Okla-homey
2/15/2008, 06:43 AM
February 15, 1812 "The King of Diamonds" is born
Given Valentine's Day just past is a big day to give gifts of diamonds -- in fact some wags call Valentine's Day "the Female Christmas," its appropriate to note the birthday of the American who made the American jewelry business the envy of the world. As an aside, in the 1980's, perhaps as an outgrowth of rampant consumerism in the world's wealthiest society, Americans even began naming baby girls "Tiffany." (a name fad that has since been eclipsed by other name choices.)
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/4195/tif0215wa2ad.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Charles Lewis Tiffany, born on this day 194 years ago
February 15 marks the birthday of Charles Lewis Tiffany, the man who gave the world some of its most preeminent symbols of wealth and status.
Born in Killingly, Connecticut, in 1812, Tiffany headed to New York in 1837, where he and partner John B. Young opened a stationery and fancy goods shop. However, political upheaval in Europe in 1848 caused the prices of precious stones to plummet, giving Tiffany a perfect, and profitable, opening into the jewelry business.
He snapped up a passel of suddenly cheap diamonds, including a few of the French Crown Jewels, which he later sold for a tidy sum, prompting the press to dub Tiffany "The King of Diamonds." Around the same time, Tiffany set about manufacturing gold jewelry. He moved rapidly to expand his business, acquiring John C. Mooreŭs leading silver operations in 1851.
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/5923/tiffabouttiffany5ft.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Two years later, Tiffany assumed complete control of the company and re-christened it "Tiffany & Co." By the time of the Civil War, Tiffany's was THE leading maker and retailer of high-quality luxury goods in the western hemisphere.
In fact, if you raised a regiment to fight for the Union, you wanted your regimental colors manufactured by Tiffany because that put everyone else on the battlefield on notice that you had a classy regiment -- seriously.
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/7519/tiffuntitled9ql.png (http://imageshack.us)
A surviving Civil War Maine regimental color made by Tiffany & Co. These things typically cost a thousand dollars each which was a huge sum during the period
If you were a Union officer, you wanted your sword to come from Tiffany's too. They even made silver surgical implement sets for the classier Union Army surgeons!
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/6222/tifcusterswordecu11ok.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Civil War general Geo. A. Custer's Tiffany & Co. presentation sword. He didn't have it with him when he bought the farm in 1876.
First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln wouldn't wear jewelry from any other maker. The company has produced more sets of White House china than any other firm going all the way back to the first set they made for Mrs Lincoln.
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/9618/tif9999002526qp.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Just one of Mary Todd Lincoln's Tiffany china patterns.
In 1885, the company was commissioned by the US government to revise and engrave the US Seal as it appears on the reverse of the one dollar bill.
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/7970/tifunitedstates7tm.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The Tiffany & Co. executed US Seal. It's the one that became official for all government usages and remains so today.
During the ensuing years, Charles Lewis Tiffany opened Tiffany branches around the world and produced special items for the world's luminaries -- even silver-mounted revolvers!
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/9126/tifftiffanyguns5fr.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Tiffany & Co. firearms
Charles' son, Louis Comfort Tiffany (1948-1933) became an artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass and is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements.
http://aycu01.webshots.com/image/42320/2003782470168498658_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003782470168498658)
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Tiffany was affiliated with a prestigious collaborative of designers known as the Associated Artists which included Lockwood de Forest, Candace Wheeler, and Samuel Colman. Tiffany designed stained glass windows and lamps, glass mosaics, blown glass, ceramics, jewelry, enamels and metalwork.
http://aycu21.webshots.com/image/44300/2003763854720830759_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003763854720830759)
A Tiffany lamp...if you own one, DON'T POLISH IT! The "patina" (a/k/a tarnish) on the metal is part of the value
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/7022/tiflibwindow8ee.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
One of the Tiffany & Co. stained-glass windows at the University of Michigan.
By the time Charles Tiffany died in 1902, his company and its products were firmly entrenched as enduring vestiges of high culture.
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/5791/tiffgiftcard5ht.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
I guess its just coincidence that the world-famous Tiffany & Co. gift box is the same color as a Viagra tablet...anyway, these things have been known to be the key to many a woman's giving special gifts in return.;)
Oh yeah, FWIW, at no time in the company's history has there ever been a restaurant co-located with it that would allow anyone to have "Breakfast (or lunch) at Tiffany's"
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/4823/tiff24572oa.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img356.imageshack.us/img356/3663/insane7zo6jq.jpg
Given Valentine's Day just past is a big day to give gifts of diamonds -- in fact some wags call Valentine's Day "the Female Christmas," its appropriate to note the birthday of the American who made the American jewelry business the envy of the world. As an aside, in the 1980's, perhaps as an outgrowth of rampant consumerism in the world's wealthiest society, Americans even began naming baby girls "Tiffany." (a name fad that has since been eclipsed by other name choices.)
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/4195/tif0215wa2ad.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Charles Lewis Tiffany, born on this day 194 years ago
February 15 marks the birthday of Charles Lewis Tiffany, the man who gave the world some of its most preeminent symbols of wealth and status.
Born in Killingly, Connecticut, in 1812, Tiffany headed to New York in 1837, where he and partner John B. Young opened a stationery and fancy goods shop. However, political upheaval in Europe in 1848 caused the prices of precious stones to plummet, giving Tiffany a perfect, and profitable, opening into the jewelry business.
He snapped up a passel of suddenly cheap diamonds, including a few of the French Crown Jewels, which he later sold for a tidy sum, prompting the press to dub Tiffany "The King of Diamonds." Around the same time, Tiffany set about manufacturing gold jewelry. He moved rapidly to expand his business, acquiring John C. Mooreŭs leading silver operations in 1851.
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/5923/tiffabouttiffany5ft.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Two years later, Tiffany assumed complete control of the company and re-christened it "Tiffany & Co." By the time of the Civil War, Tiffany's was THE leading maker and retailer of high-quality luxury goods in the western hemisphere.
In fact, if you raised a regiment to fight for the Union, you wanted your regimental colors manufactured by Tiffany because that put everyone else on the battlefield on notice that you had a classy regiment -- seriously.
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/7519/tiffuntitled9ql.png (http://imageshack.us)
A surviving Civil War Maine regimental color made by Tiffany & Co. These things typically cost a thousand dollars each which was a huge sum during the period
If you were a Union officer, you wanted your sword to come from Tiffany's too. They even made silver surgical implement sets for the classier Union Army surgeons!
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/6222/tifcusterswordecu11ok.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Civil War general Geo. A. Custer's Tiffany & Co. presentation sword. He didn't have it with him when he bought the farm in 1876.
First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln wouldn't wear jewelry from any other maker. The company has produced more sets of White House china than any other firm going all the way back to the first set they made for Mrs Lincoln.
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/9618/tif9999002526qp.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Just one of Mary Todd Lincoln's Tiffany china patterns.
In 1885, the company was commissioned by the US government to revise and engrave the US Seal as it appears on the reverse of the one dollar bill.
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/7970/tifunitedstates7tm.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The Tiffany & Co. executed US Seal. It's the one that became official for all government usages and remains so today.
During the ensuing years, Charles Lewis Tiffany opened Tiffany branches around the world and produced special items for the world's luminaries -- even silver-mounted revolvers!
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/9126/tifftiffanyguns5fr.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Tiffany & Co. firearms
Charles' son, Louis Comfort Tiffany (1948-1933) became an artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass and is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements.
http://aycu01.webshots.com/image/42320/2003782470168498658_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003782470168498658)
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Tiffany was affiliated with a prestigious collaborative of designers known as the Associated Artists which included Lockwood de Forest, Candace Wheeler, and Samuel Colman. Tiffany designed stained glass windows and lamps, glass mosaics, blown glass, ceramics, jewelry, enamels and metalwork.
http://aycu21.webshots.com/image/44300/2003763854720830759_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003763854720830759)
A Tiffany lamp...if you own one, DON'T POLISH IT! The "patina" (a/k/a tarnish) on the metal is part of the value
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/7022/tiflibwindow8ee.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
One of the Tiffany & Co. stained-glass windows at the University of Michigan.
By the time Charles Tiffany died in 1902, his company and its products were firmly entrenched as enduring vestiges of high culture.
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/5791/tiffgiftcard5ht.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
I guess its just coincidence that the world-famous Tiffany & Co. gift box is the same color as a Viagra tablet...anyway, these things have been known to be the key to many a woman's giving special gifts in return.;)
Oh yeah, FWIW, at no time in the company's history has there ever been a restaurant co-located with it that would allow anyone to have "Breakfast (or lunch) at Tiffany's"
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/4823/tiff24572oa.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img356.imageshack.us/img356/3663/insane7zo6jq.jpg