1. Riding Clara’s Coat Tails
Nine yearsago,I was challengedbyafriendtogive a presentationaboutmy4th
cousin,ClaraWolcott
Driscoll,toa group of residentsatan assistedliving facility. Atthat time,Iwas a person whobalkedif I
had to standup ina groupand say myname. Veryself-conscious. Veryeasilyintimidatedbycrowdsof
people Ididn’tknow. ButI gave the talk… and forgotmy glasses,sohadto do itextemporaneously.
Nowa thirdof themfell asleep,andanotherthirdtalkedamongstthemselvesloudly,butathirdof them
founditinteresting. AndsomehowIwasaskedtodo thisagainat anotherlocation…and thenanother
… and thenanother. At the endof 2015, I had given87 presentationsaboutClara’sexcitinglife and
accomplishments, andthe invitesjustkeepcoming - all unsolicited,bywordof mouth, andtheyall are
givenbymemory now withoutfear! Iam stunnedbutnot surprised. Claraisthe draw.
Clara Driscoll’slifewasfascinating tosaythe least, and I am honored toplaythe role of family
cheerleaderforher. She was raisedhumblyinrural Tallmadge,Ohio andClarawasmygreat-
grandmother’scousin;theywere aclose-knitfamily,itappears. My family’s1849 federal farmhouse
was longago torndownto make way for a shoppingcenter. Clara’scolonial home,however,begunin
1817, still sitshighona hill,proud,well-kept,waitingforthe rustle of skirts once again, the welcoming
aromas of home-cookedmeals, the flurryof inhabitants’ activities, andthe warmthof the embersinthe

2. fireplaces. Those wallscouldindeedtell stories…andnew storiesshouldbe addedtothe unseenlibrary
of memories! (UPDATE: It wasjustsoldagain inthe winterof 2015 to a familywhowill hopefully bring
life backintothiswonderful dwelling.)
In herlate 20s, Clarawentoff to the big New YorkCityfor furthereducationandwas subsequently hired
by LouisComfortTiffany,initiallyasamosaicist. She spentalmosttwentyyears workingforMr.Tiffany,
betweenhermarriagesandengagement,andeventuallydesigned125 beautiful lamps that bear his
company’snameand other works of art: pottery, jewelry,miscellaneousglassitems. She received
little recognitionforwhatshe did exceptwithinthe workplace. Claragrew the workforce from3 to 35
womenat the TiffanyStudios,oversawthe day-to-dayfunctions,metwiththe boardof directors,and,
all the while, came upwithbreath-takingdesigns. She wasa phenomenonof hertime.
I didn’tevenlearnIwasa Wolcott until Iwas 45 yearsold. My familynevertalkedaboutanyof their
ancestors. But,in 1995 my mother’scousin,ElizabethJonesYeargin,summarized1,163 round-robin
letterswritten byandbetweenClara’sfamilywhich beganwithhergrandmotherin1853 and ended
withClara’sdeathin1944. Elizabethsharedhersummarywithfamilymemberswhowere interested –
and notall of themwere. I,however, wasfascinatedandovercome withjoythatthe gorgeouslampsI
had alwayslovedwere createdby amemberof myfamily!
It has beenaninterestingride forme these past eightyearsanditjustdoesn’tseemtobe lessening. I
hope the readertakesthe time to getto know Clara throughthe three bookswhichhave beenwritten
abouther as the excitementaboutherlife continues. Ihave no financial interestinwhathasbeen
written– justexperience sheerdelightintellinghighlightsof Clara’sstory,whenasked,andwhettingmy
audiences’appetite tolearnmore. Finally,Clara!
See the below AkronBeaconJournal article linkfromMarch2014 -
http://www.ohio.com/lifestyle/tallmadge-woman-was-unheralded-creative-force-behind-tiffany-lamps-
1.471531
Thisarticle was subsequently pickedupbyanewsservice andhasgone around the world!
Anda blogandNewYork Timesarticle aboutthe upcomingexhibitatthe New YorkHistorical Societyto
openearly2017. Curator,Margi Hofer,says “Clarawill be rightinthe middle of it.”
http://behindthescenes.nyhistory.org/
http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2015/10/08/dedicated-womens-history-center-to-open-in-
new-york/
LindaD. Alexander dianealexander7@att.net
Further reading:
NewLighton Tiffany - Clara Driscoll andthe TiffanyGirls – Gray, Hofer,Eidelberg
Clara andMr. Tiffany - Susan Vreeland Noonat Tiffany’s –Echo Heron