Studio: international art (11.1897)

Industrial Arts of America

sense, the typical outcome of American Decorative and there is a tendency throughout to substitute

Art must still be classed as industrial and studied handiwork for other modes. It is handiwork on

from its own point of view—or left alone. a large scale, however, skilfully organised, in fact

But it is time to descend from the thin upper so skilfully organised, that it allows for the personal

air of general remark to the safe ground of definite interest on the part of the worker, as well as

information. It may be well to state, to begin with, obedience to the inspiration from the fountain

that there are two head. The rate of the

Tiffany establishments, wages varies with the

both of which have craft of the worker ;

contributed to make |' trades' unions and

the name well known
in Iuirope.

There is Tiffany and intelligent planning of

Co. in Union Square, .|y, % '%<$.*.. ' the whole and the

the goldsmiths and Hllju m: financial strength of

jewellers, or perhaps I the concern,

ought rather to say , Wmm fijttH||HBj/ In the same way,

the silversmiths, as it mm bUIIIW »f the trained and skilled

is chiefly by their foremen and workmen

interesting'treatment of jlj IflfiflHRH tnat are sent out a^

silver that they have S^flHHfKn over the country to

attracted notice.

There is the Tiffany
Glass and Decorative

walking delegates are
powerless against the

carry out, supplemented
by local labour, large
works in interior deco-

( 'o. on fourth Avenue, '• jKSl^Hi' I rations are all all-round

the large and compre- ' jJB8p%«^\, j\ men, working together

hensive establishment J&IfMj0 nt * r^l in harmony. I am told

that has been built up ' jIll!!^' I- **' that there has only been

by degrees by the talent, i/j^k^i^Sr / one strike in the

versatility and business fin i ^^>6ft' ^pL*/ *" rw\. Tiffany establishment,

ability of Mr. Louis m \SMf'"lll,"'r, Jit'^ t- and that interesting

Comfort Tiffany, the 'WL' ,/ both in its causes and

son of Mr. Charles tmv ^k^r l&p its results. When Mr.

Lewis Tiffany, the *'«^jP|^:L^gJ^ Tiffany first started his

goldsmith. This es- HBHHr ' workshops, he soon

tablishment consists of - ■................« found out, as the starter

three branches : the -,^n| of Merton Abbey had

glassworks at Corona, ; done, that the only way

Long Island, where no mm^nim*Mj**j6k*m0''*^ to get his ideas carried

profane eye is allowed *— *■ out was by training

to penetrate ; a large vase in metal and «favrile" glass boys to tne wor^ ^rom

cabinet-maker's shop on designed by louis c. tiffany the beginning. So

Second Avenue,and the he employed such

headquarters on Fourth workmen as were to

Avenue. It is very hard to classify this Tiffany be had, putting boys under them as apprentices.
Class and Decorative Co. according to European After a while the men struck on the score of too
notions. It is a "firm" undoubtedly, but super- many apprentices. Mr. Tiffany let them all go,
intended by an artist of rare decorative gifts and replaced them by young women from the art
alert technical curiosity. It conforms to the wishes schools where they had at least learned to use
of customers and adapts itself to any problem their eyes and their fingers in certain ways, and
presented as adroitly as a clever milliner—yet it trained them himself. At present there are from
has given us that classically beautiful product, the forty to fifty young women employed in the glass
"Favrile" blown glass. Except for certain minor workshop, working at either mosaic or windows,
portions of the work, handiwork reigns supreme, generally ornamental. The larger memorial windows

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