Morse Museum, Winter Park, FL
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| Morse Museum Tiffany Lamp |
When visiting Orlando over the holidays, I drove 1 1/2 hours to Winter
Park. An amazing and totally unexpected pleasure was my visit to the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by American designer Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933).
I spent 4 hours there and could have stayed longer. Audio stops at many objects provided interesting information as did the wonderful pamphlets covering each section of the collection.
Highlights include the restored Byzantine-Romanesque Chapel interior that Tiffany designed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This Chapel brought him much attention and catapulted his career forward. A new wing showcases the first permanent collection of art and architectural objects from Tiffany’s celebrated Long Island home, Laurelton Hall which were retrieved from the burned ruins after a fire in 1975. Included are the recently restored Daffodil Terrace, prize-winning leaded-glass windows, iconic Tiffany lamps, and custom furnishings.
Daffodil Terrace, Morse Museum
The basic Museum follows chronologically Tiffany’s life and includes many wonderful examples of all his various medium: stained glass windows, lamps, jewelry, pottery, glass vessels, tiles, ceramics, etc.
The Morse was founded by Jeannette Genius McKean (1909-89) in 1942 and named for her industrialist grandfather. Its collection was built over a half-century by Mrs. McKean and her husband, Hugh F. McKean (1908-95), the museum’s director until his death, who was also the President of nearby Rollins College. He also served an internship at Laurelton Hall as a young artist.
The Morse was founded by Jeannette Genius McKean (1909-89) in 1942 and named for her industrialist grandfather. Its collection was built over a half-century by Mrs. McKean and her husband, Hugh F. McKean (1908-95), the museum’s director until his death, who was also the President of nearby Rollins College. He also served an internship at Laurelton Hall as a young artist.
Winter Park is a wonderful day trip from Orlando. Nice, low-key downtown with nice shops and restaurants. A great antique store is across the street from the Morse. Also available in town is an hour and a half boat ride on the local lake to view all the “Old Florida” mansions…reservations needed. Rollins College also has an art museum, which I did not have enough time to visit.
I hope this can be added to the Orlando section of FL in time for those visiting this spring. I will send some photos via another email.
Maria Bartlett, (12/28/2021)
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| images above are examples of Tiffany from Morse Museum |