As early as 1889, Tiffany created an Ecclesiastical Department within his company to capture as large a share as he could of the boom in church building that began after the Civil War. Tiffany’s award-winning chapel interior at the 1893 Chicago world’s fair, today installed at the Morse, attracted many future commissions, which of course was a major goal of its exhibition. In the years following, Tiffany had enormous success supplying windows, furnishings, and other liturgical accoutrements to the burgeoning number of churches across America. The exhibit also includes two small leaded-glass Tiffany windows from the church. The South Presbyterian Church building today is situated in an economically distressed area. In the fall of 2005, its small congregation began attending services at a neighboring church. The historic 1907 Tiffany-decorated church building is being converted to a community center.
Tiffany Church Pulpit and Windows
March 7, 2006 through September 11, 2006
This exhibit of a new acquisition features a pulpit designed by Louis C. Tiffany for the South Presbyterian Church in Syracuse, New York. The pulpit, made of solid oak inlaid with blue, green, and pearl-white glass mosaics, has resided in the church since its original purchase from Tiffany Studios in 1907.