Inspired by a recent reading of Mario Amaya's Tiffany Glass (Walker and Co., New York, 1967), I headed straight to the main Library at Pratt Institute, which is within walking distance from my temporary lodging in Brooklyn. Although I knew beforehand that the Tiffany interior decorations in the Library did not include the traditional stained glass windows, I was nonetheless captivated by the glass elements present, particularly the esmerilado type used to construct the semitranslucid floors. These floors were designed to reveal silhouettes while safeguarding privacy, especially for women, who at the time all wore dresses and skirts.
Louis C. Tiffany at Pratt Institute
The building itself, designed by architect William B. Tubby in a Renaissance Revival style, features interiors by Tiffany & Company, with striking details such as a marble staircase and pillars. The three-story brick structure also showcases the book stack floors made of glass and a distinctive stack design by the Library Bureau, an American business founded by Melville Dewey in 1876 to provide supplies and equipment to libraries, featuring oak shelves and copper-plated iron supports. I spent a couple of hours admiring this thoughtful interior design and snapping photos with my phone. I strongly recommend Amaya's book as an introduction to the early years of Louis Comfort Tiffany. The following photos were taken with an iPhone 16 ProMax.
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