Laurelton Hall
Encyclopedia
Laurelton Hall was the home of noted artist Louis Comfort Tiffany
, located in Laurel Hollow, Long Island
, New York
. The 65-room mansion on 600 acres of land, designed in the Art Nouveau mode, combined Islamic motifs with connection to nature, was completed in 1905, and housed many of Tiffany's most notable works, as well as serving as a work of art in and of itself.
On one visit to the Louis Comfort Tiffany mansion, Laurelton Hall, on June 4, 1916, Elizabeth "Bessie" Handforth Kunz wrote in the guest book: “Arabian night’s dreams vanish, at Laurelton a phantom has become reality, eternal.” The mansion was on the North Shore of Long Island, and had at that time 1,500 acres of woodland and waterfront, and was the location of a residential school for artists, the Tiffany Art Foundation, of which Bessie’s father, Dr. George Frederick Kunz
, was a trustee. As an amateur artist, Bessie must have been thrilled with mansion, the talented people and the visit to the countryside.
Laurelton Hall served as home for a school for artists run by Tiffany and his Foundation
beginning in 1918. The Laurelton Hall grounds also eventually contained a separate building which housed the Tiffany Chapel
originally made for the 1893 Columbian Exposition and numerous Tiffany windows, and a separate art gallery building. Laurelton Hall eventually fell into disrepair in the years after Tiffany's death, was sold by the Foundation in 1949, and burned in 1957. The estate cost about $2,000,000 to construct and landscape and was sold for $10,000.
The majority of windows and other surviving architectural pieces were salvaged by Hugh McKean and Jeannette Genius McKean of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
and shipped to Winter Park, Florida
after the fire. A major retrospective of Laurelton Hall opened at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art
in November, 2006.
In 2010 the Morse Museum announced that it is building new galleries at a cost of $5 million. The galleries will have 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) of space and display Tiffany work from Laurelton Hall.
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
, located in Laurel Hollow, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The 65-room mansion on 600 acres of land, designed in the Art Nouveau mode, combined Islamic motifs with connection to nature, was completed in 1905, and housed many of Tiffany's most notable works, as well as serving as a work of art in and of itself.
On one visit to the Louis Comfort Tiffany mansion, Laurelton Hall, on June 4, 1916, Elizabeth "Bessie" Handforth Kunz wrote in the guest book: “Arabian night’s dreams vanish, at Laurelton a phantom has become reality, eternal.” The mansion was on the North Shore of Long Island, and had at that time 1,500 acres of woodland and waterfront, and was the location of a residential school for artists, the Tiffany Art Foundation, of which Bessie’s father, Dr. George Frederick Kunz
George Frederick Kunz
George Frederick Kunz was an American mineralogist and mineral collector.- Overview :Kunz was born in New York City, USA, and began an interest in minerals at a very young age. By his teens, he had amassed a collection of over four thousand items, which he sold for four hundred dollars to the...
, was a trustee. As an amateur artist, Bessie must have been thrilled with mansion, the talented people and the visit to the countryside.
Laurelton Hall served as home for a school for artists run by Tiffany and his Foundation
The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation
The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation was founded in 1918 by Louis Comfort Tiffany to operate his estate, Laurelton Hall, in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. It was designed to be a summer retreat for artists and craftspeople...
beginning in 1918. The Laurelton Hall grounds also eventually contained a separate building which housed the Tiffany Chapel
Tiffany Chapel
The Tiffany Chapel is a chapel interior designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and created by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company. First installed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the chapel is again on public display, more than a century later, at the Charles Hosmer Morse...
originally made for the 1893 Columbian Exposition and numerous Tiffany windows, and a separate art gallery building. Laurelton Hall eventually fell into disrepair in the years after Tiffany's death, was sold by the Foundation in 1949, and burned in 1957. The estate cost about $2,000,000 to construct and landscape and was sold for $10,000.
The majority of windows and other surviving architectural pieces were salvaged by Hugh McKean and Jeannette Genius McKean of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art houses the most comprehensive collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany found anywhere, a major collection of American art pottery, and fine collections of late-19th- and early-20th-century American paintings, graphics and the decorative arts...
and shipped to Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
after the fire. A major retrospective of Laurelton Hall opened at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
in November, 2006.
In 2010 the Morse Museum announced that it is building new galleries at a cost of $5 million. The galleries will have 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) of space and display Tiffany work from Laurelton Hall.