Louis Comfort Tiffany: Treasures from the Driehaus Collection

The work of Louis Comfort Tiffany became immensely popular in the late 19th century, sold around the world and collected by museums. But by the 1930s and even before Tiffany's death, the work had fallen out of favor: "Salvage dealers destroyed exquisite lamp shades, knocking against the curb to separate the materials and retrieve the bronze for scrap." Some of Tiffany's known commissions were lost, while others were covered, to be discovered years later. Chicago's Nickerson Mansion required years of restoration to restore the home to its Gilded Age splendor and to make it the setting for a new presentation of Tiffany's work, the subject of this book. On the occasion of his museum's first exhibition, founder Richard H. Driehaus contributes a personal "Collector's Vision" essay to this accompanying catalogue, in which he describes his museum as one where "guests do not walk briskly%E2%80%A6 They linger on every extravagant detail%E2%80%94whether a Tiffany chandelier, a suite of Herter Brothers furniture, intricate marquetry, stunning tile work, or richly designed fabrics." The book's extraordinary photographs invite a similar pace. Monochromatic backgrounds and perfect lighting invite the eye to find the stem atop a hydrangea-inspired lamp, the fern detail on a heavily carved bronze base, or confetti glass detail in a window. Many pieces are described with more than one photograph and from a variety of angles%E2%80%94almost as good as holding the piece in hand. (Sept.)