Glassmaking, Daum & Tiffany

Daum & Tiffany, the two glassmaking companies that produced lampshades, were the pioneers of the Glass Art industry. In this series of articles, I would like to draw your attention to the industrial design of lighting fixtures manufacturing in Art Nouveau style. In this regard, I should mention two companies that produced lampshades and chandeliers in the early 19th century as the pioneers and the leaders of this art industry, Tiffany & Co. and the Daum Studio.

First, I shall introduce Tiffany & Co., which was in the early 19th century an American Company for stationery and fancy goods. Gradually, the company produced and sold more and more luxury items. The firm had various applied arts products and used diverse materials in its distinctive, controversial product range.

Lewis Tiffany, the second director of the company after his father, was in his youth, in the first place a painter and later became fascinated by the science of chemistry. The glassmaking procedures were one of his practical concerns and research interests.

Tiffany used the science of glassmaking practised by the artisans before him. He elevated the methods and proficiency of the glass production of glass- mosaics, blown glass, stained-glass windows and light fixtures.

Tiffany worked with some key figures in the Aesthetic Movement of the late 19th century, such as Lockwood de Forest, an American interior designer and Candace Wheeler, one of the leading female artisans in furniture and textile design and Samuel Colman, the master of the art. They worked along with Tiffany in decorative arts as associated artists. However, their partnership did not last long. Tiffany parted from them carried up into the glass industry.

Tiffany’s business thrived because of two reasons. Firstly his leadership and talent, and secondly, his father’s investments and commercial network. With Tiffany’s efforts, the modern type of iridescent art glass flourished. This type of glass art was an innovation in the production process and significantly influenced industrial design.

Tiffany and his early rival John La Farge changed the techniques of producing stained glass. Previously the production methods were limited to medieval production traditions in the past. The company developed more styles of glassmaking due to the growing public interest in interior decorating. Tiffany’s staff drew their attention to another production process, specifically designing and producing lighting features and lampshades.