Clara and Mr. Tiffany: A Novel

Historical fiction author Susan Vreeland has done it again! In her latest novel, Clara and Mr. Tiffany: A Novel, Vreeland creates a wonderfully compelling story of an artist and the world she lived and worked in. This fascinating story traces sixteen years of Clara Driscoll's life between 1892 and 1908, the years she served as head of the Women's Department at the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company. Vreeland asserts in her novel that it was in fact Clara Driscoll and not Louis Comfort Tiffany who hit upon the idea for the now famous Tiffany lamps!Vreeland does not make this radical claim without proof and true to form she has woven this particular story around extant historical documentation. In this instance, Vreeland was able to use Clara Driscoll's own words as expressed in her letters which were discovered in 2005. Vreeland's novel is filled with details and descriptions of life in New York City. In fact, these descriptions are one of the novel's greatest strengths; Vreeland's ability to create such incredible images with her words gives the reader the opportunity to completely understand what life was like for an unmarried woman living and working in turn of the century New York.Clara Driscoll's time at the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company was not just about her creation and designing the leaded glass lamps but also about the creation and flourishing of the Women's Department with Clara as its head. In a time when women barely had any rights at all, Clara Driscoll saw that her girls earned a fair wage and were treated with respect. Admittedly, these issues were not always easy ones and Vreeland expertly deals with the social aspects of women in the workplace. Vreeland also deals with the personal struggles and sacrifices Clara and her girls made during their time with the Tiffany Company. For instance, per company policy, all of the women working for Louis Comfort Tiffany had to remain unmarried. This policy becomes problematic for many of the women but especially for Clara who constantly struggles with her need to be recognized as a true artist and her desire to be married. This policy turns into a very clever way for Vreeland to develop the story lines of some of the minor characters, many of which are incredibly delightful and well developed.Another of Vreeland's greatest strengths lies in Vreeland's ability to describe the leaded glass making processes without becoming bogged down in technical jargon. All of the descriptions are expertly woven into the plot line so that they become a part of the novels' fabric and not independent or boring descriptions of glass making. As you proceed through the novel you find yourself holding your breath waiting to find out if a new process or procedure for creating a lamp works or if it will prove to be a total failure. As with all of Vreeland's historical fiction, the reader becomes completely invested in the characters and their lives. You celebrate the victories just as Clara and her girls did and cry when any one of them experiences either a personal or professional loss This book is beyond being worth your time and energy as a reader; it is a must read if you love historical fiction! Vreeland is a master storyteller and even if you know nothing about Tiffany and Company, the leaded glass industry, or women's rights in turn of the century New York, you will love this novel.

Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland This was a challenge but rewarding. I had wanted to read it because I had read several of Vreeland's other books and both enjoyed them and learned from them.From the beginning it held my attention. It was a bit slow going but the prose flowed nicely. We meet and learn about Clara Driscoll and her work for Louis Comfort Tiffany in his stained glass shop. Very quickly Vreeland begins to create some of the most vivid and compelling visualizations of the interplay of light with the subtle yet vibrant colors of the glass and design.Clara's life is defined by her work with Tiffany as she movies up from glass cutter to being a designer of many of the dazzling works that carry Tiffany's name. While the historical record is unclear on the origin of the legendary lampshades it is clear that Clara had a significant part in there creation and designs.It is also a fact that both Clara and Tiffany were influential in opening the world of skilled labor to women. Tiffany was willing to hire women, but required them to remain single as long as they worked for him. Clara was one of the first hires and went on to head and develop a Women's Department of stunning skill and talent.The rule against marriage would play havoc with Clara's life and the lives of many of her "Girls." The increasing influence of the Women's Department also created friction and labor unrest within the company.Clara's personal life was simple yet included numerous delightful, interesting, talented, and loyal friends. It also includes romance and even marriage.All of this made for an enjoyable and informative read. Yet one of the books strengths eventually became it's near downfall. As mentioned in the beginning Vreeland's vivid descriptions of the glass, color, and design was amazing, but she goes on to describe every project Clara works on in this same detail and language. For me it became tedious and slowed my reading. At about the half way point I decided to quit. I put the book down for a couple days. However I found I could not let go of the characters. I went back to it but confess that I had to skim over some of these descriptions to follow Clara's world through to the end.This was a very good book. I am glad I read it. It was enlightening about both the fascinating world of Tiffany art, and a pivotal time in the history of women's entry into the work force. I recommend it.

I have taken up stained glass, it was great to read this story it really took me back in time, I almost felt I worked at tiffany factory, I even passed this book on to my tutor who had never heard of it. A great read especially if you are a stained glass enthusiast.

Bought by my wife she says it is absolutely fab

...informiert auf unterhaltsame Art und Weise sowohl über die Kunst der Tiffany-Glasarbeiten als auch über die Bedingungen für weibliche Arbeiter in den USA (zur damaligen Zeit).Wäre aber auch dann ein gut zu lesender Roan,wenn man sich für diese Themen nicht interessiert

I found this to be a very charming book and, because I am an artist myself, I could appreciate the description of how these Tiffany lamps were created . All along I thought that this was fiction and was pleased to read at the end that it was based on a true story. Someone in our bookclub printed off a couple of pictures from the internet of the lamps mentioned in the book and I should have done that myself as I was reading the book, because I would have had an even better picture of the process required to produce these unique pieces of art.

Interesting story and concept. Great insight into the Tiffany workshop and the times when not many women had careers. Writing style was slightly dry, but generally a good read.