Tiffany Studios’ Wade Memorial Chapel, Cleveland, Ohio 1901


A few weeks back I visited the Wade Memorial Chapel in Cleveland.  It is one of the relatively few intact interior spaces designed and executed by Tiffany Studios.  And it’s a good one!  It definitely won me over.
The chapel, on the grounds of Lake View Cemetery, was built in 1901 in honor of Jeptha Wade, the Cleveland businessman who founded Western Union Telegraph Company.
The first element of the chapel constructed was the window on the north wall, which depicts The Flight of Souls.  It was displayed by Tiffany in the firm’s exhibit at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, where it won a gold medal.

The chapel, though it has a certain monumentality, is a small space, with only four rows of pews separated by a center aisle.  The chapel was intended to be used for funeral services--that spot front and center is for a casket (though today the chapel is also used for weddings).

The side walls are covered by huge Favrile glass mosaics designed by Frederick Wilson.  The left wall depicts the prophecy and laws of the Old Testament and the right wall shows the fulfillment of those prophesies through Christianity.   Each measures 32 feet long by 8 feet high.
Detail of the floor mosaic
Detail of the inlaid mosaic on the end of each pew
The architecture (by local firm Hubbell and Benes) is fairly generic and definitely plays second fiddle to the decorative scheme.
Generally, I’m more a fan of earlier Tiffany works from the creative time when the historical precedent was a bit more difficult to nail down.  But the Wade Chapel has a pleasing Beaux-Arts classicism to it, much in the vein of McKim, Mead and White--all white marble, bronze and shimmering mosaic.
Travel tips:  Be sure to call ahead to make sure the chapel is open before visiting--visit the cemetery's website here.  Hours can be limited and varied depending on services and the time of year.  Also, the cemetery is near Case Western Reserve University and Hospital and traffic in the middle of the day was a nightmare in the neighborhood--factor that into your schedule.  The Cleveland Museum of Art is nearby as well. 


© All text and images are copyright of Jeni Sandberg

Road Trip: Tiffany at First Presbyterian Church, Bath New York


Bath was definitely my favorite group of Tiffany on my recent road trip.  I’d visited Bath briefly over the summer, but since I was headed in that direction again, I decided to stop back in and take more pictures.  It’s definitely worth a second look. 
The church itself dates to 1877 and is the only extant church designed by architect Jacob Wrey Mould.  Mould was a great proponent of architectural polychromy (and yes, I am very excited to be able to whip out that term, which has lain dormant since graduate school!), where the structure of the building dictates the colored decoration.  His notable commissions include the original Metropolitan Museum of Art building, Belvedere Castle and other structures in Central Park.  His church in Bath has striped arches around the windows, an element which harkens back to Venetian architecture, one of Mould’s main influences. 
The interior of the church was remodeled by Tiffany Studios (maybe still going by Tiffany Glass and Decorating Co. then?) between 1895 and 1897.  There are some pretty amazing elements to note:
The windows throughout are geometric as opposed to figural, which I rather like.  The round window at the east end of the church has an outer border with red turtleback tiles and what looks like crown glass discs in the four quadrants.  I should have brought binoculars to get a good close up view!  

The transept and aisle windows are geometric as well.  The pattern is small scale and reminds me a bit of Tiffany Leaf and Vine (or Acorn) lamps.  
The east wall has unusual panels of what look like red glass tiles and studded, gilt-metal borders.  I wonder if this is the original finish and what the gold-colored material is in between the bumpy parts?  More glass, or metal? 
There is an outstanding pair of leaded glass lanterns at the east end of the church.  Each measures 55 inches high (according to the sexton) and has a double row of red turtlebacks above leaded panels separated by chunky jewels of glass.  
The chancel rail and pulpit are made of carved mahogany with inset mosaic details.  
The narthex of the church also has a Tiffany chandelier made of twisted wire, but it is currently on view at MOBiA’s exhibition, Louis C Tiffany and the Art of Devotion in New York. 

 Next Tiffany stop:  Wade Chapel in Cleveland!  


© All text and images are copyright of Jeni Sandberg

Road Trip: Clematis Window by Tiffany Studios at the Dr. Sylvester Willard House, Auburn, NY

My last Tiffany stop in Auburn--the Dr. Sylvester Willard House and its lovely clematis window.  A Tiffany window in its original domestic setting is pretty tough to come by, so it was nice to see this one.  
Before he was memorialized at the chapel at Union Theological Seminary (see my post on that here), Dr. Sylvester Willard was a practicing doctor in Auburn.  Working from his home on East Genesee Street, Dr. Willard welcomed patients to his apothecary through a later side entrance (1852) to the grand Greek Revival mansion (1830s/1840s).  
Don't be like me--it only occurred to me to take images of the exterior of the house as I was leaving and sitting at the stop light... You can just see the rounded addition to the house at the far right and the Tiffany window is the one that is cut off...
The Tiffany window is at the center, with an entrance at the top of each staircase on either side.  
When Willard died in 1886, it is not clear how this side entrance was used by his surviving daughters, Georgina and Caroline.  Tiffany’s work on the Willard Memorial Chapel began in 1892 and though there are no surviving papers known regarding the commission of the clematis window, the staff at the museum suggests that the window dates to around 1890, before the Chapel, but this seems a bit early to me.  I might have guessed closer to 1900 or so?   
It's hard to see in this shot, but the top left corner of the top panel is pretty severely bowed, damage that was purportedly incurred during a fire in the house. 
Clematis was frequently seen in Tiffany’s works, especially in domestic windows.  
A large clematis skylight from the Harbel house in Akron, Ohio, c. 1915.   Sold at Christie's in 1998. 
A lovely Peony and Clematis window (1900-1910)  from The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass
A window with trumpet creeper, clematis, hollyhock and nasturtium, c. 1905, commissioned for a house in Irvington, NY.  Now at the Corning Museum of Glass. 
Tiffany used clematis in lamp design, too--this one from Christie's, December 2008.  
The window at the Willard mansion needs a bit of restoration, but it’s great to see a Tiffany window in its original domestic setting.  
There are a few cracks and small losses--pretty typical for windows like this.   
The Willard house is now the Cayuga Museum & Case Research Lab. Learn more here.  



© All text and images are copyright of Jeni Sandberg

Road Trip: Tiffany Studios Landscape Window, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Auburn, NY

Auburn is rich Tiffany territory.  After visiting the Willard Memorial Chapel, I headed over to Westminster Presbyterian Church to view their lovely landscape window.
The window dates to 1910 and was given to the church by Mrs. William H. Seward in memory of her mother, Mrs. Margaret Rebecca Standart Watson.  The window is inscribed with an excerpt from the 23rd Psalm: ‘He leadeth me beside the still waters, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures..’
Detail of the tree at the left--looks like it is plated with confetti glass behind?
The Celestial City is just visible beneath the rainbow
The window measures 12 feet high and is plated with up to four layers of glass in some spots (according to the the restorer who recently worked on the window).
There are many variations of this type of landscape window where the Tiffany vocabulary of flowers, trees, water and mountains is utilized.  The double rainbow is nice added touch and well executed--I wonder how exactly it is achieved?  Just plating, or is there something else going on?
Left, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Magnolia and Irises window, c. 1908; right, a landscape window sold at Christie's in December 2003.  Both of these are from mausoleums and much smaller than the Westminster window.
I was so taken with the window that I neglected to take wide shots that show its location within the church.  Really, it’s front and center, smack in front of you when you walk in, right behind the altar.  Apparently, there was a time parishioners wanted something a bit less soft and naturalistic to look at during services as the window was once surrounded by heavy curtains and a large cross was put up in front of it.  Tastes change, and now the window is again a much treasured part of the church decor.
For more on Westminster Presbyterian, click here. 

Next:  More Tiffany in Auburn.


© All text and images are copyright of Jeni Sandberg