Dean Six responded to Frederick Carder’s statements about his belief in the decline of fine
iridescent glass. Dean Six responded taking issue with Carder (see below in blue). Now
Gordon Hancock of Patchogue, NY responds with his agreement with Frederick Carder.

I believe that Carders assessment is in fact; to a great degree correct and I say so when lecturing about Louis C. Tiffany Furnaces Inc., Pastel Glass. I believe the Pastel line was introduced in 1920, partially in response to the decline in sales of gold and blue iridescent wares. I believe the decline in sales was due; at least partially, to the competition of inexpensive carnival glass!
Best Regards to all,
Gordon Hancock, “Tiffany Pastel Glass specialist”

Reyne Haines, Tiffany dealer of Cincinnati opines:

I believe the move into pastel Tiffany glass was in response to the Art Deco movement which was not about the garish colors of the Art Nouveau movement. In the Deco movement it was geometric lines, softer colors and crystal. The pastel line was created in order to keep Tiffany glass in with the changing times, and something Louis Comfort Tiffany never cared for.
Reyne Haines

I think Carders assessment of the demise of high end iridescent glass is over simplified and largely incorrect historically. The indication is that WW I limiting materials for use in glass coloring AND a concurrent turn from more flashy Victorian glass and ALL decorative arts to plainer, simpler design does not support his theory. I can think of no factual basis for his conclusion and a great deal of info to other explanations.

Dick Stark of Bethesda, MD weighs in on LCT’s pastel line.

actually…….it was for utilitarian objects which were more expediently made and
less costly to produce in sets

In response to the following comment from Dick Stark, Gordon Hancock
responds below:
Dick Stark of Bethesda, MD weighs in on LCT’s pastel line.
actually…….it was for utilitarian objects which were more expediently made and less costly to produce in sets.

In my opinion, that argument does not hold water. Iridescent wares were made in the same manner, as utilitarian objects, tableware, plates, bowls, etc. Tiffany Furnaces, prior to Louis C. Tiffany Furnaces inc. made tons of iridescent wares. In the Nash notebooks, Leslie Nash says when introduced, they could not make it fast enough to keep up with demand. Complete lines of iridescent gold and blue tableware were made. In fact the gold and blue utilitarian wares made Tiffany a middle-class household name. Go to Ebay on any day and you will find 10 or 20 iridescent pieces listed. I find no evidence that Tiffany had a problem with the iridescent utilitarian wares that made his company good money, so why would he object to utilitarian Pastel ware? Pastel pieces were much more difficult and more costly to make and in my opinion much more artistic and beautiful than plain iridescent gold or blue. Today pastel ware is at least 10 times rarer than iridescent ware even the scarcer blue pieces. Again I find no reliable evidence that Tiffany did not like the pastel line or any reason why he should. My Steuben friends may disagree, but I think the Oriental Poppy line was a copy of the Tiffany Pastel line. In fact I have seen quite a number of Oriental Poppy pieces signed with as spurious LCT!
Gordon Hancock

Gordon Hancock sends along additional information on LCT and likes and dislikes:
I agree with Reyne that the Pastel Line embraces both the Art
Nouveau style and the Art Deco style.

However; I have never seen any real evidence that Tiffany did not like the Pastel Line and I cannot for the life of me think why he would not. The glass was colorful; which he liked, and the forms or shapes and patterns were very organic representing flowers, which he also loved. In addition many one of a kind artistic pieces, that LCT, admired; were made in pastel, which many are not aware of. It has been said that LCT thought the glass “too commercial,” I also find that hard to believe since he was in a commercial business and much of the iridescent pieces made prior were also certainly commercial. Did he dislike them also? What is fact, is that Leslie Nash disliked LCT, in fact; Martin Eidelberg, in his recent lecture at the Annual Glass Symposium at Corning about the Tiffany Nash relationship said; Leslie Nash, “Hated” L.C. T., which I agree with. Perhaps; it was the animosity between the Nash Family, the creators of the Pastel Line, and LCT that is misinterpreted as LCT not liking the Pastel line. I have been researching the Nash notebooks at the Rakow Library at Corning and hope to learn more on this subject.
Regards, Gordon Hancock