Inducted 2007

The son of the founder of Tiffany and Company Jewelers, artist Louis Tiffany is best known for the lamps that bear his name.

Invention Impact

In the early 1880s, Tiffany received patents for stained glass and stained glass windows. Tiffany’s windows provided a brilliant visual effect by allowing more natural light to penetrate, sometimes incorporating stained glass with a metallic luster to produce an iridescent effect. In 1885, Tiffany established the Tiffany Glass Company and his stained glass windows graced many buildings in the United States.

Tiffany also won acclaim for his favrile glass. Favrile was a colorful glass used by Tiffany when he manufactured his now signature lamps in the mid-1890s. Like Tiffany’s stained glass, favrile glass found its way into mosaics and windows that decorated many civic buildings not just around the nation, but around the world.

Inventor Bio

Born in New York City and educated at the National Academy of Design, Tiffany would establish various companies throughout his lifetime devoted to manufacturing his stained glass and other products. He also established the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation in 1918 to provide training to students until financial hardships ended this venture.