Book Talk and Trolley Tour:
Clara and Mr. Tiffany, with author Susan Vreeland
Saturday, March 24th, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Louis Comfort Tiffany, of course, designed the famous and beautiful Tiffany lamps.
WRONG!
Although Tiffany let everyone believe that he designed them, the designer was actually his employee Clara Driscoll.
"two collections of letters reveal that an unrecognized woman, Clara Driscoll, designed the floral shades as well as many of the bronze bases." --Susan Vreeland
Clara and Mr. Tiffany, a novel by Susan Vreeland, tells of Clara Driscoll--director of the Women's Glass Cutting Department in Tiffany Studios in Manhattan--who designed the leaded glass lamps (and other items) that Tiffany sold. Research in 2005 into two collections of personal letters revealed that Driscoll, not Tiffany, was the inventor and designer of the stained-glass lamps. Driscoll, meanwhile, lived in poverty on the Lower East Side while Tiffany lived in wealth.
After her talk, Vreeland's book, just released in paperback, will be available for purchase, and she will sign copies. This free event will take place in the historic chapel in Green-Wood Cemetery.
A trolley tour after the talk will go to the graves of the Tiffany family and contemporary designers and leading figures of that era.
Trolley tour ticket prices: $10 for members of the Green-Wood Historic Fund; $15 for non-members.
Seating is limited for both the talk and the trolley tour, so reservations are recommended.
For details and to purchase your ticket in advance, call (718) 210-3080 or order online.
