Elevator Screen, Farwell Building

Louis C. Tiffany|Tiffany Studios

late 19th–early 20th century · Black ink and graphite with watercolor and compass construction on wove paper, mounted on illustration board · The American Wing

Tiffany Studios provided this design for the gilt-bronze elevator screen, the focal point of the Farwell Building’s lobby. Early photographs of the building’s interior show that a less intricate design was ultimately selected. In recent years, economic decline in Detroit has left the Farwell Building abandoned and its Tiffany Studios’ interior vandalized. The gilt-bronze elevator doors and much of the Tiffany glass elements are now, unfortunately, lost or severely damaged. However, a campaign to revitalize the city’s historic Capitol Park district includes plans to renovate and preserve the Farwell Building.

Artist

Louis C. Tiffany|Tiffany Studios

Date

late 19th–early 20th century

Medium

Black ink and graphite with watercolor and compass construction on wove paper, mounted on illustration board

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Purchase, Walter Hoving and Julia T. Weld Gifts and Dodge Fund, 1967