Henry Leutwyler: The Tiffany Archives
Marion Fasel and Christopher Young
Art Deco diamond bracelets, a sterling silver basket for berries, an invitation to the opening of the Statue of Liberty and the 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond set in a diamond necklace are among the hundreds of jewels, gems, objects and ephemera featured in The Tiffany Archives. The mix of remarkable masterworks is exactly what founder Charles Lewis Tiffany would have wanted in this book. The premise of The Tiffany Archives is simple: it is an invitation to discover the magnificent story behind Tiffany & Co. with a selection of objects from the house’s archives, the majority of which has never been seen or photographed previously. Two years in the making, the project traces the story of Tiffany’s rise to preeminence, its early mastery of diamonds and extraordinary craftsmanship in silver. The book includes various connections to popular culture such as the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the inclusion of the earliest known Tiffany Blue Box. Henry Leutwyler, known for his ability to infuse a sense of soul into inanimate objects, thoughtfully turned his lens to Tiffany’s stunning scope of historical objects. This contemporary presentation, without chronology or hierarchy, invites new interpretation and appreciation of the multitude of treasures that define the house’s rich heritage.
Born in 1961 in Switzerland, Henry Leutwyler moved to Paris in 1985 and established himself there as an editorial photographer. In 1995 he moved to New York City where he lives and works today. Leutwyler’s photos have been published in the New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, Vanity Fair and The Wall Street Journal, among others. His books with Steidl include Neverland Lost: A Portrait of Michael Jackson (2010), Ballet. Photographs of the New York City Ballet,/i> (2012), Document (2016), Hi there! (2020), International Red Cross & Red Crescent Museum (2022), Philippe Halsman. A Photographer’s Life (2022) and Misty Copeland (2023).