States
Unions began forming in the mid-19th century. The 1870s and 1880s saw large-scale consolidation, with the Knights of Labor mushrooming overnight into a major force in the late 1880s; it then collapsed because of poor organization. The American Federation of Labor, led until his death in 1924 by Samuel Gompers, proved much more durable. Wikipedia
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What you have to say about working women and possible pregnancies was still true in the 50's and 60's.
In the spring of 1962, I had to resign my teaching job because I had to go into maternity clothes four weeks before school was out - even though the mothers of my 2nd grade students went to the principal and asked that I be allowed to finish the school year.
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The times they are a'changin', Callie
Now the pregnant women are photographed with their extended stomachs prominent in the picture, covered and uncovered. I saw one that had a drawing on it of the baby's position in the womb. :-[
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So true, Annie. And teachers continue to teach until the due date - although I don't understand why they would want to.
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I've read thru chap. 8 and am finding the book most interesting and easy to read.
Sally
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Keep reading, Sally - it gets even better...though more confusing! :D I think we need to keep a chart - two charts, actually. One with the names of the guys and gals in the Tiffany workrooms - and the other for the boarding house gang. I love that house! Wasn't Clara lucky that she didn't settle for the first place?
Let's see how this works, JoanR - it is breathtaking - you'll have to tell us about it:
(http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/joanrwindow.jpg)
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Oh Joan, the window is breathtaking. My husband did no windows. We move around quite a lot and wanted everything moveable. But yours is just wonderful.
I am up to Chapter 10.. The book is really interesting.
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Indeed it is breathtaking, JoanR, and I look forward to you telling us more about it. What size is it? Can you tell us about any the steps he took in the process of making this window?
Hi Sally, I’m glad you got your book and are enjoying it.
JoanP, thanks for posting those pictures by Tiffany. Now you’ve sent off on a search for more. We associate Louis Tiffany with stained glass, but forget or are unaware that he was talented in many phases of art. An odd duck, you say? Perhaps. He was certainly very conscious of his being short. And he comes across sometimes as being insensitive or at least unperceptive regarding others. Most people seem to readily defer to him, except for Wilhelmina.
JoanP, you said something about a chart. There is a lot to keep track of here. I had started out with a list of Tiffany characters, have not yet made one for the boarding house group. But this is available for cut and paste if anyone would like – it’s in very rough form. See next post.
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Clara’s Characters
Clara – head of the women’s dept.
Wilhelmina -- Swedish
Cornelia – Prussian
Mary – Irish
Minnie Henderson -- English
Agnes Northrup – glass selector, watercolorist
Edith Mitchill – painter?
Mr. Tiffany
Mr. Belknap – artistic director
Mr. Mitchell – business manager
Alice Gouvy – best friend, from Ohio
Have you noticed that there seems to be a bit of conflict between Clara and Agnes Northrup. Apparently Agnes stepped into Clara’s place when Clara left to get married, has even usurped some of her tools.
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YES, JOANR, DO TELL US ABOUT THAT WINDOW. It's lovely - windows I love. We took a tour not long ago with a local organization (LANDMARKS) of churches and their stained glass windows. Actually, they can be very different according to the artist and the time it was done.
I haven't quite got it all together as to how the windows are made. I understand the carbon paper pattern and the cutting (what skill there must be in it all that, think of the practicing!) but how to put it all together is still a mystery. Of course, I could study the book more carefully.
"Take it as a fantasy of a happy land where things that please the eye do not have to make sense. Just being beautiful is enough." - pg.31
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Oh, JoanR, the window is wonderful! Made my heart sing! What size is it and what room did you say it was in? What I love about it is the airiness!
My husband's aunt and uncle had stained glass windows in their dining room plus in a transom leading to the dining room. I think they either installed them or the windows were in the house before they bought it. But I have never seen one like your husband's which are so light and airy and don't block the outside light.
I did find a picture of "Young Woman at a Fountain" which is in the Walt Disney Suite in one of the on site hotels at Disney World or Disneyland. Picture wasn't that great so didn't pursue it.
As with the chapel which they sent to the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. It had be repaired and is now in the Morse Museum in Florida. I did not find any words to the effect that museum goers can walk around in it as was done during the exposition.
I know that the Columbian Exposition in Chicago was supposed to be held 1892 and from reading "The Devil in the White City", I seem to remember there was a reason for them holding it in 1893. If you all remember, it was held in the US because it was the 400th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of America in 1492.
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Annie, what I remember from Devil in White City (a fabulous book, BTW) is the tremendous pressure everyone was under. Apparently there was a delay from the powers that be (US govt?) in giving the coordinators the go-ahead on this huge undertaking.
I can understand why Tiffany was so stressed about it. Here is this big opportunity for him to "advertise his wares," so to speak, and the time span is really shorter than he needs. No wonder he welcomed Clara back so readily.
Ella, I'm with you. I don't understand the steps in this glass-making process either. But there sure are a lot of them.
I just found this -- Making Windows (http://www.bellstainedglass.com/index.cfm/Making-windows.cfm)
Perhaps it will help us better understand the process.
And this one -- pages 11-13
Making Windows Today (http://www.folklife.si.edu/resources/pdf/buildingartsguide.pdf)
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Prior to reading this book, I knew nothing about stained glass and the complex processes to create artistic work out of it. I loved reading in the book about the process of making the stained glass objects, even if it was not always exactly clear in my mind. I figure that any part of the process that I absorb is more than I knew before reading the book!
As you all have touched on, the book does talk about labor unions and the fact that the women who worked for Tiffany could not join them. I was not expecting there to be as much historical content in the book as there is, and I am delighted that there is even more for me to learn!
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One thing I noticed right away was the titles of the chapters. They are all beautiful, natural, and even symbolic things. I made it a point as I was reading to find specifically where in the chapter the title of the chapter was referenced and I made special mental note of what the chapter title was referring to.
I also like the image of the kaleidoscope and how the author used it at significant points in the book, like on page 76. The colored glass of the kaleidoscope reminds us of the colored glass of the stained glass art pieces. The pieces can be put together so many different ways to create beautiful designs. As Clara reaches pivotal points in her life, she sees the pieces of her life tumbling to form a new picture, like in the kaleidoscope.
Here’s a link to the painting of Feeding the Flamingoes referenced on page 9:
http://www.artrenewal.org/pages/artwork.php?artworkid=14100&size=large
(http://www.artrenewal.org/pages/artwork.php?artworkid=14100&size=large)
Here’s a link to a picture of the Angel of the Resurrection window mentioned on page 49:
http://www.imamuseum.org/art/collections/artwork/angel-resurrection-louis-comfort-tiffany-tiffany-studios (http://www.imamuseum.org/art/collections/artwork/angel-resurrection-louis-comfort-tiffany-tiffany-studios)
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Thanks, LAURA, for the links and the reference to the titles of the chapters. Fascinating isn't it?
Beautiful stained glass windows: Our very own Washington Cathedral:
''http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/view/209230/
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I love it that there is so much more in this book than I expected - the descriptions of the tenements remind me that I hope the next time we do a "Soiree in NYC", we will take in the "Tenement Museum".
I'm enjoying the boarding-house living and, of course, the glass studio.
Such a host of great characters to keep track of. I was a bit surprised at the acceptance of openly gay folks - of course, as they said, this was on the edge of "bohemia" - but this wasn't long after Oscar Wilde was imprisoned and died.
There's a lot of nostalgia for me in this book - one of my great aunts studied at the Art Student's League at about the time in which this book is set. I have some of her paintings.
About my husband's windows. He made 3 for our dining room about 35 years ago, identical except for the colors of the flowers which were different in each. He purposely designed them to let in some light. They are 5 feet tall and 30 inches wide. The window at the front of the house suffered some storm damage in an upper corner from a flying branch and has been lying on the work table in Dave's studio room on the 3rd floor. He really can't do that kind of work anymore. I hope that our Meg, when she stops being the busiest librarian in the county, will take a shot at it. She did a bit of glass work years ago and probably still remembers the techniques. It's not a big repair.
He is not computer-oriented at all so was flabbergasted when I showed him the picture of his window on the screen. (Thanks, Pedln and JoanP) . He is pleased and a bit embarassed by all the compliments.
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I loved the explanation of the doubling of the glass that Clara did. This seems to be an old technique.. I know Tim tried it, but did not figure out how to successfully make it work. T he making of the glass interests me. We traveled all over to see Chihuly's work and t heir version of color is good..Besides Clara is fun.
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He is pleased and a bit embarassed by all the compliments
He deserves every one, JoanR.
Steph, another Chihuly fan here, in spite of some of the marketing things I've read. I was really blown away the first time I saw his work in Seattle. Up until then, my knowledge of blown glass was "small and dainty." Annie, don't you have a permanent exhibit of his work somewhere in Columbus -- your Botanical gardens?
Must be in and out with Meals on Wheels and a few other things. Back later.
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Oh JoanR - those windows are just fantastic! Your home must be beautiful with those windows! Whatever creative ability I have - yearns to create something like those windows...but like you, Annie, I'd make a mess working with glass, I know it. Can't imagine snipping into glass, no matter how thin the sheets. I'll join you in the quilting corner... :D
But I do admire the finished work, and the precision that goes into it. I'm loving the posted links too.
I felt so badly for Clara - feeling she had to move out of Brooklyn at her husband's death -
"When her husband died, a black circle around her name - Her friends had the notion that a widow must creep through life as though she no longer belonged, taking one tedious, lonely breath after another during the long wait to be reunited with her other half in the hereafter."
I take it this is Susan Vreeland's fiction? That Clara Driscoll didn't write this in her letters... It is difficult to know where the history leaves off and the fiction begins. Clara is an interesting character - I love that Susan Vreeland is telling the story through her eyes, a mix of fact and fiction.
So she moved to Manhattan for a fresh start -
44 Irving Place between Union Square and Grammercy Park, Manhattan"Sourpusses and cigar smokers need not apply." Can see why Clara Driscoll was ready to move into the place immediately, can't you?
Do you think this building is still there - is it still a rooming house? Wouldn't it be fun to look for it? I remember looking for the Helene Hanff's book store on 84 Charring Cross Rd. in London and feeling disappointed to find it was no longer there.
I've been keeping a list of the boarders, there are quite a few - it's hard to keep them straight-
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Boarding House Roomers
Miss Merry Owens - Landlady - teaching Irish tatting to Mrs. Hackley
Mrs. Hackley - teaching zither to Dudley Carpenter
Dudley Carpenter - teaching drawing to Miss Hettie (sad face - Southern twang)
Miss Hettie - teaching piano to Mr. Hackley
Mr. Hank Hackley - teaching singing to Miss Lefevre
Miss Lefevre - teaching French to Mr. McBride
Mr. Hank McBride - teaching Art History to Mr. Booth (Scholarly Whitman quoter)
Mr. Bernard Booth - teaching accounting to Merry Owens
Dr. Griggs - bona fide doctor
Mr. Bainbridge - actor
George Waldo - a former boarder
Edwin Waldo - George's brother
A question in the heading asks - which of the boarders made the biggest impression so far - I'd have to say it's George - but he isn't a boarder, is he? A former boarder, he seems to be in and out of the house - for meals, even. Not sure why.
Isn't this fun? Do you think all of these characters in the house are Susan Vreeland's fiction?
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The Book Club Online is the oldest book club on the Internet, begun in 1996, open to everyone. We offer cordial discussions of one book a month, 24/7 and enjoy the company of readers from all over the world. Everyone is welcome to join in.
CLARA and MR. TIFFANY
by Susan Vreeland
| "For a century, everyone assumed that the iconic Tiffany lamps were conceived and designed by that American master of stained glass, Louis Comfort Tiffany. Not so! It was a woman!" (Susan Vreeland) | (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/claracoversm.jpg) | Vreeland captures Gilded Age New York and its atmosphere--robber barons, sweatshops, colorful characters, ateliers from the voluminous letters belonging to the Tiffany glass studio manager, Clara Driscoll, discovered by the author
(Amazon review ). |
| (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/dragonflylge.jpg) |
"My last lampshade was accepted and I am
having it made now. It will be quite expensive,
but I think it will be attractive and that the
general public will admire it. The one before
this was a purple and red scheme with opal
to lighten and soften it. Mr. Tiffany thought
it was very fine and Mr. Mitchell thought it
was the ugliest thing he ever saw."
(Letter from Clara Driscoll) | (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/aurora2.jpg)
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Discussion Schedule:
May 1-8 ~ Chapters 1-12
May 9-15 ~ Chapters 13-24
May 16-22 ~ Chapters 25-37
May 23-31 ~ Chapters 38-47
and the Afterward
Some Topics for Consideration
May 9 - 15 ~ Chapters 13 - 24
1. Why did Edwin leave Clara? Have you ever known someone who just disappeared like that? Do you think George has been fair to Clara, witholding what he knew of past episodes such as this?
2. What part does the dragonfly play in this story? What about the butterflies?
3. What do you think of Mr. Tiffany’s statements after he heard about Edwin. “You are mine again.” and “He was a fool to let you go.”
4. What about the other men in Clara’s life. Has she let Edwin go? Do you think Mr. Belknap has feelings for Clara also? What about Bernard Booth, does he have eyes for her or is he “just a friend.?”
Related Links: NPR Interview with Susan Vreeland (http://www.npr.org/2011/01/09/132781989/-Clara-And-Mr-Tiffany-A-Brightly-Colored-Story);
Morse Museum, Winter Park, FL - World's largest collection of Tiffany glass (http://www.morsemuseum.org/collection/louis_comfort_tiffany.html);
Tiffany Girls on Exhibition Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1wSmcde07o&feature=related);
Susan Vreeland Website for Clara (http://www.svreeland.com/tiff.html)
Discussion Leaders: Pedln (ann.bartlett@att.net ) & Annie (ADOANNIE35@YAHOO.COM)
JoanP, thanks for the list of Boarding House folk -- I've just added them to my list of Clara characters. George's and Edwin's last name is Waldo. George is an artist, and has a house or cabin of his own, but I gather that it is not close to Irving Place. I can't find where George is living now or why he moved. But he is a very likeable man. And in his own way, he is very fond of Clara, and she of him. And as he's well aware that he can't have her, he wants her to meet (and hopefully like) his brother.
Do you wonder as you read, what is fact and what is fiction here, or as Joan says, where history leaves off. These boarders, were they all real. I would doubt that it is still a rooming house. What say you, JOanR -- Irving Place is not far from the Strand Bookstore, my most favorite bookstore on earth -- well, tied with Seattle's old Elliott Bay Bookstore. (I haven't seen the new one.) It's a short street -- starts at about 14th St and ends at Gramercy Park, around 18th St. Between 3rd and 4th Ave. Not far from Union Square.
Can't you picture the dinner hour there. Everyone coming together at the end of the day, each one sharing the events of his/her day with the others. Can you imagine Clara's shock when at one of those meals she learns that her boss has never had a year when his business was in the black. His father has been supporting the son's Tiffany Glass Works.
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I have been imagining that although Clara is real and possibly some of the people who work with her, the boarding house is not. But since there were letters, maybe some of them are real as well. I dislike letter collections, but maybe I want to read these, although I think later. If i read them now, I might get confused as to real and unreal.
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I just spent the most delightful time looking at all the links that were brought here for us to peruse. What a delicious sight to see those windows and mosaics in real life. But, of course, Vreeland couldn't include pictures of all these wonderful pieces of art. Would have made a wonderful coffee table book with the art included, wouldn't it?? Maybe we should think of putting something like that together with the story. I would bet, someone with lots and lots of time on their hands, could do it on a site like Shutterfly. Hmmmmm!
Yes,Pedl'n, we have a complete Chihuly exhibit at our Franklin Park Conservatory donated by a wealthy family. Its so beautiful and they change it every once in awhile, placing different pieces with lighting around in the gardens. Very impressive! I have pictures somewhere on my computer and might try to place one or two here later.
I, too, love the boarding house crew and the life they have together. As to George and Edwin's last name, its somewhere in the book.
When I was growing up, my parents rented rooms to hockey players from Canada who played on the Detroit farm team in Indianapolis, called the Indy Capitols. They treated my brother and I like syblings and were always bringing us things from different cities where they played. They even took us to practice and sped up and down the ice with Joe or I in their arms. When we played hockey on roller skates with a tennis ball, we could sometimes talk(beg) them into joining us. We loved having them around and felt special to know them. We rented the roooms for about 10 years. Even in the summer, when the hockey players were home in Canada, my parents rented rooms to state fair goers plus my dad and brother parked cars for other fair goers in our backyard(they took down the fence that lined the driveway side of the yard.) Remember this was during the depression and WWII years, so anyway one could earn extra (non-taxed money was a plus at our home.
JoanR,
Do you have a picture of your aunt and one of her pictures?? Send them to JoanP! ::)
I did understand the glass making directions and also the difficulty and intense labor that each one took.
I am thinking that the window that I saw in the Morse Museum in 1991? had that folded glass gown in it. Wish I had a picture of that! Did anyone click on the link showing the lamp exhibit) Somewhere in the that there are two mosaics and one of them has the fine vines that I described here. Very hard work!
For those of you who went to NYC last year, I think the boarding house is somewhat close to where our hotel is. A new building, 1927 built. So, I am thinking we could go to Google Earth to see if the boarding house building is still there. One moment, please!
Here's a link to a photo of Tiffany's ceiling in the National Arts Club plus some history about the club.http://www.panoramio.com/photo/984620 (http://www.panoramio.com/photo/984620)
I believe its near the boarding house.
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Here's a link to 44 Irving Place. Caso Mono has that address now. When you click on this link, then look up at the top, you have to put in 44 Irving Place and click on "search". Map but no actual picture of the building that is there now. Sorry about that! I will try to walk by the restaurant in Google.
http://maps.google.com/ (http://maps.google.com/)
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Annie, I Google Earthed 44 Irving Place and this building kept coming up. I thought it looked more like a school than a Victorian rooming house - and it was!
It's Washington Irving High School - built in 1913. The article mentions that several buildings were taken down to put up the high school. Its
official address is 20 irving Place -(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Washington_Irving_High_School.jpg/325px-Washington_Irving_High_School.jpg)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Irving_High_School_(New_York_City)
Pedln, thanks for George and Edwin's last name...Waldo. I'll put that in the chart. Yes, I'd have loved the dinner hour in the rooming house. What would you announce as your special talent if asked by Merry Owens? Clara thought fast - she could recite poetry. I think we're going to see not only references to art in this book, but the boarders also seem to be quite a literary group, don't they?
Steph, you're probably right - it's better to accept this as Vreeland's fiction - and then find out later which were the real people on which she based the story. As I remember, that was the case with her "Luncheon of the Boating Party" too...
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Oh yes, JoanP,
I finally got the same idea. In one of the pics, its shown as being right in the wall of the school. Well, did you read the non complementary remarks made about the high school? Advising parents to look elsewhere.
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(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/1-4_Gramercy_Park_townhouses.jpg/300px-1-4_Gramercy_Park_townhouses.jpg)Let's see if this works. Here are some of the townhouses/rowhouses near Gramercy Park which was at the end of Irving Place. #44 Irving Place was a four-story building that would most likely be similar. These buildings were built in the mid-1800's.
It appears that Clara feels right at home at 44 Irving Place, fast becoming friends with George Waldo and his brother Edwin. But poor Clara. She really faces a dilemma when it comes to relationships with men. Not that she doesn't like or love them, and they her, but she can't have her cake and eat it too. Which does she love more? With which can she live without?
What do you think of her relationship with Edwin. And what about Edwin. Some of his behavior seems a bit bizarre. I was surprised when she accepted a theatre invitation from Mr. Belknap. What do y ou make of that?
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Edwin has something a bit off for me.. I think Clara must really look to her priorities.. I was so shocked at the death of the woman who worked with her.. I am sure this is a true picture of a period.. How sad though.
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I found this older photo of Madison Square Garden and wanted to plant it here as the boarding house group get ready to go to the Gas Exhibit in Madison Square Garden.
(http://www.nyc-architecture.com/GON/GON016F.jpg)
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As the boarding house group prepares for a trip to Madison Square Garden, Edwin presents another of his talents by playing "Sidewalks of New York" while Ms Merry sings it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsx_uxISjM0
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsx_uxISjM0)
In this link is told the story of the composer of this wonderful old song and then, with many pictures of old New York streaming by, someone sings the words. Wonderful pictures of days gone by. Enjoy!
My gosh, here's more pics of that time in NYC along with the music. Wonderful old photos!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwUQTCJTuqI&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwUQTCJTuqI&feature=related)
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I am enjoying all the comments and links, fun, fun!
PEDLIN, I read the chapters a few days ago but rather forget the particulars. I am skimming over Edwin and George's personalities, let's see.
George was a painter, an ice skater, carefree, spent money wildly......
Edwin was a sympathetic person, caring, saved his money, hated cold weather (and who doesn't?), and loved books.
A choice? I'd date both of them for different reasons - if I were asked!
Clara has been married, and is now a widow, time to be a bit wild herself maybe? A way to get back in the groove?
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They are off to the Majestic Hotel on Central Park West and 77 Streets. I'll see if I can find that. But one of the guests is Stanford White - you've probably read about him?? He was shot on the dining roof of a famous hotel, I'll look that up also. There have been books written about that case.
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The former Majestic Hotel - read all about it!
http://www.thecityreview.com/uws/cpw/cpw115.html
And if you can stomach all the ads and have the patience for this, the Majestic is in this Rand McNally Map somewhere - the map or book, is dated 1899 - wow! How great is that?
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21005955/1889-Greater-New-York-Illustrated
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Stanford White - famous architect of NYC:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_White
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Ella,
Nice pics in your first link but just an ad for a book about Illustrated NYC in the second. All pics were blocked out (blacked?).
I saw a movie about the murder of Stanford White by Harry Thaw when I was a teen. In beautuful living color!!
Here's a link to it: http://www.answers.com/topic/the-girl-in-the-red-velvet-swing-1 (http://www.answers.com/topic/the-girl-in-the-red-velvet-swing-1)
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Is Clara the only single woman in the boarding house - with all those men? I know she's a widow, but she is quite eligible. Ella, you're funny - you'd date both Edwin AND George! Come to think of it, neither one of these brothers actually live in the house.
I think Clara has a thing for Mr. Tiffany - and doesn't know it. She wants praise and attention from him so badly. Her heart skips a beat in his presence. At the Tiffany fancy dress ball at the Majestic Hotel - "With a flutter inside, I anticipated my turn to be greeted." Does this sound like a normal relationship between an employee and her boss? Maybe it's simply that she is in love with her job.
I don't think Clara is ready to marry anyone again, do you?. She's having too good a time! "Marriage is a risky business under the best of circumstances," she says.
Yet George proposes to her -on behalf of his brother. As Ella says, Clara compares Edwin and George quite a bit - Doesn't George always seem more appealing? "More spirited, more creative, more intoxicated with life." She could be describing herself. She's described as a "plucky New Woman" - not an old-fashioned girl looking for a husband to lean on.
Steph, what did you find off-putting about the handsome Edwin? He's attentive, he claims he loves her - "what's more, I want you to love me." Hmmm
He tells her of his plan - to marry her and take her to Mexico where he will manage a coffee plantation. What will she do there? Why would she want to leave her life in New York for a coffee plantation in Mexico? Oh, and he also tells her he's spoken to his parents in Conn. about this - and they approve of his plan. This, before he's spoken to Clara about it. Do you think she'll agree to this?
I'd love to know more about the "New Woman" in the 1890's. Were there many as "plucky" and independent as Clara Driscoll at this time?
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JoanP,
Take a look and some casual reads of this site? There were some women out there working! Running tiny businesses plus this lady, Wheeler, who was a busy bee!!
http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/wheeler.html (http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/wheeler.html)
And don't miss this page:http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/people.html (http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/ww/people.html)
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Annie and Ella, wonderful links here. Don’t you just love the old New Yorkisms that Vreeland includes in the book. Sometimes I think I get more caught up in the links to the background, than in the book. But all of it is fascinating.
So Stanford White was the architect for Madison Square Gardens – the 2nd Gardens. He liked his women young, I guess. He was 47, Evelyn Nesbit was 16. And his murderer Harry Thaw was a bad apple from the word go. Thaw rather abused Evelyn Nesbit before they were married and treated her very shabbily afterwards. A lot of that story was in Doctorow’s Ragtime, was it not.
There were other single women at the boarding house JoanP, we just don’t hear much about them. A Miss Hettie, a Miss Lefevre, and an older woman Francie. Did Alice Gouvy ever come to the boarding house?
Yes, Clara is not only eligible, she seems more than able to hold her own with the men in her life. I wonder about her marriage to Francis. She says she loved him, but told Alice she married him out of guilt because he had paid for her sisters education. (p.44) Apparently he was much (?) older. He must have been surprised to find he had such an independent wife. But what kind of man blames his wife for is inadequacies? You’re right Ella, she needs a chance to be a bit wild, get her groove back.
George, more than Edwin, seems to be more her type. He is fun, very uninhibited – he brushes her hair, he paints her room, and wants her to marry his brother. I’ve been wondering why he moved out of the boarding house, but it’s because he’s now in the studio next door. No doubt light, etc. had something to do with that move.
Independent , articulate, and talented as she is, I think Clara is really fighting some demons. Edwin’s behavior at George’s country studio in Nutley is strange, unbelievable. Yet in one moment she says’ that he’s inconsiderate and she’s miffed at him, and in the next she says she’ll go to Lake Geneva with him, and she’ll quit Tiffany Studios. Go figure.
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I'm new to this bookclub and wanted to say hi! I just got the book on kindle and am only on chapter four...so will probably just lurk for a while. I thought I would be further in the book by now. But...I am having so much fun following your conversations and links that it is really slowing me down. I just wanted to say thanks so much and I'll try to catch up!
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I am surprised that some of you are considering pairing Clara and George. I never thought it was an option. I assumed he was gay!
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But Laura, that doesn't mean that Clara isn't attracted to him, does it? I'm thinking of the time he proposed to her on Edwin's behalf - He tells her it would be a "delicious kind of union - plucky New woman and idealistic New Man." Do you remember her response? "I'd much rather it were you," she said softly.
And even more telling, unless you don't count dreams...remember when Edwin left her abruptly in Nutley, New Jersey...she had the dream that she was getting married - and when she got to the altar, it was George, not Edwin waiting for her.
Was Edwin really sick when he left? I don't believe that. Hadn't he been brooding all evening, even before he felt sick? Why didn't he just excuse himself and come back when he felt better - instead of just disappearing into the night, leaving her with George. There's something going on with him. And Clara too - suddenly she decides she'll quit Tiffany's and go off with Edwin? Really? We know that's not going to happen - or the book would be finished, don't you think? Why does she do things like this? Do you understand her?
Annie, thanks for the links. I came in to read them this morning. I'm interested in this "New Woman of the 1890's. She isn't my own Great Grandmother. I'd love to hear about yours. Were they "New Women"?
Mary H - from Alaska! Wonderful. Welcome! Can't wait to get to know you - when you get caught up.
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Thanks for those links, Annie. I'm still musing on the discrepancies between the lives of my own great grandmothers, and these liberated women we are now reading about. I found two more interesting links you might like -
The New Woman (http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/386/newwoman.html)
"Women's lives at the end of the nineteenth century were changing dramatically on various fronts, most visibly so for daughters middle and upper classes.
White, native-born women were joining white foreign-born and black women in the labor force for first time and despite exploitative conditions under which they sometimes labored. These women were increasingly to be found in the previously male domains of business and the professions. The percentage of female professionals reached an historic peak in the early twentieth century while new and highly visible white collar occupations provided work for secretaries and salesgirls. Women in the professions were only 6.4% of non-agricultural female work force in 1870 but were 10% in 1900 and 13.3.% in 1920, representing almost one million women."
Women in New York City, 1890-1940 (http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/386/)
During this period, the "True Woman" identity which many women embraced during the nineteenth century was challenged by women who called themselves (and were called) "New Women." In addition, many women--some new arrivals to New York City--challenged the validity of either identity as defining their own experiences as women. In the course from which the website developed, we read and discussed primary and secondary accounts of the lives of women radicals in Greenwich Village, immigrant women, Bowery Girls, working women, African-American intellectual women, Blues singers and songwriters, women artists, and many other kinds of women.
Do you remember anything of Clara's background - her family circumstances, her education - BEFORE she met Francis? My memory is like a sieve these days...
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i JUST HAVE TIME FOR A QUICK PEEK THIS MORNING.
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL MOTHERS EVERYWHERE!
AND A HEARTY, WARM WELCOME TO MARY - HI MARY UP THERE IN ALASKA!! WHAT'S YOUR SPRING WEATHER LIKE?
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HAPPY MOTHERS DAY
Just a quick peek this morning and good morning to our newest member, MaryH! And good morning to Laura, JoanP, and Ella.
I didn't have a "NEW WOMAN" great grandmother but I did have a great aunt who was thrown into the work force in the early 1900's when her husband left her with three children to raise on her own. She became a very successful milliner, having her own shop downtown giving her the needed exposure for her beautiful hats. Our only collectible from her is a family quilt that she spent many hours making for her daughter(my aunt Betty)and her new husband(Uncle Bill).
I also have another great aunt from the other side of the family who probably could have run the oval office. She was widowed in 1919 when the pandemic flu struck down the love of her life,Tom, she went on to start several small businesses which made her quite wealthy. She owned her own lovely home and even had a chauffeur for awhile. But, somewhere in '30s she met Walter and married him. He was younger than she was but she thought he loved her. Walter absconded with all of her money, jewelry and limosine(maybe he had been her chauffeur?) and went to Hollywood where he did not succeed. Poor Aunt Liz died(in '57) with neither a pot nor a window to her name.
My reason for being here this morning was to leave an article from a book concerning the women of Connecticut who had wonderful exhibit at Columbian Exhibit in women's building. I was looking for Harriet Beecher Stowe on that women working site and this is what I found about her and White City. Her story starts on page 93.
http://books.google.com/books?vid=HARVARD32044011771573&printsec=titlepage#v=onepage&q&f=false
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Ay, Annie, the story of your Aunt Liz and the despicable Walter is one that is unfortunately too familiar to many women. I had dinner today with a family who had an aunt experience something very similar. I’ve scanned some of the material in the Women of Conn. book, found the bust of Harriet Beecher Stowe.
MaryH, you’re here!! That’s wonderful. Don’t worry about being behind, we’re just glad you’re with us. And you’ll soon catch up. But I agree with you , it’s so easy to get caught up in all the links. Whenever you’re ready with a comment, will be fine with us. (I’m reading this on a kindle, too.)
So many books here, so much to see and talk about, so little time. I’ve browsed through parts of the the New Women. In spite of low numbers for educated or professional women, it sounds like we were making progress.
Now, what about this. Clara was really counting on changing Mr. Tiffany’s policy about married women working. And of course, she didn’t. But she still quit. Why, I wonder. Granted, it was sort of a trial run, but she seems pretty mixed up. And Edwin!! Will he be found, why do you think he ran?
Do you remember anything of Clara's background - her family circumstances, her education - BEFORE she met Francis? My memory is like a sieve these days...
J
oanP, there is a little of that on p.44. And I know there is more somewhere, but it slips in here and there. Clara must have some education as we know that she taught school back in Ohio. She also mentioned taking some classes at the Metropolitan Museum.
What do you all think? Will art or marriage win out? Can she really be happy with Edwin when we know she really likes George? Even though he’s unattainable?
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Joan said: But Laura, that doesn't mean that Clara isn't attracted to him [George], does it?
I hear what you are saying. Yes, Clara does seem to be attracted to him. However, I could clearly see that George was gay and unavailable and felt bad for Clara because she did not see it. Therefore, I didn’t entertain any notions of them being a couple because I knew that George was unavailable, even if Clara did not.
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Here's quite a nice find. I googled "Lake Geneva, WI, 1890's photos and postcards" and up pops these post cards which show what a popular vacation spot the lake and area around it was. You can go down through the cards seeing an already crowded and popular place welcomed Edwin and Clara.
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=lake+geneva+WI
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Laura, perhaps Clara knew George was gay, but it didn't stop her from liking him best. Edwin seems a pretty serious sort of guy. Nothing wrong in that, but I think Clara would have liked to see some of George's light side in him.
That is a nice find, Ann. Lots of good pictures. I grew up on Lake Michigan, about 50 some miles east of Lake Geneva. It might as well have been 200 miles, as I t hink I was pretty-well grown before I ever went there. Lots of resorts. In Clara's day it was the place for wealthy Chicagoans to escape to. To my mind, it was the sort of place to go for lunch at one of the hotels, and then browse in the gift shops. My last visit a few years ago we took the boat ride and I was just amazed at all the mansions there.
Here we are in Lake Geneva, WI. Edwin had a big success, a standing ovation after the speech in Chicago. Clara jokes that maybe he’ll have another one that night. And they both did. So what happened?
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Whoa! She was a pretty sassy young lady, wasn't she? I wonder if having a sad marriage which ended with the death of her husband earlier made her more confident in what she said to Edwin? He didn't seem to pick up on that line about having a standing ovation later in the evening at all. Wonder what he was thinking about as he looked out the window from Kaye's Hotel.
Speaking of that hotel, I found reference to it but no photo. On a tiny map, it showed the grounds sitting right at the edge of the lake. I did find a post card with a picture of another hotel on Lake Geneva. You can enlarge it and see the clothes that they wore at the time. My goodness, they must have really been over heated! They could have just stayed in Chicago but removed some that clothing and been cooler!
http://cgi.ebay.com/POSTCARD-Lake-Geneva-WI-Hotel-Glenwood-1907-/320665658277?_trksid=p4340.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D200603992161%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D9030652719445041345#ht_1361wt_1025
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Here's a picture of Kaye's Park Hotel. Do you think it looks fancy? Of course, lake property no matter what's on it is very valuable. I wonder what's there now?
Kaye's Park Hotel (http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/feature/skyhigh/fullRecord.asp?id=26011&qstring=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wisconsinhistory.org%2Fwhi%2Ffeature%2Fskyhigh%2Fresults.asp%3Fpageno%3D8%26subject_broad_id%3D%26subject_narrow_id%3D%26subject_narrow%3DLakes%26results_relevancy%3D%26search_type%3Dbasic%26sort_by%3Ddate)
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Nuts!
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This is Younglands, a 50-room mansion, with a dining room that seats 100 at a single table. Clara would not have seen this as it was not completed until 1901 at a cost of $1 million dollars, but perhaps they were working on it.
Current amenities include a miniature golf course and gymnasium on the 4th floor, a three-lane bowling alley in the basement, and a roof-top swimming pool.
(http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/lake%20geneva%20mansion.jpg)
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Looking at all these mansions and hotels, here at this very posh lake resort, don't you wonder how Clara could afford it. And George came, too. I doubt they're sharing a room, but they stayed for ten days. They had no choice there, but that costs too. And speaking of George, what do you think -- did he hold back on some things that Clara ought to have known before making a decision that could affect the rest of her life?
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I don't know if I'd hold it against George for not telling Clara that Edwin disappeared for a few days back in his school days, Pedln. That was a while ago, wasn't it? How long ago was he in school? For that matter, how old do you think Clara is at this time? My first thought was that she was in her mid - late twenties, but I've read the next few chapters, and know that she is older than that.
Of course there was the more recent "sick day" when he left Clara in Nutley, New Jersey - but Clara was in on that. George wants so badly for Edwin and Clara to marry, but I don't think he wants to see her get hurt. If he suspected Edwin might have a problem, I think he would have told her, don't you? And remember, the Waldo parental units had approved of Edwin's plan to marry Clara...
I've read only up to Chapter 20, so don't know yet if Edwin has returned. Do you think he's okay? Can you think of a reason he would hurry out after having spent what seems to have been a fantastic night with Clara? Can't help but wonder if this episode is part the collection of Clara's letters unearthed by Susan Vreeland. Will leave that alone for now.
Thanks for the great photos of the Lake - and the Kaye's Park Hotel especially. A good question - how did Clara and George pay for their stay here? I thought Edwin was going to foot the bill with the money he received for his Chicago talk. Maybe he paid Mr. Kaye up front? I hope so.
I found this 1882 view of the lake - if you click the link you can zero in and enlarge the different sections and see that it is really not all that developed.
Panoramic View of Lake Geneva - 1882
Check the bottom left corner for Kaye's place... (http://www.zazzle.com/1882_lake_geneva_wi_birds_eye_view_panoramic_map_poster-228877128126724015)
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It was obvious that George was gay. I think Clara knew that, too; but it didn't stop her from liking him best. He was certainly more fun than the serious Edwin. And what about Edwin??? Clara had the impression that their evening went well. How did Edwin feel? Did he mean to disappear; or was he coming back and something prevented him? Is he mentally disturbed? Will he show up again? So many questions.....
Sally
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We are already into the new chapters of this week with Edwin and Clara extending their trip to Chicago up to Lake Geneva. They went to Kayes Hotel and Cottages. Although Kayes is no longer there, the land having been used for Northwestern Military School, I did find this picture of what must have been a similar resort/camp.
http://cgi.ebay.com/POSTCARD-Lake-Geneva-WI-Hotel-Glenwood-1907-/320665658277?_trksid=p4340.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D200603992161%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D9040104389031750242#ht_1361wt_1025
I hope this one works.
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I just knew that something was off with Edwin and boom.. he disappears.. and not for the first time. She is better off, at least I think so.
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So here comes George who is crushed by his brother's disappearance but he has held back something. Will he finally tell Clara about George's strange behavior before.
I love the picture's of Lake Geneva and the map. I enlarged it looking for a location for Kaye's but didn't see much more.
If my that link I left here comes up and you enlarge it, you can see why the vacationeers were so hot! Good grief, this was before the creations of those awful bathing suits that you see in old pictures of the beaches off New York's coast.
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Nuts!
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A good question, Sally, did Edwin mean to disappear?
What do you think of the conversation between Clara and Mr. Tiffany, when she comes back from Lake Geneva?
"Have you married him?"
"No"
"Then you are single," he said.
I said yes, realizing that Edwin had given me back my art.
"You are mine again?"
"Yes, I am yours --- if my work has pleased you"
"Shame on you for doubting."
Do you think that's why Edwin left -- to give her back her art? I agree, STeph, she is better off without him.
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The Book Club Online is the oldest book club on the Internet, begun in 1996, open to everyone. We offer cordial discussions of one book a month, 24/7 and enjoy the company of readers from all over the world. Everyone is welcome to join in.
CLARA and MR. TIFFANY
by Susan Vreeland
| "For a century, everyone assumed that the iconic Tiffany lamps were conceived and designed by that American master of stained glass, Louis Comfort Tiffany. Not so! It was a woman!" (Susan Vreeland) | (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/claracoversm.jpg) | Vreeland captures Gilded Age New York and its atmosphere--robber barons, sweatshops, colorful characters, ateliers from the voluminous letters belonging to the Tiffany glass studio manager, Clara Driscoll, discovered by the author
(Amazon review ). |
| (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/dragonflylge.jpg) |
"My last lampshade was accepted and I am
having it made now. It will be quite expensive,
but I think it will be attractive and that the
general public will admire it. The one before
this was a purple and red scheme with opal
to lighten and soften it. Mr. Tiffany thought
it was very fine and Mr. Mitchell thought it
was the ugliest thing he ever saw."
(Letter from Clara Driscoll) | (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/aurora2.jpg)
|
Discussion Schedule:
May 1-8 ~ Chapters 1-12
May 9-15 ~ Chapters 13-24
May 16-22 ~ Chapters 25-37
May 23-31 ~ Chapters 38-47
and the Afterward
Some Topics for Consideration
May 9 - 15 ~ Chapters 13 - 24
1. Why did Edwin leave Clara? Have you ever known someone who just disappeared like that? Do you think George has been fair to Clara, witholding what he knew of past episodes such as this?
2. What part does the dragonfly play in this story? What about the butterflies?
3. What do you think of Mr. Tiffany’s statements after he heard about Edwin. “You are mine again.” and “He was a fool to let you go.”
4. What about the other men in Clara’s life. Has she let Edwin go? Do you think Mr. Belknap has feelings for Clara also? What about Bernard Booth, does he have eyes for her or is he “just a friend.?”
5. What do you think of the author's style. Do you find it easy to move from Tiffany Works to the Boarding House, from personal life to art?
Related Links: NPR Interview with Susan Vreeland (http://www.npr.org/2011/01/09/132781989/-Clara-And-Mr-Tiffany-A-Brightly-Colored-Story);
Morse Museum, Winter Park, FL - World's largest collection of Tiffany glass (http://www.morsemuseum.org/collection/louis_comfort_tiffany.html);
Tiffany Girls on Exhibition Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1wSmcde07o&feature=related);
Susan Vreeland Website for Clara (http://www.svreeland.com/tiff.html)
Discussion Leaders: Pedln (ann.bartlett@att.net ) & Annie (ADOANNIE35@YAHOO.COM)
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I don't think Edwin meant to disappear. He told her he was going out to get a surprise for her. He was a strange man; but I don't think he was cruel. It would have been cruel for him to leave her there waiting for him to return with her surprise. Will we see him again? I agree that she was better off without him.
Sally
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I think that Edwin has some sort of mental quirk about committment. But I hope he stays gone. Clara is better off without him.
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Sally, I agree - Edwin was not a cruel person, and when he said he was going out to bring Clara a "surprise" - I think he meant it. Wasn't it interesting that the detective followed him to so many cities? Is he being pursued? Is he trying to protect Clara from something or someone - or is he having a mental problem of some sort? I am confident that he will turn up eventually - as we turn the pages.
Steph - do you really think that Edwin is afraid of committment and that's why he had to leave Clara in this way? Clara must really love him - to give up her job at Tiffany's for him. And now that he has disappeared, after a rather long period of searching for him, she goes back to Tiffany's - though "heartsick that she may have caused him some catastrophe."
George has changed - he's cleared out Edwin's things from the settlement house. He really doesn't think that his brother will return, does he? What did it mean that Edwin had left behind the diamond ring everyone assumes he intended for Clara? Don't you think he would have brought it with him to give to her on their "pre-nuptial" trip? Perhaps this is the "surprise" that he was going back to get for her? I'll admit that doesn't make much sense - but the question remains, why didn't he take it with him when they went off together?
Lucky Mr. T was ready to take her back as soon as he heard she hadn't married Edwin
Clara really savored those words from her boss -
"I blushed to think he thought of me as his."
I'm telling you, I think this relationship is far more than one between an employee and her boss. What is the age difference between these two? Can you believe that Clara is 37 years old? Didn't you think she was younger than that?
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JoanP,
I think we read somewhere about Mr T being around forty. But if you check his birth date, 1848, he was, in 1892, 51 yrs of age. I just don't think that there is anymore between them except their shared love of art. Remember he is married and has just lost a child, a daughter. I think Clara must be so embarassed when he says, "You are mine again?" But I still think it is her love of the art of glass and designing beautiful things that he truly admires.
Salan,
I don't think Edwin's leaving so suddenly was planned. Could it have been something Mr T brought about as Clara mentions? Hmmmm! Or is he laying somewhere in the weeds or in the lake?
Pedl'n,
Where did you find that wonderful picture of Kayes Resort? That certainly was a fancy place, wasn't it? Mercy!
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I read a few more chapters last night and am I the only one who is disgusted with Clara? She's depraved - I can't imagine a girl - a woman - even today luring a man into her bed as she did. "I'd like to work on your lower east side;" - speaking of her "tingly" feelings, etc. It seems to me that Edwin is holding back, but finally gives in and off they go to "succeed."
It's a guess, of course, but perhaps Edwin sees a trap and wants to escape? Or perhaps he is escaping his father, who had pinned his hopes on him. Clara even suggested at one point that he had left intentionally.
Yes, JOANP, I am surprised that Clara is 37 years old. She wasn't married to that rich fellow, his first husband, very long was she?
I think she is a woman of many talents; Mr. T thought so, he wanted her back immediately when he discovered she hadn't married. But he is becoming tedious isn't he? His "stock sayings." I agree, ANN, that it is her love of the art of designing beautiful things that is keeping her aat the job. She was willing to leave it to marry Edwin don't you think?
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Ella, I'm looking at Clara as one of the new liberated, independent women at the turn of the century. She did give notice at Tiffany's to marry Edwin, but notice that she didn't marry him. She has reservations about his ability to excite her, perhaps? He's not high spirted, like George. Do you suppose she was giving Edwin an audition to see if they were compatible, if she wanted to actually marry him?
Now that Edwin is gone, she can admit to herself there was something to that the dream in Nutley (that she was marrying George, and not Edwin) Now her heart is breaking over the loss of Edwin.
Do we know what kind of doctor, the boarder, Dr. Griggs is? Remember Clara asked him if he thought Edwin might be alive - and just lost? Dr. Grigg's tells her that if he had an illness or a disorder, he might not have the sense to nourish himself, or take care of himself. But if he left intentionally, the doctor tells her, he might have a plan, so he's probably all right.
Which do you think happened?
As long as Clara believes that he left intentionally, he might be alright - and return. If she really believes this, she can't move on and become interested in another man. Not Mr. Belknap, with his opera tickets, or the Booth brothers...or anyone else. But she can throw herself into her work and Mr. Tiffany.
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Ladies, after rereading all your comments about Clara and Edwin, I just had another thought about why Edwin left. P. 115, the very end of chpt. 14.
George says, "The prospect of having you in the family was irresistible. And I wanted so badly for him to have you."
Yes, he goes on to say, "He would have been a broken man if you had said no."But I wonder, did George push Edwin into something he may have had second thoughts about?
And now Clara has other things to contend with. How did she phrase it? Double duty? Keeping the accounts is part of the territory for someone in charge, but it seems like that would be a job unto itself. I'm having trouble understanding all the intricacies, and don't understand the "contract" method at all. But that Mr. Mitchell. He's a pain, isn't he.
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The explanation for the discovery of the lamp shades is really wonderful. Did it happen that way?? or is that fiction.. Clara is truly talented if she really did proceed on the premise in the book..
I think that Clara has a secret yearning for Mr. T's life.. She really is suited to George.. Shame he is interested in men not women. Her learning the bike is hysterical.. Brave lady indeed.
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Steph, I wonder if any of that description was in her letters. I've only read a few letters, but she does write about her work. Here is a link to a picture from Susan Vreelands website. It does make it easier to understand the process, doesn't it, if we can see the picture. (see chpt. 18)
I guess you could say this idea came about from the baptismal font dome (sent to the exhibition) and meeting Alistair and his butterfly collection.
Butterfly Lamp (http://www.svreeland.com/tif-c-gal006.jpg)
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Pedln, thank you so much for the butterfly lamp. It is just what I pictured...only more. The blues~ the yellows!
I stumbled over this site - which includes a photograph of Clara with the girls in the workshop...can you spot her? Steph, do you remember seeing this? I was pleased - and somewhat surprised to see Clara getting recognition for her designs - The Morse Museum, Winter Park, FL - with a photo of Clara in the workroom (http://www.morsemuseum.org/pdf/LampBrochure.pdf)
Here's a close up from the same group photo. I hesitate to put up this picture of Clara because maybe she doesn't match the fictional Clara you have been picturing in your mind. Let' me know if it bothers you - I'll take it down...How about I don't identify her?
One of these women is "your" Clara. Photo was taken in 1904.
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/02/25/arts/25kast190.2.jpg)
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JoanP, thank y ou for the picture of "the girls" and the link to the lighting history. I think I know which one is Clara. And some of them look very young. But that is no doubt because while Mr. T had his policy of no marrieds, Clara had to have a policy of hiring only young girls. Age eighteen was too old for a hire because as soon as she was trained, she'd want to leave to get married. Isn't it amazing what some of these fourteen and fifteen year-olds could do. For $6.50 a week.
Here's a link to one of the early dragonfly lamps, this one an oil lamp. (Chpt. 21)
Oil Dragonfly Lamp (http://www.svreeland.com/tif-c-gal008.jpg)
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I guess that was big money for these girls back then, wasn't it? It's great to think of them, making good money and taking pride in their work. Not at all like the sweat shops so many young girls worked in at the time.
Pedln, I'm still admiring the butterfly lamp - This was Clara's "first original motif." From this came a whole line, a new market for Tiffany's. Mr. T. called the lamps "an entirely new design for those wh can't afford a window."
The idea for the shade came from that baptismal font dome in the Chapel that Tiffany's displayed at the Chicago Fair in 1893. I was surprised to learn that the whole chapel and everything in it was disassembled and moved to the Morse Museum in Winter Park! Steph, I'll bet you saw this too! I think we all need to just pile into the car and head to Florida! All this stuff seems to be under one roof!
Here's the dome of the baptismal font - its design inspired the shades which would make Tiffany lamps a household name...
(http://www.tfaoi.com/am/4am/4am324.jpg)
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I didn't work too hard at understanding the accounting debacle. At least it seemed that way to me. Sounds like something a union would require. Mr Mitchell is a royal pain. He should have had the job of doing the accounting. Clara is not a mathematician. But at least she is given some help from Bernard Boothe.
The story of the bicycle learning is truly enjoyable. Most of us probably learned to ride a bike when we in grade school and here's Clara, at age 37, buying her own and letting Bernard help her steady herself along Irving place. She is a gutsy lady and evidently her friend from work is also. Trucks her bicycle on the train to join Clara on her rides. Strong Russian lady there! They do have such a delightful time bicycling around Central Park. I love the way Bernard tells Clara how to get over railroad tracks. My btrrother and I had to go over railroad tracks on our way to the state fair grounds where we could ride all over the different roads that were not being used when the fair was going on. We tried angling our tires at high speed and then doing the direct aim(Bernard's suggestion) arguing which was the easiest and the least hard on the bike and the driver.
JoanP,
Is the Grand Army Plaza at 59th St where we(the Books and Literature, a former site on SN) all met for the first time in NYC in 1998?
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Well, wrong again, am I! I looked up the Grand Army Plaza and found descriptions of two, one in NYC proper and the other in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Seems to me that Pedl'n toured that park while visiting her daughter?? Is that right, Pedl'n?
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I’m in the middle of chapter 20, so I think I’m finally caught up enough to pop in. This is the first book I’ve read on my Kindle app for Macbook and it’s great. I can sit anywhere at home and simultaneously read the book, make notes in word processing software, AND research links on the internet - all from the same device!
The book is an enjoyable look into the past and the art of stained glass. But I wonder if Clara’s outlook, as interpreted by the author, is too modern even for a New Woman.
For example, the topic of homosexuality appears several times. (I hope it's not offensive to anyone to discuss this.)
*Miss Merry Owens tells Clara that a couple of mollies live at the boarding house.
*George points out to Clara that, unlike himself, Edwin is not a nellie.
*Clara says she wishes it were George who was proposing marriage. In which case she’d be willing to be the steady breadwinner, and George could continue to carry on with Hank and Dudley.
None of these comments appear to make Clara uncomfortable. (Not that I am passing judgment myself.) I’m just surprised that it’s such a non-issue for Clara. I noticed that the author gave a bibliography for her research. It included a section of references titled “Homosexuality in the Arts”. So it looks like she did her research. Maybe these New Women were way more modern than I could have imagined!
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Yes, the Baptismal font and the room is so gorgeous.. My favorite place in the whole museum.. I have a fellow widow who has not seen the place and I have promised to take her some weekend day soon..She has been reading about it.
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I think something happened to Edwin that made him disappear. I don’t think he would have just left Clara like that. An illness of some sort is what I am thinking. It will be interesting to see if he comes back.
As for the bookkeeping/accounting that Clara now has to do, I do feel badly for her. It is not her strength and is a pain, especially without modern conveniences like bar coding, computers, and spreadsheet programs. It is not necessary to understand exactly what she is doing (I do since I am a cost accountant and this type of time and job tracking is done everyday at companies around the world). Just know that it is time consuming, takes away from her creative time, and causes friction between her and the business department.
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But I can understand why Clara feels that she is the only one who understands how to handle the accounting fairly. To me, this shows that she has a heart - and really cares about the girls. Otherwise she would just concentrate on her own projects.
It's a good thing she has Bernard to help her with it - don't see how she'd manage it otherwise. We're seeing so many of the boundaries between her home and her work life dissolve, aren't we? I like the way Susan Vreeland goes back and forth from the rooming house to the shop.
Not sure that Clara had feelings for Bernard - EXCEPT when she learned that he now has a fiancee - "A jolt went up her spine." She feels "disoriented." How dare he keep that a secret from her?
I wonder about that too. Does he fear telling her - or doesn't he think it's important enough to tell her? Or is it even true?
Now his brother Alistair is a totally different story. He "murders" the butterflies to study them. She was repulsed when he popped the eyes of one of them...when he "plunged a pin into the tiny head."
But she does admire their beauty - even goes with Alistair to get more of them for study.
Mr. Tiffany's words of advice are important here, I think. "Take a good look," he said, "but don't copy nature. Suggest it, stylize it, simplify it - it's artifice, after all."
Clara responds to his approval of her idea - "I felt hot with the knowledge that this was a moment of great importance." "Two artists connected by an idea." I'm reminded of the time she felt attracted to Edwin - when he was playing the piano, she realized that he was "creative" - an "artist"... At that moment she became attracted to him.
MaryH, I know what you mean about Clara's portrayal - a bit too modern, even for a New Woman. If the portrayal is accurate, however, I've learned a lot about the women of this period.
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Ha ha Annie, I was so surprised to see that there was a Grand Army Plaza in Manhatten. The only one I knew of is in Brooklyn. But how great that Clara now has two wheels – to go further and faster. So much exploring for her to do.
*Clara says she wishes it were George who was proposing marriage. In which case she’d be willing to be the steady breadwinner, and George could continue to carry on with Hank and Dudley.
That is interesting, MaryH. I missed that comment. The other doesn’t surprise me too much. Clara is definitely her own woman. Very independent and sure of herself.
Steph, I was going to ask you what you liked best in the museum. Lucky you to be not so far from it that you can’t go again. I’m sure we would like to join you and your friend.
Laura, we appreciate your input about the accounting. It really sounds so complicated, especially with Clara having to run around to all the different departments during the last two hours of Thursday afternoon, and then having to take it all home to organize it on her own time. I’m sure she wasn’t paid for that. (But most of us probably did not get paid for all the hours we worked.) It would all be a lot easier, though, if Mr. mitchell were a bit more pleasant.
Ah yes, JoanP, the fiancee. So she knows, but he doesn’t know she knows. Clara’s ship does not sail smoothe.
I’ve been out most of the day, and have found my desktop to be behaving badly. Thank goodness for laptops, but it’s hard to see clearly, and worse to type. I have to unplug the big pc and the router that connects the little pc. Back when I can.
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Hard to have a first choice in the museum. The chapel is overwhelming.. You feel deeply spiritual as you enter it. But There is some art glass( small) that is just incredible..so I dont think I have one best choice.
Yes, I find Clara advanced in her treatment of sexual issues, but it seems to stem from a really bad first marriage.She is determined not to make the same mistake again.
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MaryH
I have,also, been thinking about Clara's light treatment of the gay issue at the boarding house. I think she might be more of a bohemian than we expected. She certainly chose a delightful place to live. They all have their different talents in Ms Merry's place and that really sort of jazzes up the reading.
Steph, when I read that one could walk through the chapel at the Columbian Exhibit, I wondered if its set up that way in the Morse. What a treat! Can't wait to get back down there to see it. Shall we all go??
Pedl'n
I truly love the park in Brooklyn. Well, I love the pictures of it that I can get up on my laptop. That's another place we must visit next time in NYC.
LauraGlad we have someone here who understands all the accounting issues.
and
JoanP
That fountain is just stunning. Thanks for the photo.
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Yes, let’s all go to the Morse Museum to see all these Tiffany and Driscoll wonders.
Mr. Tiffany's words of advice are important here, I think. "Take a good look," he said, "but don't copy nature. Suggest it, stylize it, simplify it - it's artifice, after all."
I’m glad you found the statement, JoanP. I’d been trying to get back to it because it surprised me when I first read it. It seemed the opposite of what I’d expect Mr. Tiffany to say. He’s such a perfectionist I never would have expected him to say “simplify it.”
East 72nd and Madison Avenue. Four large lots. It dwarfed mansions on 5th Avenue. Chapter 19 describes the Tiffany Mansion where the Christmas Tiffany Ball was held. Clara invited George as her guest. I’ve been trying to find a picture of it, but so far no luck. The two links below show a building at the intersection of Madison and E 72nd, but it is The Rhinelander Mansion, completed in 1898, and is now the flagship store for Ralph Lauren. But it does show the style of architecture of the period. Mr. York called Mr. Tiffany’s home Romanesque Revival. Lots of opulence in both homes.
Madison at 72nd Street (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brulelaker/2950993528/)
A Mansion at Christmas (http://www.chuckcheesman.net/what) -- scroll down
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Pedln, I think you are very close - the mansion at Madison and 72 in the above link is the Rhinelander Mansion, which is said to be located across the street from Louis Tiffany's place - There's some good stuff in this link - This mansion had 57 rooms! Imagine Clara's reaction when she arrived for the soiree at this place! She and George were given the special tour too!
Louis Comfort Tiffany's "townhouse" on Madison (http://www.nycago.org/Organs/NYC/html/ResTiffanyLC.html)
(http://www.nycago.org/Organs/NYC/img/ResTiffanyLCExt.jpg)
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Wow, JoanP, how did you find that? A great picture, and it certainly would dwarf the other homes. 57 rooms there, and then they had a "summer?" home Briars, on Long Island. I see in your link that they demolished the home in 1936. I'm glad the Rhinelander Mansion is still standing, so we still have one building of the neighborhood left.
Clara also went to Tiffany's home when he was sick, to give him a progress report.
I reported that the last of the three mosaic panels depickrting scenes from Homer that we had been working on for Princeton was more than half completed. Since the three panels together were eighty feet wide, and we were that far along, he was pleased.
I’m not sure I understand the term “mosaics” here. Do these mosaics let in light, is stained glass also used. This is how they have been described. Note that the designer is named.
A beautiful mosaic with depictions of scenes from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey dominates the back wall of the stage. Homer himself is pictured in the center panel, framed by Helen, Paris, and Mentor from the Iliad on the right, and Telemachus, Penelope, Odysseus, and Achilles from the Odyssey on the left. The Greeks prepare for war on the far left, while Trojan warriors with chariot and horses await the call to battle on the far right. These panels were designed by J.A. Holzer and made of tiles from Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company.
I had thought of asking my granddaughter to run over to Alexander Hall and take pictures, but figured she’d probably be in the middle of finals or read week, so here is a link that is probably better.
Homer Mosaic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alexander_Hall_stage_Princeton.jpg)
Jacob Adolphus Holzer (1858 — 1938) was a Swiss-born designer, muralist, mosaicist,[1] interior designer, and sculptor who was associated with both John La Farge and Augustus Saint-Gaudens before he left to direct the mosaic workshops of Louis Comfort Tiffany,[2] where he was preceded by his friend from La Farge's studio, the German immigrant Joseph Lauber (1855—1948). Holzer worked with Tiffany until 1898.
Holzer designed the sculptural electrified lantern that became famous at the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago 1893, one of two electrified lanterns that have been called the "ancestors" of all later Tiffany lamps.
It appears that he received recognition early on.
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Here's the Marquette Building in Chicago in which Holzer and Tiffany did the mozaics. Story of that is down aways on the page with pictures of the mosaics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquette_Building_(Chicago) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquette_Building_(Chicago))
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Thank you - Thank you- Thank you for all of the links and pictures. Those mosaics are breathtaking. I never knew of Tiffany mosaics as in the Homer, but cutting tiny mosaic tiles is not much different than larger pieces of class for the window panels - or the lamps. Isn't this wonderful, reading the book with all of these photos available on the Internet! So much more rewarding to actually see what Susan Vreeland is describing.
Louis (Loo-ey) Tiffany is a genius - even if he doesn't give credit as he should. I think he's not aware of where his ideas come from - whether from nature, from art - or even from the people he works with. Once he gets an idea, absolutely nothing can stand in his way.
Do you get the feeling that the business staff - Mr. Mitchell - is working for Charles Tiffany, who must be footing the bill for his son's creativity? Mr. Mitchell is working hard to keep costs down. I love the dialog between Clara and himself. I can see truth in what he is saying - it would be much more economical to enamel the lamp bases rather than the setting the mosaic tiles. Clara agrees with him - but first must do eight more and after that she knows she'll be working on another design.
The butterfly lamp opened a whole new realm of possibility. Mr. Tiffany now regards her as a "designer" -
When she designed her "dragonfly" lamp, Mr. Mitchell sends in his whole staff to vote on its approval in Mr. Tiffany's absence - his assistant business manager and the treasurer - (can his name really be "Mr. Ebonezer Scrouge"? I hardly think so - is this Clara's dry humor, quoted from one of her letters - or Susan Vreeland's fiction?) - and thank goodness, brings in Mr. Belknap, the artistic director who we know is in Clara's corner. Belknap says it's the most lamp in the building. When Tiffany arrives late, his word rules and the lamp is approved. Note the ominous words from Mr. Mitchell, calling her a dangerous influence. I'll bet this gets reported to Papa Tiffany this very day!
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Just found a photo of the base of the fish lamp - remember at the party at the Tiffany Mansion in December, 1899 - (Clara's 37th birthday) when the foursome went up with Mr. T. to his studio. He gave Clara a handful of Chinese mother of pearl pieces to create something. She decides to make the fish lamp with the sea mosaic base. He told her outright that she didn't have to keep costs down.
I found this photo of the mosaic tile base - but can't seem to locate the fish top. Maybe it is within one of the links already posted? I'd love to see it, but this base is glorious, isn't it? If Mr. Mitchell had his way, the base would have been enamelled instead...
She used the mother of pearl pieces in this base. Imagine - we are reding about the party, the pieces Mr. T. gives to Clara - and now we can sit and stare at the base she created with them! It's amazing, isn't it?
(http://www.svreeland.com/tif-c-gal007.jpg)
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Oh the Mosaics are truly lovely.. There are some in the museum, but I never looked at them carefully. A note that the next time I go over, will pay more attention. I adore the stained glass and spend more time on them. Yes, you can walk around in the chapel..
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Well, I just spent an hour perusing all the Tiffany windows in Virginia. Phenomenal! Take a look at this site:
http://www.vmfa.state.va.us/Microsites/Tiffany_Driving_Tour/Tiffany_Driving_Tour_Bibliography.aspx (http://www.vmfa.state.va.us/Microsites/Tiffany_Driving_Tour/Tiffany_Driving_Tour_Bibliography.aspx)
One can look forever! The beauty of this art bowls me over! You can click on one after another! Unbelieveable!
But I digress! Back to searching for the fish lamp!
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Here's one:
http://www.tiffany-lamps.de/TIFFANY_LAMP_CONES/16IN_FISH_1/AA.html (http://www.tiffany-lamps.de/TIFFANY_LAMP_CONES/16IN_FISH_1/AA.html)
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Would you call the genre of this book "historical fiction"? The problem I have with this genre is that I don't know what is real and what is elaboration. I am enjoying this book, but am wondering how much fiction I am taking for fact. Does anyone else feel this way?
My book is a library book that has to be turned in on the 16th. Evidently someone else is waiting, so i can't renew it. I am going to finish it this week-end and try to take notes so that I don't get too far ahead in our discussions.
Sally
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Salan,
I just read a short bio about our author. She is much admired for her excellence in writing historical fiction. Here's the page that I found that on and I thought you might enjoy reading about her.
http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/13-fiction/8098-clara-and-mr-tiffany-vreeland (http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/13-fiction/8098-clara-and-mr-tiffany-vreeland)
I, for one, think that George and Edwin Waldo are fictional.
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Here is a whole page of Tiffany's Fish Lamps!
http://www.tiffany-lamps.de/TIFFANY_LAMP_CONES/16IN_FISH/AA.html (http://www.tiffany-lamps.de/TIFFANY_LAMP_CONES/16IN_FISH/AA.html)
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Here are a couple of quotes that I found interesting. Chap. 15--"Nature always heals. It's proven that the light vibrations of color have a subjective power & affect the mind and soul. Yellow lifts up, orange rouses, green comforts."
and another in chapter l7, "A year passes like a revolving wheel & when the spokes of January comes around again, it finds itself in a different place. And so with pain. It does not leave us where it found us."
Thanks to those posting sites where we can look at some of Tiffany's works. I appreciate your time and effort; and am enjoying the sites.
Sally
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It’s true, isn’t it, Sally, there is something about green that soothes. And yellow – the other day I wore a yellow sweater (a color I rarely use) trimmed with white and a friend told me I looked like a daffodil. I don’t know about that, but the yellow daffodils just coming into bloom were a welcome site during our still cold spring.
It is hard to know what’s fiction and what’s true. I think most of it is true. Clara was married to Francis, but we probably don’t know for sure about the other men in her life. I don’t see Vreeland deviating tooo much from the facts. though. I think she made this fiction so as not to be totally tied to details. She’s free to enhance or veer off the path a bit. The boarding house? The Waldo Brothers? I don’t know, Annie, I tried a while back to search for George Waldo. There were several, but none were our George. Hank? Mr. Belknap?
JoanP and Annie, you kept me looking for fish lamps most of the afternoon. No luck on finding one to go with the beautiful Deep Sea base.
Here’s a Tiffany Fish Lamp, but not near as pretty as the seahorse base by Clara and Alice and Agnes, that Joan has displayed. However, you will be astounded at the price it brought at a 2002 auction.
Tiffany Fish Lamp (http://antiquesandthearts.com/AW0-08-20-2002-12-57-18)
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Yes, as I read, I too wonder about what is real and what is not. I assume that the people who worked in executive positions at Tiffany could be real.. And that the people in the boarding house are not.. They are delights, but all so different and so I think are not real, but a made up support group.
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Pedl'n,
Here's a whole string of Tiffany's fish lamps.
http://www.tiffany-lamps.de/TIFFANY_LAMP_CONES/16IN_FISH/DD.html
And I think Vreeland had the letters that were located by those two professors. Didn't they produce a book about them or an exhibit of some kind?? Here we go:
"All records for Tiffany Studios were lost after it closed in the early 1930s. It was only through the combined efforts of Martin Eidelberg (professor emeritus of art history at Rutgers University), as well as Nina Gray, an independent scholar and former curator at the New-York Historical Society, and Margaret K. Hofer (curator of decorative arts, New-York Historical Society), that Clara Driscoll's involvement in designing Tiffany lamps was discovered.
While doing research for a book on Tiffany at the Queens Historical Society, Nina Gray found the historically valuable letters written by Driscoll to her mother and sisters during the time she was employed at Tiffany.[3][2] The New York Times quoted the curator, Nina Gray as saying: "They brought out two books and several boxes, all letters, and I think the first thing I read was about how she had designed a daffodil lamp. And I started squealing. At the top it said something like ‘Noon at Tiffany’s,’ so it was during her lunch hour. What do you do with something like that?” Martin Eidelberg had seen the correspondence independently and after comparing notes their conclusion was beyond doubt. It was Clara Driscoll and the "Tiffany Girls" who had created many of the Tiffany lamps originally attributed to Louis Comfort Tiffany and his staff of male designers."Wikipedia
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That is a neat site, Annie. I was puzzling over whether these were lamps made by Driscoll/Tiffany or if they were new or what. But this is what it says on the website --
Tiffany Lamps: Designs of Tiffany-Studios New York (1880-1930)
We keep the tradition of leaded glass lamp making alive.
-- and apparently this German firm will make you a lamp according to your specifications, based on these designs, and using the leaded glass lamp tradition of the earlier studios. Wow.
What I really like about this site is that you can increase the size of the photos and see each little piece. Those mosaics are something, aren't they. And, if you really want to examine, they have 240 photos to show how a Tiffany Lamp is made -- try this -- Making a lamp (http://www.toplamps.de/SeitenTulip22E/tulip.htm)
WOW!! You can almost picture Clara and Alice and the girls and see the details they put up with every working day.
We've reached the half-way mark of the book, ready to delve into the next section. Are there any particular issues or themes or what-have-you that have especially caught your attention? One, for example, right now deals with what's real, what's not. Another might be Clara's personality. She's not perfect, and I think that's really brought out in this third section. What all do you think?
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Writing historical fiction is not as easy as it seems. The fiction must not rewrite history and alter the facts. It does make the history come alive.
Steph, I'll agree with you - the boarding house, given a traceable address where Clara Driscoll actually lived, is probably real, but the boarders are probably S. Vreeland's characters, quite like the bohemian artists who lived in the village at this time. But what of the Waldo brothers? Do you agree with Annie? Do you think George was simply a character dreamed up by S. Vreeland? Technically he was not a boarder. He was an artist. In the story, he worked on Frederick Vanderbilt's mansion - designing the red and gold bedroom. This really did exist.
Like Pedln, I did a search for George Waldo - visited sites describing the mansion and the bedroom. This one was of interest - it contains photographs of the sites mentioned in Vreeland's book - (if these photos have already been posted, I'm sorry I missed it.)
New York New York (http://www.svreeland.com/tif-nyny.html)
Here's Frederick's bedroom from this site - and the caption beneath it -
(http://www.svreeland.com/tif-nyny-img05-300px.jpg)
"Bedroom of Frederick Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park, NY. Interior design by Georges Glaenzer and George Waldo, a friend of Clara Driscoll and a character in the novel. National Park Service photo"
What do you think? Did you notice this is from Susan Vreeland's site? - and it is the ONLY mention of George Waldo, identifying him as "a character in the novel." I wish we had Susan Vreeland here to answer this question - especially on George Waldo?
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The Book Club Online is the oldest book club on the Internet, begun in 1996, open to everyone. We offer cordial discussions of one book a month, 24/7 and enjoy the company of readers from all over the world. Everyone is welcome to join in.
CLARA and MR. TIFFANY
by Susan Vreeland
| "For a century, everyone assumed that the iconic Tiffany lamps were conceived and designed by that American master of stained glass, Louis Comfort Tiffany. Not so! It was a woman!" (Susan Vreeland) | (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/claracoversm.jpg) | Vreeland captures Gilded Age New York and its atmosphere--robber barons, sweatshops, colorful characters, ateliers from the voluminous letters belonging to the Tiffany glass studio manager, Clara Driscoll, discovered by the author
(Amazon review ). |
| (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/dragonflylge.jpg) |
"My last lampshade was accepted and I am
having it made now. It will be quite expensive,
but I think it will be attractive and that the
general public will admire it. The one before
this was a purple and red scheme with opal
to lighten and soften it. Mr. Tiffany thought
it was very fine and Mr. Mitchell thought it
was the ugliest thing he ever saw."
(Letter from Clara Driscoll) | (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/aurora2.jpg)
|
Discussion Schedule:
May 1-8 ~ Chapters 1-12
May 9-15 ~ Chapters 13-24
May 16-22 ~ Chapters 25-37
May 23-31 ~ Chapters 38-47
and the Afterward
Some Topics for Consideration
May 16 - 22 ~ Chapters 25 - 37
1. How do you think Clara feels when Alice and Lillian are sent to start a new department in Corona, especially when she’s told that Mr Tiffany visits there twice a week?
2. At one point Clara considers leaving. Out of the blue she gets an offer. What would you do, if it were you? What do you think kept Clara from accepting the Lamb offer?
3. Does Clara remind you of any other women who paved careers for themselves in the days before women’s lib?
4. When at the beach house with Bernard, Clara gets upset when Bernard innocently says that she could sit by a pool just like Narcissus. Is Clara self-absorbed? Why would anyone think she might be?
5. Why do you think Clara wanted her girls to take on the rush order of the six windows? Was it worth it?
6. So many emotions appear in this book – anger, happiness, sorrow, bafflement, etc. Is there any particular scene or reaction so far that has made an impression on you?
Related Links: NPR Interview with Susan Vreeland (http://www.npr.org/2011/01/09/132781989/-Clara-And-Mr-Tiffany-A-Brightly-Colored-Story);
Morse Museum, Winter Park, FL - World's largest collection of Tiffany glass (http://www.morsemuseum.org/collection/louis_comfort_tiffany.html);
Tiffany Girls on Exhibition Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1wSmcde07o&feature=related);
Susan Vreeland Website for Clara (http://www.svreeland.com/tiff.html)
Discussion Leaders: Pedln (ann.bartlett@att.net ) & Annie (ADOANNIE35@YAHOO.COM)
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Great sites - photos of the fish lamp. I loved them all. Do you suppose that the mosaic base using Mr. Tiffany's handful of mother of pearl shells, was a one-of-a-kind base...very expensive and time consuming to make? Maybe the bases that we see in the photos replaced the seahorse mosaic base in later models - and that's what we are seeing here?
If so, I think we are fortunate to see Clara's actual mosaic base - there must not be very many photos of it.
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I think George Waldo is a real person because he is identified as one of the designers of the Vanderbuilt bedroom.
And Mr Belknap is real --
| Grueby faience stood in the mainstream of Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau design in the United States: in the course of the company's history the early designers Graves and Kendrick were replaced by the architect Addison LeBoutillier and Henry Belknap, who had worked with Louis Comfort Tiffany. |
Clara and MR. Belknap talk about masquerades, and he says, "We all have masquerades of one sort or another." Even when our characters are fictional we wonder if they are masquerading as real.
I'm somewhat reminded of the "story" biographies of Clara Ingram Judson and others like her, that I enjoyed so much as a kid. The author included her own visualizations and dialogues, but they were exciting books about real people.
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I agree that Vreeland definitely makes up the conversations and opinions, but there is such a mixture of real and unreal. So George was a real person..Do you suppose this means that Edwin was as well. He is such a mystery to me..But maybe this next section will have more information on him.. Clara does like the men..
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Steph:: Clara does like the men..
Ah, yes she does. If you go back to the beginning of the book and read some of it over, she is constantly checking out the men. I think she is always looking for the "right guy" for herself and always holding them up to Francis (the first mistake she made). Also, she really does appreciate all the help she gets from the men at the boarding house. Do you think when she is accomplishing a task (like bicycling and many men helping), she pays close attention to how they approach helping her and maybe she likes being seen in their company? It must make her feel special. Well, that's normal, isn't it? To me her thoughts about men in general make her look immature, especially, when I stop and remember she is 37 yrs old, not 18 anymore!
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Wasn't Clara lucky to have found this particular boarding house? Remember the first one she looked at - and had sense enough to run away from after one look around? But seriously, a single widow, she might have found a quiet little room with a very different, less affable crowd sitting around the dinner table.
I get the feeling that she has so many friends in the house, that her life would be quite full - even without that one special man. She has decided to give up on Bernard - he still hasn't revealed whether he's engaed for not. She'll forget about love and romance - and concentrate on her work. Which she does find satisfying, rewarding and fulfilling, don't you think?
Of the lamps, the one that gets my attention is the Wisteria lamp - I liked Henry Belknap's frank assessment of her work - he includes Mr. T in his criticism so it probably didn't sting her too much. . Too florid, too ornate for the new age - Art Nouveau is the rage. He started talking about the clock she was designing, but could he have been referring to other pieces too? the lamps? I think the Tiffany lamps, especially those with the flat panels would work with the Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the new age of modernism, don't you? -
(http://www.antiquesandfineart.com/articles/media/images/00101-00200/00167/fig3.jpg)
I loved reading of the New Year's celebration - 1900 style. It reminded me of the way we celebrated 2000 in the streets of Washington
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Before I forget, I wanted to tell you that my sister, Mary, gave me a magnet bookmark with a
Tiffany window printed on it. Entitled "Hibiscus and Parrots", I looked it up so you all could see it. The print below the photo of this window tells the history of how it was made with faverile glass.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmcnamee/5143795909/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmcnamee/5143795909/)
JoanP
That Wisteria lamp is truly a work of beauty. I like the way they made the tree limbs at the top using the lead came. And, of course, tree trunk that Tiffany designed for it, is genius!
Here's a page that can be enlarged by clicking on the Wisteria lamp so one can see how the light is used to show it better. Or one can see parts of the lamp by clicking on different pics on the right side and then one can click again and it will get even larger.
http://www.tiffany-lamps.de/TIFFANY_LAMPS/18IN_Wisteria_royalblue/AA.html (http://www.tiffany-lamps.de/TIFFANY_LAMPS/18IN_Wisteria_royalblue/AA.html)
And for you to mention Frank lloyd Wright gave me a start. Are you reading my mind? My first reaction to Tiffany was that he was so like Wright in his search for perfection and beauty (as he saw it). I wonder if they ever met. Probably couldn't have both of them in the same room for long what with all that testosterone and artistic talent zooming around!
Pedl'n,
Well, guess what, I went to see the photos of the Tiffany lamps being made by that company in Germany. I am impressed with their work. And they seem to have remained true to Clara's designs. It took me an hour to peruse each of the photos and read how they accomplished their art work. I wondered about the time spent on the lamp and how much they charge for a lamp. I will return to that page and let you know.
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Annie, lucky you with your Parrot and Hibiscus bookmark. It’s lovely. And having seen the for “favrile” so many times, I decided I’d better find out just what it was, rather than saying, “oh yeah, a favrile base.” Tiffany patented favrile glass in 1880.
Favrile is different from other iridescent glasses because its color is not just on the surface, but imbedded in the glass. The original trade name Fabrile was derived from an Old English word, fabrile, meaning "hand-wrought" or handcrafted. Tiffany later changed the word to Favrile "since this sounded better".
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.
According to Tiffany:
"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."
Yay, they brought in the new millenium, Clara and her friends. Can you believe they have all been living there together for almost eight years. I wonder if that was typical for some people, those without ties or family around – even couples like the Hacleys?
But what a New Year’s gift from Mr. Mitchell:
“Beginning immediately, a new policy requires that the Women’s Glass Cutting Department pay the overhead cost of $50 a month for rent of your studio space.”
They have to pay their employer to work in his building? And Mr. Tiffany tells Clara to go along with it. He’s an engima, isn’t he? Very sensitive to matters of art, but can totally brush other things aside, ignoring how others are affected.
JoanP, even the boarders didn’t think much of the clock. I love one of the descriptions --
“eight feet of ideas in a two-foot clock”
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I think that some of what Clara endures at work has to do with his dislike to women employees. Only Mr. T seems to value them.
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Thanks for the information on "fabile" glass, which Tiffany renamed "favrile" because it "sounded better" - more French? Pretty funny. I'd wondered about what it was, meant to look it up. Thanks again, Pedln.
Steph, the women's position with Tiffany's seems more and more precarious. Mr. Tiffany's lone voice of support is important, yes, but there are so many who have his ear - including his financial advisors, who I am convinced, report to his father Charles, who is really supporting his son's glassworks.
I'm fearing for Clara whenever Louis Tiffany gets all authoritarian and treats her like just another employee. (and therefore expendable?) I took it personally when I learned that he didn't give her recognition for her lamp - wasn't it the dragonfly lamp that won the bronze medal in Paris? He passed it off in the press releases, as his own!
I've yet to listen to the NPR interview link in the heading, but came across this one in an effort to learn more about George Waldo. From her letters, it is clear that HE and other homosexual boarders were REAL.
This interview is interesting too because it tells more about the letters, the source of Vreeland's book. There were thousands of letters - round-robin letters sent to Clara's mother and sisters! Just think of how little would be known about this Tiffany glass if it were not for Clara's Victorian passion for letter-writing! Can't help but think of the loss of historical information of our time - as we have replaced letter-writing with email!
I think you might LIKE this Interview with Susan Vreeland in March 2010 (http://www.authorlink.com/articles/item/853)
. (It's 20 minutes long - I filed my nails while listening to it.)
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JoanP, the NPR link in the heading is both text and audio. I can’t do audio, but did find another recent (April, 2011) text interview within the link you provided. In this one, she talks a lot about her writing process, a few things about Clara in particular. (Note: may include a spoiler from the last section.)
Vreeland on her Writing (http://www.authorlink.com/articles/item/864)
In regard to the fine line that is walked when creating historical fiction, Vreeland said, “I never change history on any point that is significant. I invent characters when history doesn't give me a person with whom the main character was intimate.”
And she rarely changes the time of events, only when necessary for narrative purposes.
The new millenium doesn’t seem to bode well for Clara. First her budget problems with Mr. Mitchell, and then later wishing she could recall the harsh words she said to him.
Her dragonfly lamp wins an award at the Paris exhibition, but according to the press, everything was exhibited under Tiffany’s name.
George gets sick. Were you surprised at where he ended up?
Then Alice and Lillian are sent to start a new department in Corona. And do we see just a tiny bit of the green-eyed monster popping up in there, when it’s discovered that Mr. Tiffany visits it twice a week?
At one point she considers leaving. What would you do, if it were you?
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Clar a and Mr. T have such a complicated relationship. She wants to be the number one girl.. no question. I love the bike ones. They are having such a good time..George... now that was a surprise.
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Funny - just turned on the TV for the morning news and there is the TIFFANY name in the headlines...it seems that Newt Gingrich's wife has run up a huge debt in Tiffany jewelry. (This is headline news?)
So the jewelry line is thriving - I'm wondering whether the glassworks continues in any way today- even if reproducing some of the old designs? It will be interesting to learn whether the Tiffany glass design studio closed during his lifetime or after Mr. T's death...
And what will become of Clara? She is so dedicated to this job - to these girls. I'm jumping ahead, I know. Sorry.
Now that we know the extent of the letters exchanged between Clara and her mother and sisters, ("thousands" of them, according to Susan Vreeland!) - we can see that Clara's men described in these pages were real. Vreeland tells us that there were FIVE men she loved, men who loved her.
Are we including Mr. Belknap in this five? Yes, I was surprised at the connection between Tiffany's artistic director and George Waldo of the boarding house gang, Pedln. Clara has even stronger support at Tiffany's now than I realized - than she realized! This was a huge discovery!
And now we see Bernard as a strong contender for her affection. The bikers do have fun, don't they, Steph? Did they call bikes, "wheels"? Our Pedln is a biker. Will you describe your "wheel," Pedln?. What I really liked was the summer cottage the four bicyclists rented out for the summer in my old stomping grounds - Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Interesting that they went to New Jersey rather than to one of the NY beaches. For years my "girlfriends" and I rented or stayed in guest houses in Point Pleasant. We were not as liberated as this foursome, though - never considered staying in the same house with "boys."
Can Bernard be the "one"? Or can Clara ever settle for anyone who will interfere with her complicated relationship with Mr. T?
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I found "The Flight of Souls" which was not exactly what the Paris journalists enjoyed. "Pg228".
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dsgeo/2240806748/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dsgeo/2240806748/)
And didn't you love what Bernard said to Clara about her becoming well known later in time?
"Someday, when women become considered equal to men, it will become known that a woman of great importance created those lamps. This isn't the MIddle Ages, Clara. You will not be lost to history like the makers of those medieval windows in Gloucester are. Some will find you."
And our author has done a wonderful job of showing us the lives of Clara and her girls.
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Annie, your link to Flight of Souls opened up all kinds of interesting things. We should really be grateful to the Flickr photographers. If you have a chance, take a look at the photos in the Tiffany Favrile Glass group. That's what led me to the Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Indiana. I'm thinking here that these were probably made my the Men's Window Dept?
Reid Memorial Presbyterian (http://www.waynet.org/waynet/spotlight/2007/070419-reidchurch.htm)
One of the blurbs under one photo said that there were TEN churches in the country that had Tiffany windows. Two of them are in Richmond, IN, as the Episcopal church there has one. That low number surprises me. I'm think we've seen more than that this past month.
Tiffany Favrile Glass Group (http://www.flickr.com/groups/93473450@N00/pool/with/466132588/)
A site to explore at leisure.
(Am getting out here before I lose this)
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JoanP, ha ha -- used to bike, and loved it. Somehow I just got a mental block about it -- afraid I couldn't stop or start or get off in time. Used to ride a century once a year (we have a guy in town who rides one once a month.) At least my kids have got the genes. :D They all ride. Judy and Liz are going to Germany for two weeks next week, taking their tandem -- it comes apart and fits into two bags. Sometimes I think about getting a three-wheeler -- if it had enough gears.
Re: Point Pleasant -- I just found it on the map. How did they get there? It must have been by ferry. Now I'm confused because I was under the impression that they stayed at the cottage for the summer, but that would not be a bike commute in that era. Help help, here.
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I feel so fortunate for having found all of you. I can’t tell you how much your discussions and research have added to my experience of reading this book. Thanks to you all!
The theme of conflict between a successful business and artistic expression is one I keep thinking about. Senior Mr. Tiffany knows how to make money, while Louis Tiffany is driven to create art that is world renown. Louis, however, has clearly not inherited his father’s head for business.
I’m thinking cost accounting was introduced as a way to manage the bottom line while creating art pieces. No wonder Mr. Mitchell, business manager, brings so much tension to the story. Think how much more helpful he could be if he could deliver his message with tact and empathy.
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Speaking of 'favrile' glass, take a look at this! Wow!
http://www.lc-tiffany.com/utility/dataforms/NeighborhoodCatalogImages.cfm?Proprietor=unique@arsh.com&Showimage=yes&InventoryNumber=un051221-3 (http://www.lc-tiffany.com/utility/dataforms/NeighborhoodCatalogImages.cfm?Proprietor=unique@arsh.com&Showimage=yes&InventoryNumber=un051221-3)
MaryH,
We are glad you found us too. Yes, Mr Mitchell is really crochety and I don't think he will ever improve. Part of his problem with Clara seems to be that she is a woman. He just doesn't know what to say when she answers him back.
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Clara does seem rather "man hungry", doesn't she. She seems to have poor choices in men. Kinda' makes you wonder, doesn't it.
George and Mr. Belknap--now that was a surprise to me!
It seems like Mr. Mitchell has a lot of power over Mr. Tiffany. Does he work for Charles Tiffany (who evidently holds the purse strings??
Ah ha! We finally hear from Edwin after 6 years. Do we believe him, or does he conveniently forget when life gets to him???
Sally
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The Edwin letter is amazing. Makes no sense at all.. She is much better off without him, but the whole episode is an example of poor planning. Is it real?? I hope so, because if not, then the author threw in some sort of red herring for us..
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After reading Edwin's letter and listening to Geoge's explanation of other similar incidents in Edwin's letter, I think he has 'stress memory loss". Something real happened to him three times that we know of and there might have been more.
I like Clara's way with the gay men as she accepts them without any questions. That is the way the American Indian seemed to do also, in all the stories I have read. After all, in the end, a person is a person now matter what.
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Steph, do you think the letter from Edwin was S. Vreeland's creation or did Clara write about Edwin's letter to her mother? It struck me as odd, too. Did he write to their parents? Now they know where Edwin is heading - why would George say, "we may never know what happened to him? Why isn't the family planning a trip to CA to find their son? How many copper mines can there be in Northern CA?
Pedln, that's a good question - how did Clara and the girls manage to pedal from NY to the NJ shore? I used to live in NJ across the river from New York...about 40 minutes by car from the city. From my home in NJ, it was roughly an hour car ride to Point Pleasant. You figure it out - how long would it take to get to Point Pleasant by bike. They followed this first expedition the following weekend! These girls must have been in shape! Lillian tells Alice about the cottage near her aunt's house in Point Pleasant - and so Alice, Mr. York, Bernard and Clara rent out the cottage for the summer. Did they all bike down the shore?
Pedln, a ferry? There is a ferry between Ny and Northern NJ - but I'm intrigued with the idea of a ferry from the NYC to the Jersey shore. Will check on that today!
Thank you so much for all the links to the glass creations described in these pages, Annie. I loved the flower in favrile glass - the irredescence reminded me of carnival glass I used to collect. Loved the glass flower stem as well.
I'm amused at the division between the men's and the women's departments, aren't you? I assume that the distinctions between the two groups is coming from Clara's letters home. The women have it all over the men when it comes to color selecting and cutting/pasting small pieces, which men are not capable of doing. I find these comments amusing...especially when considering the pieces Mr. T. had made in his own studios. Is Mr. T. nursing along the competitive feelings between the men and the women, hoping to stimulate production?
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I love the way Vreeland goes back and forth from studio to Clara's personal life - much of which she probably found in the letters.
Sally, sometimes Clara does seem man-hungry. I'm not sure if Vreeland found this statement in the letters, or if she put these words into her mouth:
"I'm longing for intimacy with a man and am constrained. Mr. T's policy forces me to keep love at bay..."
I'm undecided as to what keeps Clara from taking up Frederick Lamb's job offer - is it her position at Tiffany's, her girls at the studio OR HER FEELINGS FOR MR.T. which do you think?
"He and I had a bridge that no one else traveled, that made us artistic lovers, passionate, without a touch of the flesh."
Clearly she feels passionate about the man, but is the passion one-sided? Do you find yourself wondering what he feels for her? Mary H - if Louis T was so submerged in artistic expression, he may not have noticed Clara's attachment and her idea of their being "artistic lovers."
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MaryH, we’re so glad you found us, as well. Good point about the cost accounting and bottom line. Thinking it over, one can almost feel sorry for Mr. Mitchell. It must have been really frustrating for him – between a rock and a hard place. The father who wants good news from the ledger and the son who’s so very talented and creative in artistic matters, but a bit hazy on the finances.
Sally, that was a surprise about Mr. Belknap, wasn’t it. But now that truth is out the friendship is deepened. I didn’t realize that it was six years before they heard from Edwin. Good eye, there. Maybe it is something like stress memory loss. But not only was he AWOL from Clara, the US Govt. also has a claim on him.
Steph, I keep wondering, too, if the Edwin relationship is real or just part of the author’s creativity. I don’t think it’s a red herring. Can’t help but wonder now just what all was in the letters. Wouldn’t you love to see them.
The whole letter thing is what amazes me, and the fact that Clara wasn’t recognized for her designs and her work. Until this decade. That German designer, Holzer, was recognized from the get-go. Someone said it before – women workers were the drones. Work and keep quiet.. Had any of you heard of Candace Wheeler before? I wonder if mabel/jean or bellemere know of her. They’re pretty knowledgable about women’s history.
Hey, JOanP, we're posting at the same time. Back later.
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One of the “conflicts” that provided a lot of forward momentum to the story, for me, was the choices Clara had to make about her work life. I kept asking myself the question, “Does she really have any choices?” And I think she did. She had the choice to work at Tiffany or to work somewhere else. Mr. Tiffany offered her fulfilling work, even if it did come without recognition and with tedious time keeping and labor tracking duties. She could have decided she was fed up with Mr. Tiffany, but she chose to remain in his employ despite her trials with him. She made that choice many times. She liked her job and the creative freedom it afforded her.
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I have nothing but sympathy for Edwin, and George and Clara for having to bear the burdens of his disappearance. I do think Edwin had some kind of medical condition. You do occasionally hear of someone who can’t remember who they are or anything about themselves, who can’t remember how he or she ended up in a place so many days or months later.
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Website going nuts this am.. Finally got it back.
I was really amazed at the men who seemed to really believe the women are stealing their jobs. Of course Mr. T started it all with letting the women do the windows. But still the vindictiveness of the union, not letting women in and trying to eliminate them from work is horrible. I would guess quite true, but still awful.
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"She could have decided she was fed up with Mr. Tiffany, but she chose to remain in his employ despite her trials with him. She made that choice many times. She liked her job and the creative freedom it afforded her." Laura
Just curious to hear whether you think that it was her position and freedom at Tiffany's that kept Clara from moving - or was it her relationship with Mr. T. that prevented her from accepting the job with Frederick Lamb, Laura? I get the feeling that she is becoming more and more involved with her studio "girls" - even more so than with her own creative expression. Do you sense that? Of course, that doesn't explain her jealousy when she realized that her Mr. T is keeping company with Lillian and Alice at Corona...
Steph, I think Mr. T. has only himself to blame for stirring things up between the men and the women. Keeping them as two separate and competitive camps - at war. With their jobs at stake.
The term "gay nineties" has been in the back of my mind - decided to look it up and find that it is an American term - the Brits called the age "the Naughty Nineties." (I think this is more appropriate.)
You might be as interested as I was - in the climate in which Clara was forming her own small demonstration for women's rights as she organized her girls in a march to keep their jobs.
"Gay Nineties is an American nostalgic term that refers to the decade of the 1890s. It is known in the UK as the Naughty Nineties, and refers there to the decade of supposedly decadent art by Aubrey Beardsley, the witty plays and trial of Oscar Wilde, society scandals and the beginning of the suffragette movement." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Nineties
"Suffragette is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). However, after former and then active members of the movement began to reclaim the word, the term became a label without negative connotations" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffragette
"The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), also known as the Suffragists (not to be confused with the suffragettes) was an organisation of women's suffrage societies in the United Kingdom
The group was founded in 1897 by the merger of the National Central Society for Women's Suffrage and the Central Committee, National Society for Women's Suffrage, the groups having originally split in 1888.The groups united under the leadership Millicent Fawcett, who was the president of the society for over twenty years, took over. The organisation was democratic, aiming to achieve women's suffrage through peaceful and legal means, in particular by introducing Parliamentary Bills and holding meetings to explain and promote their aims."
So Clara had knowledge of the demonstrations for women's rights at this time - and so did Mr. T.
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One of the “conflicts” that provided a lot of forward momentum to the story, for me, was the choices Clara had to make about her work life. . . She liked her job and the creative freedom it afforded her.
Laura, I agree. And intermingled with the choices are her feelings about herself. Is she self-absorbed?
“If I felt estranged from Mr. Tiffany and diminished by his attentions to Alice and Lillian, what I needed to do was to invite his collaboration more. . . .
Was the need for recognition so vital that I would give up love in order to get it? Had Mr. Tiffany injured me intentionally. No. I would not creep away just because he gave attention to others.”
Steph, what an awful scene that was, with the men just marching in and taking out the windows. And Mr. Tiffany – egnima, egnima, egnima – he’s flaky, he’s astute, he’s insensitive, he’s sensitive. How did anyone know where they stood with him? I guess he let the men get away with what they did because he was afraid of union power. And his wife was ill when that happened.
JoanP, interesting info about the women’s organizations. We were thinking along the same lines. Middle of the night reading Clara brought to mind Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. I really like Anthony’s motto, and don’t remember ever hearing it before.
The true republic -- men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less.
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Apparently there was a big Glass Cutters strike in 1892, and no doubt Mr. Tiffany did not want those problems again. Links here from the New York Times. Below -- Feb. 2007, just before the NY Historical Society Exhibit about the Tiffany Girls.
Clara Driscoll Exhibit (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/arts/design/25kast.html?scp=2&sq=glass%20cutters%20union&st=cse)
Clara Driscoll was born Clara Pierce Wolcott on Dec. 15, 1861, in Tallmadge, Ohio, a town about 40 miles south of Cleveland. Her father died when she was 12, leaving her mother to raise Clara and three younger sisters. The Wolcott girls were bright, ambitious and, unlike many women of the era, strongly encouraged to pursue higher education. Clara showed an aptitude for art and attended design school in Cleveland, working for a local furniture maker before moving to New York, where she enrolled in the new Metropolitan Museum Art School. By 1888 she was employed at the Tiffany Studios, where she remained for more than 20 years.
Most of this was unknown to scholars as recently as the fall of 2005, when a man approached Mr. Eidelberg after a lecture, said that he was a descendant of Clara Driscoll, and asked if he was interested in seeing letters that she had written at the turn of the 20th century. Mr. Eidelberg had recently published a book about Tiffany lamps and knew Driscoll’s name in connection with a group of women who, during a strike by the men of the Lead Glaziers and Glass Cutters Union in 1892, were hired in large numbers by Tiffany to cut glass.
There are only comparatively few men in the city, not over 150, who are competent to do the work required by the manufacturers, and they have a close organization known as the Lead Glaziers and Glass Cutters’ Union. This empbraces all the workers in the glass shops. Their places cannot be filled, and the employers refuse to yield to the terms demanded.
The men ask for a reduction of ten working hours a week, making fifty hours a week’s work, and also an increase of wages to $20 for cutters and $18 for glaziers per week.
(12/28/1892) NY Times
Glass Cutters Union on Strike (http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F00615FB345515738DDDA10A94DA415B8285F0D3) The full article, in PDF format.
That was 1892. Now, it's around 1900-1902. Clara is making $35 a week. I wonder how that compares with the Glass Cutters, 10 years later.
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So
Clara had descendents?? That answers a question, I had.. I just have problems with why Clara and th e women thought that making the windows would not cause a rupture.. She really was too interested in making Mr. T admire her more..
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Steph,
Where is the referral to Clara's descendants? I haven't seen that part yet.
Clara's hiring of Nathaniel Hawthorne's granddaughter, Beatrix Hawthorne was enticing. Beatrix seems quite well read and interested in the artists of earlier times. Here's a link to Masaccio's "The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden" and the story of how de Medici covered them. Also a little aside about Michalangelo and the Sistine Chapel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsion_from_the_Garden_of_Eden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsion_from_the_Garden_of_Eden)
And we learn from these short paragraphs that Dreiser's "Sister Carrie" is banned? How was that accomplished? Who banned it? The publisher, Doubleday!
"Sister Carrie - Theodore Dreiser - 1900
Considered by many to be the first great novel of the twentieth century, Sister Carrie (1900) has nevertheless been a troubled—and troubling—work from its very beginning. The inspiration for Dreiser's debut novel is a scandal within his own family, as his sister Emma once ran away with a man who had stolen from his employer's safe, a situation recreated in the most dramatic moment of the novel. The novel's original publisher, Frank Doubleday, was scandalized by a work that seemed to reward immorality, and tried to bury the book with a small print run. Discouraged by a seeming lack of critical or popular response, Dreiser did not complete another novel for ten years." BookRag
And Beatrix also tells Clara that Hawthorrne made up all of the "Scarlet Letter". I had always assumed that he did, since it was placed in the fiction shelves at the library.
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Steph, you make a good point there. Do you think Clara should have refused Mr. Tiffany’s offer/challenge of the rapid windows?
Chpt. 34 –
Mr. Tiffany: “The men refused to take it on, saying it was impossible.”
Clara: "Oh ho! I knew how to work him, but he also knew how to work me. His exploitation was transparent, and his sheepish grin revealed that he knew I saw it, but I had ambition too, and he knew that as well."
When talking to the girls about the six windows rush job –
Clara: "However, we have to continue to prove our skills. A splendid opportunity to do that has been presented to me just now."
“There’ll be wigs on the green, Nellie, when your Patrick finds out,” Mary McVicar warned.
Chpt. 35
Nellie, “ Patrick said there was a big carrying-on. Some were fiery mad, I guess and want to squeeze us dry.”
Clara: "That could mean trouble down the road. I was surprised Mr. Tiffany hadn’t foreseen that this would pit us against one another."
If the girls knew it would cause problems, surely Clara knew also. But I don't think she understood the power of unions, I don't think she anticipated that the men would actually try to close them down. Until she learned that the men taking the windows was sanctioned by the union. (Chpt. 37)
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Descendant -- one who descends, as offspring, however remotely; a blood relative.
We don't know if Clara ever had children, but I guess a descendant could be a niece or nephew? She had three younger sisters.
Annie, in a NY Times article (above) it tells how a Driscoll descendant attended a lecture by Tiffany scholar Martin Eidelberg and afterwards told Eidelberg he had some letters written by Driscoll around the turn of the century. And Vreeland explains on her website about another scholar who had access to some letters. I think there were three scholars who eventually came together and pooled their new-found information. It makes you wonder, doesn't it -- what if the descendant had decided to play golf or go to a ball game instead of attending Eidelberg's lecture. Would we have ever known Clara?
I love the history that the author has weaved into the story -- like Dreiser's Sister Carrie, that Annie mentioned, and Hawthorne's granddaughter being a Tiffany girl. And what about that chapter on the Flatiron Building. Great line, George. You know, that's only about three looooong blocks from Leo House.
Can anyone find Fourth Avenue?
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On my map, Fourth Avenue starts in Lower Manhattan as Water Street - becomes St. James Place - then The Bowery - and turns into Fourth Avenue east of Washington Square Park. Looks as if it runs into Union Square and then merges with Park Avenue.
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Yes, my descendent line came from that interview. Interesting.. The letter saver was more likely to be a sister.. Clara does not strike me as a person who would save letters or anything else. She seems to have been a free spirit.
But I do think she brought on the mens wrath and knew it. All for Mr. T... Who is more and more not a nice human being. He plays all of the women and they fall for it.
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So where is 4th Avenue? Callie’s got it right. But I was getting so bugged -- Tiffany's was at Fourth Ave. and 25th Street
Fourth Avenue (http://www.forgotten-ny.com/streetnecrology/AveA/declassified.html)
And why did they change its name to Park. ?
Blame it on the railroads.
Today, Fourth Avenue is the shortest numbered north-south avenue in New York City. With its tilt athwart the other NYC avenues, it's also the only "north-south" numbered avenue in NYC that approximates true north. (You can prove it with a compass.) Just as the planet Pluto's orbit was shown to be out of alignment with the other eight planets, so Fourth Avenue is the joker in the deck of NYC north-south avenues.
As presently constituted, Fourth Avenue runs only a scant six blocks, between Astor Place on the south to East 14th Street and Union Square at the north. The short section between East 4th Street and Astor Place is designated by NYC street signs as being part of Cooper Square, and we'll hew to that designation here
.
More Fourth (http://gothamist.com/2005/12/11/a_brief_history.php)
I love New York history.
Am off for much the day. Tomorrow we start/finsh the last implositve/explosive section. Don't forget to read the Afterward. Bring all your thougts, opinions, etc.
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Well, of course, she had some descendants! She had siblings who married and had children. Where is my thinking cap??? Lost and gone for now, it would seem!
I remember getting off the bus with you, Pedl'n at the corner of 5th Ave and 23rd St and there was the flatiron building. We were very close to the Leo, which is at 23rd and 8th Ave.
And now, Steph, we have 4th Ave, the shortest avenue in NYC? Is that right? And the only one which is compass correct pointing north-to-south.
I am a little behind in my reading and have been all week as we are dealing with the deaths of two of our older family members. My husband's sister, Orlando resident, and his other sister's husband, Columbus resident, are finally at peace. Trying to decide traveling to Orlando or not. Plus trying to comfort the famliy members here and there. Please forgive my tardiness in keeping up with the reading.
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Joan asked: “Just curious to hear whether you think that it was her position and freedom at Tiffany's that kept Clara from moving - or was it her relationship with Mr. T. that prevented her from accepting the job with Frederick Lamb, Laura? I get the feeling that she is becoming more and more involved with her studio "girls" - even more so than with her own creative expression. Do you sense that? Of course, that doesn't explain her jealousy when she realized that her Mr. T is keeping company with Lillian and Alice at Corona...”
I rely on two quotes to help me understand Clara’s reason for staying at Tiffany.
“But, oh, how much more I like our spacious studio and all my Tiffany Girls than the bleak, cramped workshop at Lamb’s, where I would be the only woman.” (pg. 247)
“Was the need for recognition so vital that I would give up love in order to get it? Had Mr. Tiffany injured me intentionally?” No, I would not creep away just because he gave attention to others. I would not leave without a fight, and my weapons were design ideas.” (pg. 252)
Clara values her work space and the camaraderie with her fellow workers. She would definitely lose both of those things if she accepted the new job. She also values her ability to design, which would be equal in both jobs, but with recognition dangled as part of the position at Lamb’s. In the end, she values the relationships with her coworkers more and vows to get the recognition she deserves at Tiffany’s.
Clara takes ownership of her department and its employees, so much that she calls her employees “my Tiffany Girls.” She knows she is paving the way for women to compete directly with men in the workplace and that certainly is a factor in her staying with Tiffany.
Pedln asked: “Laura, I agree. And intermingled with the choices are her feelings about herself. Is she self-absorbed?”
I don’t think Clara is self absorbed. She considers her Tiffany Girls in her decision making about her new job. I do think she has the luxury of being able to make choices for herself more so than other women of her generation since she is a well employed, independent, single woman and doesn’t really have to consider anyone other than herself.
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Laura - I appreciate your logical approach to the question of what makes Clara tick. I agree with you - I don't think she was self-absorbed either - from what she wrote in those letters. Where else would Susan V. have come up with this information.
I can't help but wonder how this story could have been told without those letters. It makes me think about how letter-writing is nearly extinct. What a source of history we are losing, without being aware of it now. Our archival history is becoming so...diminished without such letters. When was the last time you wrote a letter - not a card, or a note, but a real descriptive letter?
Wasn't it exciting reading about the Flatiron Building, Annie? It was one of the first skyscrapers in New York because of its steel structure. I think it is the oldest one still standing. The invention of the elevator must have been important for a 22 story building too. What an amazing thing for Clara to have witnessed - and her letters must have described it to her family in the midwest.
(http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/Images/US/NewYork1/Buildings/FlatironBuilding-002a.jpg)
I found this painting of the Flatiron by Ashcan Artist, John Sloan in 1906 - who lived in the neighborhood at the time. Did Clara know him, I wonder?
(http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_21.41.2.jpg)
Dust Storm, Fifth Avenue, 1906
John Sloan (American, 1871–1951)
Oil on canvas
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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The Book Club Online is the oldest book club on the Internet, begun in 1996, open to everyone. We offer cordial discussions of one book a month, 24/7 and enjoy the company of readers from all over the world. Everyone is welcome to join in.
CLARA and MR. TIFFANY
by Susan Vreeland
| "For a century, everyone assumed that the iconic Tiffany lamps were conceived and designed by that American master of stained glass, Louis Comfort Tiffany. Not so! It was a woman!" (Susan Vreeland) | (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/claracoversm.jpg) | Vreeland captures Gilded Age New York and its atmosphere--robber barons, sweatshops, colorful characters, ateliers from the voluminous letters belonging to the Tiffany glass studio manager, Clara Driscoll, discovered by the author
(Amazon review ). |
| (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/dragonflylge.jpg) |
"My last lampshade was accepted and I am
having it made now. It will be quite expensive,
but I think it will be attractive and that the
general public will admire it. The one before
this was a purple and red scheme with opal
to lighten and soften it. Mr. Tiffany thought
it was very fine and Mr. Mitchell thought it
was the ugliest thing he ever saw."
(Letter from Clara Driscoll) | (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/aurora2.jpg)
|
Discussion Schedule:
May 1-8 ~ Chapters 1-12
May 9-15 ~ Chapters 13-24
May 16-22 ~ Chapters 25-37
May 23-31 ~ Chapters 38-47
and the Afterward
Some Topics for Consideration
May 23 - 31 ~ Chapters 38 - 47
1. Do you think that Clara makes a good case for asking the girls to march through the picket line. Is she asking too much of those who have fathers and/or boyfriends in the union.
2. Who do you think holds the power at Tiffany and Company?
3. What has sent Mr. Tiffany into such dark despair that he is almost cruel? Is his wife’s death alone responsible for such changes?
4. What issues or themes, if any, do you think the author has emphasized in the telling of this story?
5. Why do you think the author included the actions of Joe Briggs?
Related Links: NPR Interview with Susan Vreeland (http://www.npr.org/2011/01/09/132781989/-Clara-And-Mr-Tiffany-A-Brightly-Colored-Story);
Morse Museum, Winter Park, FL - World's largest collection of Tiffany glass (http://www.morsemuseum.org/collection/louis_comfort_tiffany.html);
Tiffany Girls on Exhibition Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1wSmcde07o&feature=related);
Susan Vreeland Website for Clara (http://www.svreeland.com/tiff.html)
Discussion Leaders: Pedln (ann.bartlett@att.net ) & Annie (ADOANNIE35@YAHOO.COM)
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We've been out of town for the weekend. I took advantage of the 6 hours in the car to finish the book. I'm looking forward to the coming week as we talk about Clara's decisions.
I've been thinking how so many of the chapter titles like The Nasturtium, The Dragonfly, the Feather, the Moonstone - these items that came into Clara's personal life and ended up in her artwork. Did you notice that? (Well, maybe not the moonstone...) Do you think Susan Vreeland intended to show us how closely Clara's personal life was reflected in her work? I suppose that really isn't surprising - isn't that where all inspiration comes from? From within?
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Now we get to some joy and some sorry part of the book.. Mr. T and Clara to some extent simply cannot see that money can rule what they do. That is sad in a way..But at the same time, Bernard finally does explain his behavior and I loved how he put it.. Such decisions.
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Here is a Tiffany candlestick which I think is unattractive but they were evidently popular. So we have an idea of what the Queen Anne's Lace looks like.
http://www.arsh.com/utility/dataforms/NeighborhoodCatalogImages.cfm?Proprietor=unique@arsh.com&InventoryNumber=090629-3&B1=Order
"Tiffany favrile blown out reticulated green glass and bronze Candlestick, with Queen Anne's Lace bronze (Wild Carrot) base, signed Tiffany Studios, N.Y., measuring 20 1/4" h. x 8" w. at base A similiar example at Metropolitan Museum of Art, N.Y.C. American Wing".
And here's the Spider Web lamp shade by Tffany.
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5274432
What did they price these as originally? $350?? Look at the sale price here! Whoa!
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Annie, so sorry to hear about the sadness in your family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Interesting candlebase, that one with the Queen Anne's lace. I never knew they called it Wild Carrot.
JoanP, what fabulous pictures of the Flatiron building. (I think Morning Joe – MSNBC—has that on his show every morning; I’m not always up for it.) Whenever I hear Flat Iron it always makes me think of its architect, Daniel Burnham, and the part he played in the 1893 Exposition.
What a thrill for Clara and her friends to go so high and to pick out familiar landmarks. Don’t we all do the same thing – when we’re in an airplane or in a tall building – we look for those things that have special meaning to us. Our river, our house, our school. Clara’s ears popped! Can’t you see her writing that.
This is a link to a 1902 NYT article about the unbelievable winds that accumlated at the intersection. Well over 65 miles an hour. At one point, a young messenger boy, rounding the corner of the building was blown into the street and killed after being run over by an automobile.
Flatiron Building (http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F00E1DE1130E733A25755C0A9649C946297D6CF)
(These old articles are in PDF format and copyable only as an image.. When I have time I want to see if there is an article about the opening.)
I do think she has the luxury of being able to make choices for herself more so than other women of her generation since she is a well employed, independent, single woman and doesn’t really have to consider anyone other than herself
. Laura.
Well said, Laura. Independence makes a big difference. But now, is she in danger of losing some of that independence? So much is happening in these last chapters. The men, the strike, the march, Mr Tiffany – what a devastating scene with his daughters for Clara to witness.
And now Clara is making an even bigger decision, one that involves all those who work in her department. What about that sassy little Nellie? She has a pretty strong decision to make too. What do you think?
You're right on the money, Steph, much as we hate to admit it. Maybe that's why we always want to kick the kill-joy bottom liners.
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Pedl'n,
Thanks for your good thoughts and prayers. Its been a hard time for all concerned even though we knew it was coming. One is never really prepared for death. And certainly not two in two weeks.
Please take a look at the post above yours. I was changing something while you were posting. :)
The prices for these lamps now amaze me.
The story of the high winds in 1903 doing so much damage is quite interesting. Isn't NYC known for its high winds in and out and around the tall buildings? Remember the Macy's parades when those huge balloons get out of handling possibilities and sometimes fall over on the parade watchers?
I just read the news of Joplin, MO and the devastating tornado hit there yesterday. Hope your weather in Cape Giraurdo(sp) is not threatening.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110523/ap_on_re_us/us_midwest_storms
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Annie, your Christie's link -- above, I was thinking that the spider lamp wasn't so elaborate and why did it bring in $25,000. But then I saw the peony lamp that realized $1 1/2 million. And what, Mr. Thomas was fussing about $400.
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And here's the Nautical Lamp:
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?pos=4&intObjectID=5274435&sid=
And how about this "Trumpet Creeper" going at $794, 500:
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?pos=3&intObjectID=5274444&sid=
And this, a Poppy leaded glass lamp selling for $122,500!
When you get to the lamp, click on the enlarge, and then use the arrows at the bottom to even enlarge it more. What incredibly beautiful work was done on this. I wonder if Harry did the leading. Look at what appears to be some spidery lead behind the lower flowers. That's amazing fine work!
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Mr. T seems to have been the type of person who only wants his own way.
The prices of real Tiffany are outrageous now.. But then most handcrafted work does tend to increase in value as more and more objects are machine made..
Clara really makes clear decisions in the end.. What a wonderful book.. I have enjoyed it so much.
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Steph, I'm so glad you enjoyed the book. And your having been to the Morse/Tiffany Museum so recently was a real plus -- for you and for us. Don't be surprised if some of us come knocking at your door.
Annie, that nautical lamp must be pure Louis. I can't visualize Clara's hand in that. But the trumpet creeper, wow. Pure Clara.
JoanP, you mentioned earlier a concern about lack of letter writing. It's a concern of mine, too. I just don't see everyday people like us keeping emails forever. And even if we did keep them on something (disk, flash, clouds) the technology to retrieve them keeps changing. The celebrities, the powerful, anybody who's been anything, yes -- probably more than we want to know. But for the rest of us, the undiscovered Claras will be few.
As we finish this discussion this week, please bring up any thoughts or ideas that you've had along the way. I haven't read any other Vreelands, but those of you who have, please offer comparisons, if you like, to her other books. What has moved you the most.
One thing that kept me wondering throughout the book was what is real and what is straight from the author. I think she felt that she had to be true to the letters, and the setting, but I wonder about things like one of the last scenes where she is catching the train to Point Pleasant in hopes of finding Bernard.
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Letters.. Yes, I agree that people do not save emails, but do save letters sometimes. I know that when mdh died, I got so many emails, but they were so painful that I read and deleted them. I kept the cards and notes that I was sent and much later reread them. Now I wish I had not deleted so many of the emails, but at the time, the pain was overwhelming.
I loved the ending. Clara was an older bride, but seemingly a happy one.
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There is so much here - Susan Vreeland has the talent for taking what seems to be a clearcut story about the Tiffany glass studios and then bringing it to life. We keep asking how much of the story comes from Clara's letters and how much is Vreeland's fiction. I remember asking the same question when we read and discussed her Luncheon of the Boating Party - remember that, Annie? I'm thinking that it was a combination of Vreeland's careful research and her own imagination that produced this book. And hasten to add, that her fiction never seems to be at odds with the verifiable facts.
Remember when Clara wanted to help Mr. T get his mind off of his loss? - She knew he loved Lotus blossoms, so she turned to the creation of the hybrid llotus lamp - a combination of blown and leaded glass. She ran into some difficulty - an decided to ask his help. He seemed to come alive, so did she. They were collaborating again - just as they did in the old days.
I found a picture of what I think is this Lotus lamp...it seems to be the only one in existence - Do you think it is the original?
I don't think I ever saw Clara happier than when they worked together on this -
(http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/images/lamp.JPG)
"In 1906 Tiffany Studios issued the Lotus lamp with a price tag of $750.00 USD.
Today only one Lotus lamp is known to exist and on December 12 1997 at Christies, New York the world's most expensive lamp sold for $2,807,500.00 USD." http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/expensive67.html
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I really enjoyed this book and everyone's discussion of it. Thank you, leaders, for keeping us on track. I will be gone for about a week; so I'm not sure if I will be able to check in. If not, see you for Old Filth.
Sally
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Steph, yes, a happy older bride. And it sounds like they had a good life together. Did they really know each other for 16 years before they got married?
Thank you for that picture, JoanP. It sent me off searching.
Don't you wonder who bought that lamp for $2.8 million. Do they use it? Do they show it to people, or is it kept locked away. It must not be in a museum, otherwise surely that would be known. Would there now be more of those lamps if Mr. Platt and Mr. Thomas had not been so domineering?
The link below is to a 2001 Forbes article about the sales of Tiffany lamps. And excerpted from that, should you be in the market, are some things to know before entering the auction house.
Collecting Tiffany Lamps (http://www.forbes.com/2001/12/05/1205conn.html)
Quick Guide
What: Tiffany lamps
How Much: Lamps with blown glass or damascene shades start at about $8,000, while geometric-design leaded lamps start at about $10,000. By comparison, floral-design leaded lamps cost $15,000 to $20,000 at the low end.
What's Popular: The wisteria, dragonfly and peony lamps are among the most recognizable and thus the most sought-after designs. Prices for those lamps can easily range into several hundred thousand dollars.
How to Buy: As the popularity of Tiffany designs have increased, so have the number of fakes and reproductions. "Signatures are unreliable," says Kuharic. "You have to know the material and do your homework." Buy only from a trusted dealer, auction house or other reliable source.
Sally, we're so glad you could join us, and many thanks for your participation. Enjoy your travels, and do check in with us when y ou reture.
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JoanP
You have described our author's style of writing of historical fiction and I agree. Especially after listening to her interview. She had all those letters (1000's?) to get a feeling of how Clara and her friends lived and she fleshed out each one very believably.
While I was looking at the Christie's auction of Tiffany's, I found several of these tiles that were also being auctioned off with the lampshades. And in the middle of this one, is a picture of the new building where they were moving Tiffany's to and it enlarges pretty good. One can even see the window washer working away.
http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?from=salesummary&intObjectID=5274416&sid=e03d06de-474e-4bf0-924e-fc24c37c4c5f (http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?from=salesummary&intObjectID=5274416&sid=e03d06de-474e-4bf0-924e-fc24c37c4c5f)
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Sigh.. I have decided I must put some more of Susan Vreelands books on my tbr list.. The list is starting to assume monster shape. But I did enjoy this and think I would her other stuff if they do the same thing.
Wow.. The Lotus lamp is truly lovely. Amazing the price however.
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Cheer up, things could be worse, Steph - than having to put yet another good book on your TBR pile. :D I'd definitely put Vreeland's Luncheon of the Boating Party on that list!
I just LOVE the mosaics at the entrance to the new Tiffany building, Annie! Thank you for that. Maybe it's been mentioned before - but is that building, with those entry mosaics still standing? Worth a trip to NY (with binoculars) just to see that!
Pedln, you caught that - Clara on the train to Point Pleasant - where she found Bernard. (How did she know he was there, waiting for her? ) But the train - I'd decided that the girls must have taken the ferry across the river from NY to New Jersey and then one of several ferries tthat went to the Jersey shore. But now we hear of a train!
I'd been noticing the titles of the chapters. For the most part, they were gems - or flowers given to Clara, which she then put into her work. But the "Moon Shell" chapter - On the beach, Clara had picked up "a small moon shell that looked like a snail's shell-pearly white on the inside..." She put it on the end of her ring finger. Moon shells never made it into Clara's art work - Bernard took it from her and slipped it into his pocket - only gives it back to her, slips it on to her ring finger - at the end when he asks her to marry him. This is Susan Vreeland, I think, don't you?
(http://th261.photobucket.com/albums/ii60/kathleencaseyart/Acrylic%20and%20Watercolor%20Paintings/th_SnailshellLimtEd.jpg)
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Yes, I think you are right about the 'Moonshell' chapter, JoanP. But even if it is pure Vreeland, its well done.
Steph,
"The Luncheon of the the Boat Party" is very good and we all enjoyed the book here. I did have 'thumbs down' votes in my f2f group. For some unknown reason, some of the ladies thought it was too 'hoity toity'! Too artsy for them. That didn't make the book bad! The title "The Passion of Artemisia" got 'thumbs up' here when we were discussing 'the boating party'. I haven't read it yet. I seem to remember reading "The Forest Lover" back in the dark ages./color]
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That Christie's site, Annie, is really something. And like JoanP, I wonder too, if that building is still standing. 45th St and Madison Avenue. Well, next trip there. Sure wish I'd known some of this stuff last September .
What do you think Mr. Platt and Mr. Thomas thought of the move? Did they really need a bigger place? Could they afford it? I wonder if this is another case of LCT's desires, with not much thought given to financial outcomes. More and more LCT comes across as someone who gets an idea (probably brilliant) and then plows ahead without giving thought to pros and cons. A genius, but difficult.
Steph, S Vreeland's books are going on my to read list too. The one about Emily Carr, the Canadian artist. I'd never heard of her until the Women in the Arts mues?suem (in DC) had an exhibit that included her. Artemisia also. Didnt she do Judith Slaying Holerfenes? (That's the only one of hers I know, and that's because it was pictured in a film, a mystery.
(I'm at Panaera with my laptop which is skittering all over the place and driving me nuts, so will stop before I lose this post)
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As for Susan Vreeland’s other books, I would definitely recommend Luncheon of the Boating Party (LOTBP). I did like Clara and Mr. Tiffany (CAMT) a bit better. Both books brought history to life through place and character. LOTBP is also very artsy, which I liked. It also contained a close knit group of artsy friends, like CAMT.
My reading journal entry:
“A very good book about the painting of the painting titled Luncheon of the Boating Party by Renoir. A good read for those interested in France and art.”
I own Girl in Hyacinth Blue and look forward to reading it.
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There is a lot of drama in the last section of reading: the strike, the death of Mrs. Tiffany, the question of Mr. Tiffany’s daughters attending college, Joe Briggs’ black wife, the death of George, and Clara quitting her job to marry Bernard, even when Mr. Tiffany offered to let her stay.
Oh, how practical Bernard was on page 367: “Seeing those lamps made me realize that for the greater good, for generations hence, I shouldn’t, couldn’t, do or say anything that would put a stop to your important lifework.” I also found this comment romantic, I think because he is showing such respect for Clara as a person with his comment.
I also noted the titles of the chapters. They are all beautiful, natural, and even symbolic things. I made it a point as I was reading to find specifically where in the chapter the title of the chapter was referenced and I made special mental note of what the chapter title was referring to.
What a wonderful book!
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While I was looking for 347 & 355 Madison Ave, I was referred to this and so learned a little bit more about Mr.T. The mansion on Madison Ave and 72nd St is here and a picture of an organ that was installed in his 5th floor studio. Interesting! I wonder where the organ is now.
http://www.nycago.org/Organs/NYC/html/ResTiffanyLC.html (http://www.nycago.org/Organs/NYC/html/ResTiffanyLC.html)
And here's an article about the Tiffany Studios building being bought. And it was published on May 26th, 1916 in the NYTimes. How cool is that???!!
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=FB0613F83A5B17738DDDAF0A94DD405B868DF1D3 (http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=FB0613F83A5B17738DDDAF0A94DD405B868DF1D3)
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Since reading the book, on Sunday I am going back to the museum.. NOw I have a history of some of the articles and am interested in putting them together with things mentioned in the book.. Anyone want to fly or drive in and join me..
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Steph,
I would go with you but we have decided not to travel to Orlando at this time. Did you see the inkwell along with the candlestick in any of the links? Maybe they are in the Morse. Let us know. Here's one on auction:
http://www.arsh.com/utility/dataforms/NeighborhoodCatalogImages.cfm?Proprietor=unique@arsh.com&Showimage=yes&InventoryNumber=un080610-1
Here's a picture of Tiffany's twin daughters. Scroll down to see.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_Louis_Comfort_Tiffany_with_his_parents_and_his_children_1888.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_Louis_Comfort_Tiffany_with_his_parents_and_his_children_1888.jpg)
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"Oh, how practical Bernard was on page 367: “Seeing those lamps made me realize that for the greater good, for generations hence, I shouldn’t, couldn’t, do or say anything that would put a stop to your important lifework.” I also found this comment romantic, I think because he is showing such respect for Clara as a person with his comment." Laura
Laura - you got me thinking about Clara's life after she married Bernard. She may have been an "old bride" but certainly has many years ahead of her as Bernard's wife. Don't you wonder what happened to her artistic talents? Bernard recognizes her "important lifework" after they married? Surely there is more to the story. I'm wondering if Clara continued to send those letters home - detailing for her mother and sisters what she was doing to fill her days. I want to know more!
Also, I'd like to know more about what happened at the Tiffany Glass Company - after Clara left. It stayed open for quite a few years after she left -
Steph - that is a tempting invitation...
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Quote from JoanP "Laura - you got me thinking about Clara's life after she married Bernard. She may have been an "old bride" but certainly has many years ahead of her as Bernard's wife. Don't you wonder what happened to her artistic talents? Bernard recognizes her "important lifework" after they married? Surely there is more to the story. I'm wondering if Clara continued to send those letters home - detailing for her mother and sisters what she was doing to fill her days. I want to know more also!
I hadn't thought of her life after her marriage, citing the letters in your post. But, it would seem to me that there might be ongoing correspondence between Clara and her family in Ohio, and maybe even some letters to her old friend, Alice, who returned to Ohio. I'd like to know more also. Can we ask the author in her blog? Does she have a blog? Has she seen all the letters? Or did she stop at the end of Clara's work for Tiffany?
I went to Susan Vreeland's site and only found this page which says the letters were only written while she worked at Tiffanys.
http://www.svreeland.com/tif-letters.html (http://www.svreeland.com/tif-letters.html)
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Annie - love the pictures - those twins are adorable. Too bad about the letters - they would have been one of the only sources where we could learn of Clara's "lifework" - Life after Tiffany's...
But surely we can find more about what happened to the Tiffany Glassworks AFTER Clara left...Did Mr. T. continue to develop new designs - or dd they concentrate on reproducing Clara's?
I've been poking around looking for information about the last years of the Glass Company - without much success so far.
I did find some interesting facts about Tiffany's Jewelry Stores, though. Remember our friend - Thomas Hoving? Former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art? We met with him in NYC back in 1998, was it? His father, Walter was quite a character - he took over as CEO or president of Tiffany's at some point...you might enjoy reading about him -
"In New York City in 1837, Charles Lewis Tiffany and John F. Young founded Tiffany & Young, a store dedicated to selling stationery and costume jewelry. In 1845 the company began selling real jewelry and published its first mail-order catalog. During the late 1940s it added silverware, timepieces, perfumes, and other luxury items.
In 1853, Tiffany bought out his partners, who at the time also included J. L. Ellis, and the store became Tiffany & Co. Tiffany found its primary consumers in the growing number of wealthy Americans. When Tiffany died in 1902, his son Louis Comfort Tiffany joined the firm as the artistic director. Tiffany’s sales hit nearly $18 million in 1919, but they dropped to less than $3 million in 1932 because of the Great Depression. Louis Tiffany died in 1933.
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/28/obituaries/walter-hoving-punctilious-head-of-tiffany-for-25-years-dies-at-91.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm
Had Louis Tiffany kept the Glass Company going until he died too?
"In 1940 the company moved to its present Fifth Avenue location, and in 1955 the Tiffany heirs sold their shares to Hoving Corporation. Walter Hoving, chairman and CEO, expanded Tiffany & Co. beyond its New York City store to San Francisco in 1963 and added locations in Beverly Hills and Houston in 1964.
In 1955 he bought control of Tiffany's, which at the time seemed to many to be on the brink of going out of business. He started his regime by getting rid of everything in the store that did not meet his standards, holding a giant sale - the first in the store's history -of everything from silver matchbook covers at $6.75 to a diamond and emerald brooch marked down to $29,700.
Mr. Hoving continued to stress the great importance of design, reportedly asking job-seekers to choose between well and badly designed objects and hiring them or rejecting them on the basis of their taste."
http://smu.edu/ecenter/discourse/blackburn.htm
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JoanP
I was looking around too and found a reference to Tiffany Furnaces and here's a piece from a bio:
"Louis Comfort Tiffany was a visionary of Art Nouveau design. His items are prized and treasured both here in America and all over the world. His career spanned over 50 years including tenure with L.C. Tiffany & Associated Artists, the Tiffany Glass Company, Tiffany Studios, Tiffany Furnaces and the L.C. Tiffany Furnaces. He died in New York on January 17, 1933 at the age of 85."
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Steph, do take pictures if you can. Maybe we can post some here. I'd love to see the new Daffodil Terrace that has been mentioned somewhere. I wish I were going with you. Enjoy.
Laura, you are so right – there’s so much drama in that last section. It seemed to go at a much faster pace than the rest of the book. Did you ever wonder what year you were in?
I have found that the visuals, the links that everyone has been sharing have been almost a necessity with this book. The book stands alone, of course, but we all know what they say about pictures. Would the reading have been the same without us seeing pictures of the works? Did you have similar feelings when reading Vreeland’s other books?
Annie, you always send me scurrying off to look somewhere, and your last links were no exception. Fascinating. Tiffany had eight children! I didn’t know he had a son with Lou. Though one of the other sources shows four daughters, no son, including little Annie who died at age three. Now I’m wondering about those children. Did they inherit – or had LCT lost everything. Did any of them exhibit the talent of their father? One source says Dorothy, the youngest, became a psychoanalyst and was a friend of Anna Freud. I want to know more about the Tiffanys. Clara, I think, went on to a full, productive, and happy life with Bernard (Edward). Louis – he was so talented, but was he happy?
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JoanP and Annie, we were all posting about the same time. Seems like we’re asking some of the same questions. So, does $18 milliion in sales translate into being in the black?
I’m still wondering why Vreeland included the story of Joe Briggs and his problems, but apparently they did not interfere with his career at Tiffany Glass. He worked for Tiffany’s for 43 years and became art director and assistant manager. Comments and links below.
The largest collection of Tiffany glass outside of the United States is in the small Lancashire town of Accrington in the north west of England. Briggs was originally from Accrington, and legend has it that after Tiffany’s death in 1933 he was given the entire stock of glass and other art valued at $600,000. He gave half of this to relatives and half to the Corporation of Accrington, which was later transferred to the Haworth Art Gallery there. It apparently does not have its own webpage showing pictures of the items Briggs gave to his town. At least, I could not find one.
In 1919 L C Tiffany retired and divided Tiffany Studios into two. The
Tiffany furnaces were run by Douglas Nash, this is where the
production of Favrile glass continued and the Tiffany Studios were
run by Joseph Briggs which were responsible for the production of
windows, mosaics and lamps.
A rather lengthy PDF file about the Briggs family and the career of Joseph Briggs. He was 17 when he left England by himself and came to the US.
Joe Briggs and Tiffany (http://www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/downloads/JOSEPH_BRIGGS.pdf)
Here is an interesting link to some Tiffany Mosaics. Scroll down to the picture of the Mosaic Department at Tiffany’s. You can click and enlarge it quite a bit. And check out the trivet that is called a whimsey.
Mosaics (http://www.inlay.com/mosaics/tiff/tiff.htm)
The Art Nouveau vases at the Haworth Art Gallery are considered to be the most important such group in Europe. One of the most striking items is a glass mosaic exhibition piece, designed by Briggs himself and entitled Sulphur Crested Cockatoos.
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (http://www.artfinder.com/work/glass-mosaic-exhibition-piece-traditionally-to-joseph-briggs/)
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Yesterday I read all the interviews, etc. in the heading and went through Susan Vreeland's wonderful website. Somewhere in all that, I read that Clara went on to paint scarves after she was married, but none of them remain.
Maybe it was in the afterword.
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Pedln, I, too, wondered why the author included the Joe Briggs story. It could have been eliminated. However, it does tie in with all the other social issues presented in the book, like living conditions of immigrants, women’s rights, etc. There is a picture of Joe Briggs on the author’s website.
I don’t recall wondering what year the book was taking place in while reading the last section. I recall thinking it was the early 20th century.
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I looked up Aeolian organ company and found this interesting page on mechanical organs which were made like the one in Tiffany's home.
http://members.socket.net/%7Ertaylor/aeolian_pipe_organ.html
Most interesting! pic of Royal Albert Hall organ and choir.
http://www.pianola.org/history/history_mechanical.cfm
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In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, it was surely enough of a wonder that an inhuman machine could produce recognisable melodies at all.
True enough, but perhaps not so unbelievable when you consider the inventiveness of the Romans and earlier civilizations.
I, too, wondered why the author included the Joe Briggs story. It could have been eliminated. However, it does tie in with all the other social issues presented in the book,
Yes it does, Laura, and it also points out how Clara was sensitive to the needs of those around her, friends like George, employees like Julia and Wilhemina, and as shown in this situation, co-workers like Joe Briggs. I guess he came to her for help because they both were involved with Theresa and Marion. Just think, if she had not intervened on his behalf the Haworth Gallery in Lancashire might not hold the largest Tiffany collection in Europe.
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Pedl'n,
Most interesting links on Joe Biggs and mosaics and the cockatoo of his. Isn't that cockatoo just something else? Wow!
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I too had wondered about Joe Briggs. It seemed sort of a sidebar, but was interesting in that period..
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Don't you think the whole Joe Brigg's story was true? - That he was secretly married - and married to a black girl? I don't think this is Vreeland's fiction - since Joe was a real character. I found this site - a grave marker, I think - that says that Joe married Elizabeth Jenkins in Manhattan, New York, NY, on March 3, 1898. She was a daughter of William and Anne (Grant) Jenkins.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=32299419
So Joe has this secret - and confides in Clara. What can/should she do? She's devoted to Mr. T - if Joe is married, she knows he will have to leave Tiffany's - because that's his rule.
She also knows that Joe is essential to Tiffany's - If Elizabeth Briggs gets to Mr. T- what will he do? Will he make an exception for Joe? When Clara tells Theresa, she makes it clear that she will be the one he'sll let go. Why is that?
Isn't it ironic? Joe is married, and doesn't want to be. He wants to work at Tiffany's - unmarried. And yet, Clara has found a way for him to stay - and stay married!
Was Clara loyal, in her own way, to Mr. T when she swore everyone to secrecy? Did she do this for the good of the company? Or to do a favor for her friends?
And how about when Clara tells him she plans to marry? He's willing to bend the rule for her, make an exception. I'm trying to remember why she turned this down. On principle? What if he told her that he'd remove the ban on marriage for all of his employees?
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Oh, thank you! I do remember now about Clara's scarf painting. They must have been wonderful. How does anyone know for sure whether there are any still in existence? Doesn't silk last? Can't you imagine one of these scarves, neatly folded, in someone's mother's hope chest? Who would know that it was one of Clara Driscoll's, much less, who she was?
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Maybe someday on Antiques Roadshow someone will say, "this was my grandmother's, but she never wore it, she said it had been her mother's scarf." And we'll see a scarf painted with wisteria or peonies or perhaps a dragonfly or two. Right now, nobody knows.
Was Clara loyal, in her own way, to Mr. T when she swore everyone to secrecy? Did she do this for the good of the company? Or to do a favor for her friends?
JoanP
This is what transpired at Clara's last visit to Tiffany Studios.
"There’s no other way to say this. I have to leave"
"I can’t grow any more here."
Mr. T:(I could move you to enamels)
"No. It’s more than that"
"Our friendship (w George) made me see how vital love is in a fully lived life. Art alone can’t suffice."
Mr. T: Re: Bernard (What if I bent the rule? Our little secret?)
"No. I’m done with secrets."
Mr. T: (Then an open breaking of policy under mitigating circumstances?)
I wanted to be there when it happened. But if my leaving made him consider loosening the strings, maybe it was my last act of love for the Tiffany Girls.
"Under the current business situation, though, it wouldn’t make a difference."
JoanP, you ask some good questions. I've bold-faced what I think were Clara's reasons for leaving -- love for Bernard, love for the Tiffany Girls, and not being able to grow any more there.
I think she had the love, and it sounds like a good life, but I wonder about the growth. Scarf painting seems kind of tame, maybe even lame, compared to what she accomplished at Tiffany's.
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I thought that the rule on marriage was only for the women?? Was it everyone who worked for him..Doesnt seem to be possible.
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The Book Club Online is the oldest book club on the Internet, begun in 1996, open to everyone. We offer cordial discussions of one book a month, 24/7 and enjoy the company of readers from all over the world. Everyone is welcome to join in.
CLARA and MR. TIFFANY
by Susan Vreeland
| "For a century, everyone assumed that the iconic Tiffany lamps were conceived and designed by that American master of stained glass, Louis Comfort Tiffany. Not so! It was a woman!" (Susan Vreeland) | (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/claracoversm.jpg) | Vreeland captures Gilded Age New York and its atmosphere--robber barons, sweatshops, colorful characters, ateliers from the voluminous letters belonging to the Tiffany glass studio manager, Clara Driscoll, discovered by the author
(Amazon review ). |
| (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/dragonflylge.jpg) |
"My last lampshade was accepted and I am
having it made now. It will be quite expensive,
but I think it will be attractive and that the
general public will admire it. The one before
this was a purple and red scheme with opal
to lighten and soften it. Mr. Tiffany thought
it was very fine and Mr. Mitchell thought it
was the ugliest thing he ever saw."
(Letter from Clara Driscoll) | (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/claratiffany/aurora2.jpg)
|
Discussion Schedule:
May 1-8 ~ Chapters 1-12
May 9-15 ~ Chapters 13-24
May 16-22 ~ Chapters 25-37
May 23-31 ~ Chapters 38-47
and the Afterward
Some Topics for Consideration
May 23 - 31 ~ Chapters 38 - 47
1. Do you think that Clara makes a good case for asking the girls to march through the picket line. Is she asking too much of those who have fathers and/or boyfriends in the union.
2. Who do you think holds the power at Tiffany and Company?
3. What has sent Mr. Tiffany into such dark despair that he is almost cruel? Is his wife’s death alone responsible for such changes?
4. What issues or themes, if any, do you think the author has emphasized in the telling of this story?
5. Why do you think the author included the actions of Joe Briggs?
Related Links: NPR Interview with Susan Vreeland (http://www.npr.org/2011/01/09/132781989/-Clara-And-Mr-Tiffany-A-Brightly-Colored-Story);
Morse Museum, Winter Park, FL - World's largest collection of Tiffany glass (http://www.morsemuseum.org/collection/louis_comfort_tiffany.html);
Tiffany Girls on Exhibition Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1wSmcde07o&feature=related);
Susan Vreeland Website for Clara (http://www.svreeland.com/tiff.html)
Discussion Leaders: Pedln (ann.bartlett@att.net ) & Annie (ADOANNIE35@YAHOO.COM)
Steph, I’m pretty sure the marriage rule was only for women, but Mr. Tiffany would not have looked kindly on any deceptions or hanky panky among any of his employees. I wonder if this would not be true of most businesses/employers at this ending of the Victorian era.
It’s extremely important to Mr. Tiffany personally and to Tiffany Studios that his clients see his staff as beyond reproach.
Clara, speaking to Theresa and Marion.
At the moment, both of you are more replaceable than Joe. . . . He has responsibilities far bigger than yours. . . .We still need to be on the alert to prove that women are as capable as men, and that includes working without emotional involvement or disturbances.
Apparently Joe and Bessie stayed together. One of the Joe Briggs links states that they went on to have six children, and that they settled in a New Jersey community and became involved in the doings of that community. None of the links that I saw mentioned that Bessie was a Negro.
As we wind down here, what do you think were some of the highs and lows of the book. What did you especially like or not like, what impressed you the most, and as they ask every day on the Morning Joe show, what did you learn today.
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I have been looking at Vreeland's website of many links where I found this wonderful window from MMOA. It is dated 1922-1924. Could it be a Joe Brigg's window? I do like some of his art quite a bit. This is very intricate and really breautiful. When you get it up, click on it and you get a full sized beauty.
http://0.tqn.com/d/arthistory/1/0/H/g/pa_neh_26.jpg
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A window of Joe Briggs from the New Jersey house is in the Morse.. I saw it yesterday. It is very different from most of what they did. All rocky and very unusual dark dark colors.. I had such fun yesterday. Armed with our discussion, etc, I had a new joy in the museum. No picture taking allowed and cant say that I blame them.. Looking at the many window installation, I realized from the book that much of the glass had been doubled to make the different shades.. Wow.. Modern day stained glass is very flat and Tiffanys is not.. Due to the doubling and tripling and the use of lumps of glass in many cases..
The things you dont realize.. The Daffodil pillars are truly remarkable and set to be like a terrace, although inside.
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Steph,
Well, next time we are in Orlando, I will definitely be going to the Morse Museum.
Were there smaller pieces there also? Like the ink wells? Did you by any chance see the Virgin w/child window. It has that glass that looks like its draped.
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Steph, it sounds like you had a wonderful day at the Museum. Almost like a before and after. I’m glad you had such a good time. And isn’t it amazing what we learn from our recreational reading. I’d love to visit that museum. Wonder how many driving days from here.
While we’ve been discussing this book, Susan Vreeland has been on a book tour through the Southeast. (According to her Facebook page). Here’s a link to an interview this month in Alton, IL (across the river from St. Louis)
"I think this book is very rich," Vreeland said. "I loved developing its many threads. This is truly an American story with the coming of electricity and telephones, the building of skyscrapers, the Gilded Age uptown, the flood of immigrants coming into New York and women joining unions."
Vreeland in Alton (http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/vreeland-53872-tiffany-book.html)
Annie, that window could be a Joe Briggs. The time sounds right. 1922-24. I wonder how involved LCT was in the actual creative process then.
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That's it - that's what I most liked about the book, Pedln - it's so much more than the story of Clara's work at Tiffany's. Vreeland has filled us in on the whole historical period.
Women were doing so much more than I ever knew - had so much more freedom - they were so much more progressive.
"She sees the face of a survivor who would find her own surprises, design her own adventures."
I can't help but wonder whether Clara wrote this aboiut herself, or if Vreeland copied the lines from her letters.
It seems that painting scarves would not be enough for such an adventuress. "Rather tame" occupation, as you say, Pedln. I'll bet she was involved in a whole lost more after she left Tiffany's, don't you? She was a young woman - with so much more to offer when she married.
If S. Vreeland were here, I'd ask her which passages she took verbatim from the letters. In the Afterword, she thanked the Queen's Historical Society and the Kelso House Museum for allowing her "to use a handful of brief passages verbatim." Don't you wish you knew which ones they were?
Steph - you are so lucky to have the Morse Museum in your back yard. I can just see you when you returned with your new-found knowledge of Tiffany glass.
This has been a wonderful discussion of a wonderful book. Thanks so much, Annie and Pedln. You've added so much...
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Yes, the Virgin and Child and another religious one are both the draped type and are in the same room outside of the chapel.. The chapel is lovely and they have set the huge chandelier to go up and down the light scale so you can see how much it affects what you see.. Amazing.. This has been a lovely discussion about a book that I really enjoyed. I found another one in my swap club..Am looking forward to reading it.. It is about a painting..
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Thanks, Steph for letting me know about the Morse collection of Tiffany. Aren't you the lucky one! Just go when you feel like it. There used to be a good restaurant next door to the museum where our group of 24 ate. Is it still there?
Yes, JoanP, it has been a good book to discuss and I can't wait for her next one. Thanks to you for all your help and keeping us on topic. We did get scattered occassionaly, didn't we?
I,too, have loved the history in this book and all the comments that everyone brought here and the links were spectacular, at times. I don't think I have a favorite. And there are still more for us to peruse on the net!
The reason that I think that window is by Joe Biggs is because if I understand the "Afterword", he was in charge of Tiffany Studios after 1918?? LCT didn't seem to have much to do with it. And the colors are darker with lots of light showing through which I saw in those links that Pedl'n put up.
Thanks to all of our readers who left such succinct posts, asking all kinds of questions, and just enjoying the book.
My book has been returned and I am now trying to finish the f2f book for my Senior Center group. Entitled "Born On A Blue Day", its the memoir of Autistic(Asberger's) savant. Very interesting when one get past all the math and numbers he played with. He now has a successful website teaching languages which is another of his talents.
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This has been a great book to discuss, and the discussion has been superb, thanks to everyone who participated. I think we’ve all learned so much together. This was my first Vreeland, and the first time I’ve really given any thought to the Tiffanys – father, son, girls. That has all changed, of course. Now the top of my bucket list is the Morse Museum, failing that it will be the Metropolitan and there are even a couple of windows someplace in Brooklyn. And LCT is buried in Greenwood Cemetary. My girls took me there last fall, but we didn’t get out and explore on foot. Will have to do that next visit.
I don’t think I’ll ever look at stained glass in the same way again – don’t know if I’ll be as astute as Steph. That must have been a great experience the other day, seeing everything a second time after learning so much.
The Neustadt collection of lamps (see video listed in heading) is housed at the Queens Art Museum in Queens, NY, but has been travelling – is or was recently in Reading, PA and will be at the Biltmore in Ashville, NC July 1 to October.
Like many of you, I look forward to reading more of Susan Vreeland’s works. According to her Facebook page, her next book is about framers and includes four artists – Chagall, Cezanne, Picasso and Pizzaro.
Thank you again, everyone, especially our co-leader, Annie. It wouldn’t have been a discussion without you.
We’ll leave this site open for a couple of days, in case anyone wants or comment, or leave another link.
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Well, Pedl'n,
I didn't forget you or did I? Thanks for all the wonderful comments and questions that you posted here. Seems like we are all learning history all the time. Co-leading with you and Joan has been a real treat. Don't forget to read "The Luncheon of the Boating Party". I know you will enjoy it. Should we promise ourselves a return visit to NYC in the future and get over to Greenwood Cemetery and Queens and more of Brooklyn? I didn't know that LCT was buried in Greenwood! Still learning more about this man and his family and his employees back in the good ole' days!
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This has been a stunning discussion. The links were simply outstanding as was the knowledgable discussion
I've read a couple of other Vreeland books so was really disappointed to find out that this one won't be released in Aust. until mid-July so I've just been lurking as I wanted to read the discussion 'as it happened' - Can't wait to get hold of the book and will read it then in a more enlightened frame of mind having learned so much more about the people, places and the art right here.
Thanks to all for your contributions. Special thanks to Pedln and Adoannie - you really know how to do the job.
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Gumtree,
I know you will enjoy the book. We have had great fun discussing it with everyone here. I looked forward every day to coming here to see what questions, posts and links had been left for us. Thanks for being part of "Clara and Mr T".