Guest Post for the Tiffany Lamps Blog
The Tiffany Glass Company was established in 1885 with the first commercially produced Tiffany Lamps dating at around 1895. While many other items from the Tiffany Interiors range have faded from popularity why does demand for these lamps continue over a century after their initial conception?
It is not that the designs of the lamps themselves are unique. The same flowing curves and natural influences are littered throughout the Art Nouveau movement which inspired Louis Comfort Tiffany and Clara Driscoll to their designs. Even before this particular art movement what makes these lamps different from those stained glass designs found in churches across the world?
The secret of the lamp is not in its design although if the design did not appeal people would not buy the lamp, but in the materials used in production. While the designs followed the Art Nouveau conventions the pioneering production method is what sets Tiffany Lamps apart from its competitors as a brand and that had contributed to its timeless appeal.
This method of production that sets Tiffany Lamps apart from its competitors is known as ‘Foiling’. This delicate and time consuming work refers to the process of wrapping a thin layer copper foil around the edge of each cut glass piece before transferring these pieces to the soldering room.
This was not an easy task as the foil had to be beaten into a sheet that remained durable whilst also remaining thin enough to work with. By using copper foil rather than the traditional lead setting the glass pieces could be set closer together allowing more intricate designs using smaller pieces of glass to be used without damaging the glass or overwhelming the pieces with a mass of lead resulting in a more colourful and appealing lamp, the secret to the enduring appeal of the Tiffany Lamp.
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