Tiffany Chapel facts for kids
The Tiffany Chapel is a special room designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and built by his company, the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company. It was first shown at a big event called the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Later, the chapel moved to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Tiffany bought it back in 1916 and displayed it at his own home. After 1949, the chapel was taken apart, and some pieces were sold. The parts that were left are now on display at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, Florida, since April 1999.
Contents
What Does the Tiffany Chapel Look Like?
The Tiffany Chapel is designed in a mix of old styles called Byzantine and Romanesque. It has many beautiful parts that fit together.
Inside the Chapel: Main Features
- Altar: At the front, there's an altar made of marble and white glass. This is a special table used in religious services.
- Arches and Columns: Behind the altar, there are six carved arches. Each arch is held up by two sets of double columns. The whole altar area sits on a raised platform made of mosaic tiles.
- Cross and Candles: A cross stands on the altar, with two pairs of candles on either side.
- Reredos: Behind the altar is a decorative screen called a reredos. It shows two peacocks, which are symbols of eternal life, under a crown. This part is made from a special kind of Favrile glass mosaic, which Tiffany invented.
- Ambo: On the left side, there's an ambo, which is like a raised stand or pulpit where someone might read or speak. It has two candlesticks next to it.
- Baptistry: To the right, you'll find the baptistry, a place for baptism. Its front has four columns. At the back, there's a large, colorful stained-glass window called "Field of Lilies," which also has a column pattern.
- Baptismal Font: In the middle of the baptistry is a round baptismal font, which holds water for baptisms. It sits on a base with six sides and columns.
- Chandelier: Hanging from the ceiling is a large, cross-shaped chandelier made of emerald green glass. It's about 10 feet by 8 feet and lights up with electricity.
- Windows: The chapel's windows are made of Tiffany glass, using a mosaic style. They show Christian stories, like Christ Blessing the Evangelists and The Story of the Cross.
- Seating: There are wooden benches for people to sit on.
The chapel at the museum covers an area of about 1,082 square feet (100 square meters).
The Chapel's Journey Through Time
The Tiffany Chapel has moved around quite a bit since it was first built!
Starting at the World's Fair (1893)
In 1893, the chapel was about 800 square feet (74 square meters). It was set up as a special display at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Tiffany himself reportedly said it was "a chapel in which to worship art." About 1.4 million people visited it, and it was very popular. The chapel helped Tiffany become famous around the world and won 54 awards!
Moving to New York City
After the fair, the chapel was taken apart and stored away. In 1898, a woman named Celia Whipple Wallace bought the chapel for $50,000. She wanted it to be placed in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan, which was still being built. The chapel was set up in the basement crypt, with plans to move it into the main church later.
However, when a new architect, Ralph Adams Cram, took over, he changed the cathedral's style to "Gothic." The Tiffany Chapel, with its different style, stayed in the basement. It was used as a real chapel for about twelve years (1899–1911). This was the only time it served as a working chapel. After the main choir area above was finished, the chapel was no longer used and started to fall apart.
Back to Tiffany's Home
After 1916, Louis Comfort Tiffany bought the chapel back. He had it repaired and replaced any broken parts. He then set it up in its own building on his estate, Laurelton Hall, on Long Island. After Tiffany passed away in 1933, his estate changed. The Tiffany Foundation took the chapel apart in 1949 and sold some of its pieces.
Finding a New Home in Florida
In 1957, a fire destroyed the main building at Laurelton Hall, and the remaining parts of the chapel were in bad shape. They were almost going to be destroyed. But Jeannette G. and Hugh F. McKean came to Laurelton Hall to save its windows and other parts for the Morse Museum in Winter Park. They also found other pieces of the chapel that had been sold and bought them back. This way, the different parts of the chapel could be put back together.
After a lot of careful work to fix and restore it, the Tiffany Chapel opened to the public at the Morse Museum in 1999. Most of the items you see there are original, including the windows, columns, arches, decorations, the altar floor, and most of the furniture. Some parts, like the walls, ceilings, and the floor of the main area, are new. They were rebuilt to match how the chapel looked at Laurelton Hall.
See also
- Willard Memorial Chapel
- Wade Chapel
