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Stained glass windows can make a lovely addition to a church. Indeed, there is nothing quite like the experience of looking up at stained glass on a Sunday morning as the sunlight hits the windows and makes the glass shine as if it were made up of thousands of tiny diamonds or precious gems. Such a site brings instant serenity to those who are fortunate enough to experience it.
If you’re considering adding stained glass windows to your San Antonio church, you’re making an excellent decision. Your members are sure to appreciate the elegance and privacy that the stained glass provides and will be proud to attend such a beautiful church.
In regards to stained glass, the US was relatively late to the party. This is because settlers from Europe got to this continent in the 1600s and stained was technically “invented” somewhere around 1000 AD. However, this artform permeates the American church culture and is a common feature on many homes to this day.
The first stained glass production was actually set up fairly soon after colonist arrived in Jamestown in 1607. As it happened, England was running out of wood to fuel their furnaces that made stained glass at the time. Here in the Americas, there was plenty of wood, therefore, stained glass manufacturing became a new world trade. Many workshops were built, one of the most famous of which was set up by Jan Smeedes, in 1679, in Lower Manhattan. Another was a studio by William Gibson, who was labeled the “Father of Painted Glass.” However, the Puritans did not like religious imagery like that on the Churches of England, so almost no glass is left from the colonial times. Sadly, less than 1% of the Nation’s stained and leaded glass predates 1700.
The Puritanical line of thinking did not last too long, however. In Europe, the 1700s saw massive demand for stained glass and is referred to as the golden age of stained glass in Europe. Here in the states it did not take long for this trend to catch on and by the early 1800s intense interest in the craft arose again in and production began to increase steadily throughout the century–beginning the American golden age of stained glass.
Some of the most historically significant stained glass from the US:
John and William Jay Bolton: Glass made between 1843 and 1848, called St. Ann and the Holy Trinity.
Louis Comfort Tiffany: Known for his designs of deeply colored works of glass in the style of Art Nouveau and his signature iridescent glass called Favrile.
Frank Lloyd Wright: Was technically an architect but he pioneered geometric representations of natural motifs in stained glass and used of angled glass.
While the “great age of stained glass” is technically over, there are still numerous stained glass windows remaining all over the country to this day. This country has a rich history of stained glass and that is what we here at Scottish Stained Glass in Denver work to preserve everyday. If you have an old or historic church or home stained glass window that you would like us to inspect for restoration, contact us today to schedule a consultation.
The name Frank Lloyd Wright may not immediately bring to mind visions of stunning stained glass windows. But, do not be fooled–Frank Lloyd Wright was a prolific stained glass artist and furthermore, one of the most influential designers in American history. Although primarily known for his architectural work and as the father of the “Mid-century Modern” his stunning designs spanned mediums from furniture design to graphics arts and yes–even stained glass.
As a designer, Frank Lloyd Wright’s career lasted an admirable 70 years. A lengthy time which allowed him to not only make his mark on American design forever but also create myriad of amazing stained glass that is as relevant today, as it was back in the early to the mid 20th century. In fact, he designed well over 4,000 leaded glass windows and doors–primarily for the buildings he designed.
Wright created stained glass for nearly every feature in a building that you can imagine–doors, skylights, backlit ceiling panels, table lamps, and wall sconces as well as for windows. Probably what drove the uniqueness and beauty of Frank Lloyd Wright’s stained glass windows was that he didn’t think of these windows as traditional stained or leaded glass. Rather Wright thought about them and often referred to them as “light screens” — more akin to Japanese shoji screens than a leaded glass window. As such, he almost always arranged his windows in bands. Unlike other stained glass before Wright’s time, his designs relied heavily on the zinc-or copper-plated came configuration, while all others used lead. This type of caming allowed him to use geometric abstractions of natural elements such as plants, trees, flowers and more. He also heavily used a playful but elegant mix of solid-colored, iridescent and clear glass and sometimes a hallmark style of gold leaf sandwiched between two thin pieces of clear glass. By setting some pieces of his stained glass at an angle he greatly enhanced the reflective qualities of the glass pieces in his windows–when light strikes them, different colors can appear depending on the time of day. It was this creativity and attention to light that truly set his windows apart and made him a master of his time and through this day.
At Scottish, we make lovely stained glass in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, paying attention to the clean lines and refraction of light. If you want to learn more about Frank Lloyd Wright style stained glass windows for your Fort Collins home, contact us today for a free design consultation!
Stained glass windows are durable by nature. Nonetheless, sometimes life just happens. There are a number of things that can ruin the health and integrity of stained glass – hail, hot summers, powerful winds, and even rambunctious human beings. Even if your stained glass never suffers any catastrophic trauma, it may still degrade, like all things worldly, from the passage of time. If this happens, you have a couple options available. You can opt for stained glass repair. Or your Kansas City church can replace the stained glass entirely. Which is best for you depends entirely on your situation. Let us explain.
There is perhaps no art form more elegant and appealing than stained glass. For hundreds of years, stained glass has retained its prominence in religious architecture, bring light, radiance, and color to the holy places where it resides. In the light of the sun, it shines like an opalescent gem, and its texture and intricate detail create an aesthetic so fascinating that it’s hard to look away.
Stained glass is not only a beautiful feature for a church to possess, but it’s also traditional. Once used as a way to spread the messages in religious text, stained glass has played a significant role in religious history, and continues to do so today. Many churches, around the world and in Houston, add custom stained glass to their building as a way of honoring tradition.
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