Dragonflies of Glass: The Story of Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls

by Susan Goldman Rubin, Susanna Chapman (illustrator)

From award-winning kids’ nonfiction author Susan Goldman Rubin, and radiantly illustrated by Susanna Chapman, the picture book Dragonflies of Glass celebrates the innovation, determination, and ambition of the brilliant woman artist behind the world-famous Tiffany glass In the mid-nineteenth century, most women who weren’t raising families became teachers or nurses. But Clara Driscoll longed to be an artist, drawing inspiration from from every flower, weed, dragonfly, and even cobweb, on her family’s farm. In 1888, Clara was hired at the renowned Tiffany Glass Company, where Mr. Louis Comfort Tiffany was known for creating gorgeous stained-glass windows for churches, theaters, and libraries. Impressed by her talent at choosing and cutting glass, Mr. Tiffany eventually put Clara in charge of her own staff of 35 women designers. These “Tiffany Girls” sketched intricate patterns, chose dazzling colors and precise shapes, and carefully soldered and placed each piece of glass to create stunning lamps, murals, windows, vases, and clocks. Yet their names weren’t always credited on the finished pieces, and when Clara designed the “Wisteria” lamp that would become Tiffany Studios’ most famous, everyone assumed that Mr. Tiffany had designed it. Today, Clara Driscoll‘s work lives on in museums, galleries, and private collections around the world. Dragonflies of Glass celebrates the innovation, determination, and ambition of the unsung women behind many of Tiffany Studios’ masterpieces. Includes a list of places where Driscoll’s Tiffany art can be found; examples of Driscoll’s Tiffany lamps and archival photographs; endnotes; and a bibliography.

Genres: Biography, Picture Books, Art, Nonfiction, History, Childrens, New York

48 pages, Hardcover

Published February 11, 2025

About the author

Susan Goldman Rubin is the author of more than forty-five books for young people, including Andy Warhol: Pop Art Painter; The Yellow House: Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin Side by Side; and Edward Hopper: Painter of Light and Shadow. A long-time instructor in the UCLA Extension Writers Program, Susan Goldman Rubin lives in Malibu, California.

Reviews

[CSC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happened upon this, fittingly, in the New York Historical Society’s gift shop where much of the featured work is on display. The illustrations, much like the art they depict, are absolute treasures.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son was mesmerized by this book so of course I loved it. Great non-fiction read and cool to further explore Clara Driscoll’s art on the internet.

[Andi Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragonflies of Glass, about Clara Driscoll, is easily the most gorgeous nonfiction historical picture book I’ve read. Definitely for older elementary, 7-9, with breathtaking illustrations, a bibliography and notes.

[Rachel Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story and the illustrations. Clara is a remarkable woman with a great story that has been largely hidden from the mainstream knowledge on Louis Comfort Tiffany's work. Backmatter was complete with archival photographs and images, further reading, and extensive citations.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Tiffany glass. One of my all-time favorite museum exhibits was a Tiffany glass special exhibit that was at one of my local museums decades ago. I must have gone to see it at least a dozen times. My favorite bookmark is a magnetic one from the Met, Tiffany’s Magnolias and Irises. I also have their jigsaw puzzle with that image but I use it for decoration since I don’t have a big enough table to play the puzzle.

This book is spectacularly done! It’s a gorgeous book befitting of its subject matter. I learned a lot too. The story is completely engaging and the illustrations captivating.

Clara’s story (and her sister’s) and this history are interesting and important. I appreciate how a few times it’s pointed out what was different back then (grown women were called girls, married women were not hired for jobs, women were not usually paid what men were paid for the same job (this latter fact is sometimes true today too), etc.) but the information is given in a way that didn’t distract from the story. I will say that Louis Comfort Tiffany was way ahead of his time as far as women’s and workers’ rights were concerned.

I’d known that most Tiffany glass was not designed or made by Louis Comfort Tiffany but by artists he employed. I had not known about (or remembered?) about his women’s department. I do not remember knowing about Clara Driscoll.

The illustrations are beautiful and do some of the storytelling. I love how down at the bottom of the pages they show Clara’s letters to her family, to her mother and to her sisters, back in Ohio joyfully receiving them. Usually in books such as these I don’t appreciate illustrations; I want photos, but these pictures are marvelous and the ones depicting Tifany glass look close enough to the real objects that I got the same pleasure from viewing them.

There are some photos. There is a photo of the famous wisteria lamp, 1901. There are two photos of Clara, one with Joseph Briggs the head of the mosaics department taken in about 1901 and in the other photo she is shown with what looks to be the entire group of “Tiffany Girls” taken in 1904 or 1905.

There are informative notes in the back, an Author’s Note and an Artist’s Note. They each give more details about Clara’s life and in one case reveal the artistic license taken by the illustrations in the telling the story. Also, in the back there is a list of Where to See Artworks by Clara Driscoll, a Bibliography (books, articles, YouTube) and a Notes section.

This book is well researched and lovingly researched. The finished book reflects this. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended for anyone of any age interested in the subject matter.

[Katie Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book on the Nonfiction New and Popular shelf at my local library. This book is about Clara Driscoll and the women’s division that designed and made Tiffany glass windows and lamps. What first drew me in was the beautiful illustrations on the cover. Myself and the child I read it to had difficulty picking what our favorite design was because all the illustrations were so stunning. They had great source material, of course. I love how the book showed how Driscoll was inspired by the flora and fauna of her childhood home to make her designs. I was also delighted to find out that Mr. Tiffany was a great boss who nurtured Driscoll’s ideas and paid his female workers the same wage as his male workers.
This book is good for grades 2-4. There are more words per page than can hold the attention of younger children, in my opinion. I think this book would be great for an art class or when learning about women in history. I liked that it shined a light on the woman who created all those designs we know and love.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: As a girl, Clara loved to draw every flower and weed on her family's farm in Ohio: daffodils, poppies, and wild carrot. She drew dragonflies and butterflies and even cobwebs.

Premise/plot: Dragonflies of Glass is a picture book biography of Clara Driscoll. In the late 1880s, she moved (with her sister) to New York City and found work at the Tiffany Glass Company. She became highly skilled and was super creative. Her works were largely inspired by nature. While she started out in stained glass, she became perhaps better known for her lamp work.

My thoughts: This isn't a subject I had much interest in...before reading. But I am always open to reading picture book biographies and learning. I thought this was a great read. Readers learn not only about Clara Driscoll but the other Tiffany Girls with which she worked. The book is great at putting things into context. I do wish the book had more photographs.

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know a thing about Clara Driscoll before I started this book. The author explains what kind of work Driscoll did in Louis Comfort Tiffany's studio and which pieces she designed. Tiffany paid his male and female employees the same wages, which apparently made the men angry enough to threaten to strike.

I love the illustrations, especially the comic-strip-like ones near the bottoms of the pages.

It was interesting to read about "round-robin letters." Each daughter who had moved away wrote a few paragraphs about her life and mailed it to her sister. The last sister would send the whole thing to the mother, so she would get all her daughters' news at once. Easier and cheaper than everyone writing separate letters to every family member!

This book is extraordinarily well sourced, especially for a children's book.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed picture book about Driscoll from childhood through designing and making several famous Tiffany lamps.

Love how much Driscoll's family getting her letters is part of the information included (quotes from her letters on many spreads) and the border illustrations. The backmatter and the illustrator's note discuss the choice to show all her family at her home (to get more continuity with Ohio as the inspiration for her designs) when the reality was a fun building-on-itself letter.

Overall, the backmatter here is quite helpful.

[elstaffe]

Good art and great story of a talented artist.

Pull quote/note
"In 1903, when Clara and her Tiffany Girls were making a window, the men threatened to strike and stop working unless the women's department was closed. Clara was miserable. 'I came home and had a crying spell (a thing I do about once in thirty years),' she wrote. But Mr. Tiffany stood up for the women.

They could continue making everything as long as Clara kept her staff down to twenty-seven women, and she agreed." Yes, what an astonishing ally

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible! I am blown away by the glory of this brand-new release. The in depth, fascinating text is spectacular. The illustrations by Susanna Chapman will leave you breathless! I just received my copy ten minutes ago. Read it and reread it. Then I went on Goodreads immediately so anyone who follows me or/and is friends with me on this site might want to order a copy asap. Trust me. It is a remarkable, beautiful read.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting about the women who worked for Tiffany's Glass and helped to create and design many famous Tiffany lamps and windows. Mostly the book is about Susan Driscoll the main designer. It had wonderful watercolor illustrations that helps show the lamps and glass windows they created. Great bio for older elementary students.

[James Kennedy Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book ! The writing was engaging and the story illustrated how amazing Mr. Tiffany was for paying the women equal amounts as the men. But the beautiful illustrations and drawings of the Dragonfly lamp and the Wisteria lamps showing how gorgeous their work really was showed what superior artists and craftsmen they really were. Read this book! Absorb this book!

[Allison Haehnel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interest in Clara Driscoll and her work at Tiffany has exploded recently and this book is a wonderful vehicle to learn more about her. Lovely collage style illustrations depict the glass and design process while showcasing the inspiration from nature. Text features help this book become suitable for early elementary through junior high readers.

[Tamsyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and interesting picture book about Clara Driscoll and her team of women who were responsible for designing and producing some of the Tiffany Glass company's most popular works (lamps based on nature and other decorative objects).

[ChapterNook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE a book that recognizes a previously unknown persons hard work. This one is especially awesome for me as my great grandmother had a dragonfly lamp. Such a great read about Clara Driscoll and her Tiffany Girls!

[IvaLou Zeigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story!

I have always loved Tiffany lamps, one of my favorites being the Dragonfly’s, but don’t know any story behind them. This book is so lovely with the storytelling and all the illustrations! Thank you Susan Goldman Rubin!

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC from Edelweiss.

[Y.Poston]

a gorgeous tribute to a "Tiffany Girl" who relished her stained glass design and work,
beautiful bio

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most beautifully illustrated books I've ever seen. Excellent story about such a cool person.

[Minnikin]

Lovely book. The font is too small.

[deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As familiar as I was with the Tiffany Studios glass and artwork, I have never heard of Clara Driscoll before now; what a fascinating piece of history!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story about a remarkable artist! The text is pretty dense making it a perfect biography for "older" elementary and middle school.

[Dani Booth Vaught · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and we learned something new!

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story and I love the illustrations. But it does seem a little wordy

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated biography adding to the history of Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany glass artworks.

[Ilse O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second picture book biography of Clara Driscoll published this year. This one is excellent.