Researching Stained and Painted Glass

Windows were the major emphasis of Louis Comfort Tiffany's work. Yet today, most Tiffany windows have never been seen by the public. Alastair Duncan has tracked down virtually every window still extant and has documented examples that have disappeared or been destroyed. Along with providing photographs of over 200 windows, more than half in color, Duncan describes how the glass was made and the windows constructed; Tiffany's designers and the workings of the Window Department; his critics and international exhibitions; window themes; signatures; chronology; and a complete list of all Tiffany windows.

"This project is the first comprehensive study of a phenomenon that not only dominated the American arts of the 1870s and 1880s, but also helped set the course of such later developments in the United States as the Arts and Crafts movement, the indigenous interpretation of Art Nouveau, and even the rise of modernism. In fact, the early history of the Metropolitan--its founding, its sponsorship of a school of industrial design, and its display of decorative works--is inextricably tied to the Aesthetic movement and its educational goals. "In Pursuit of Beauty: Americans and the Aesthetic Movement" comprised some 175 objects including furniture, metalwork, stained glass, ceramics, textiles, wallpaper, painting, and sculpture. Some of these had rarely been displayed; others, although familiar, were being shown in new and even startling contexts. The exhibition and catalogue are arranged thematically to illustrate both the major styles of a visually rich movement and the ideas that generated its diversity"--From publisher's description.

Illustrated throughout, this comprehensive source book shows how decorative glass was used in architecture during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. It will prove invaluable to anyone seeking to restore period authenticity to their homes.

For the first time, here is an account, complete and objective, of the story of American stained glass from the beginning of our national history to the present day. The author's comprehension of the difficulties and trials of the craft in this country reveal the various stages its development from an infant, wandering and tripping, to experimentations, often questionable, to the time when the substantial traditional concepts are grasped, resulting in stained glass of and substance. The effects of American culture, the social and religious scene, and the development of stained glass in America are investigated thoroughly and with understanding. The interrelationship of these forces with art make an interesting study manifesting insights that have never before been adequately drawn. This book places the craft in America where it should be - in a recognized level of quality and artistry serving the function of the architecture of which it is a part. -- Publisher's description.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University, 1986. Historical background and review of literature; The social and professional worlds; The religious world; The artistic world; Summary and conclusions; Index of American women stained glass artists, 1870s to 1930s.

Structure and conservation of stained glass; development of stained glass (medieval, renaissance, American), individual churches in the United States.

[Vol. I]-Text. [Vol. II]-A catalogue.

Includes: windows by firms and individuals which belonged to the Stained Glass Association of America at that time. Therefore, excluded are windows made by firms no longer in existence and by firms/individuals designed by non-SGAA members.

The Medieval Stained Glass of West Yorkshire is the first complete catalogue of the glass in the county predating the Gothic Revival. The book presents important and well-known glazing schemes, such as those at Thornhill (adjudged by some the best and most important in any church outside York), Elland, and Normanton, alongside glazing that was previously very little known, such as that at Methley and Ripponden. It draws on dispersed information to give accounts of lost and excavated glass, and offers the first overview of stained glass in the region, placing the schemes in the contexts of donors, makers, and post-installation histories. The volume is complemented with an account of some post-medieval glass-painters whose work is found in the county.

The article discusses the bias against American stained glass evident during the 19th and 20th centuries. A survey for the Census of Stained Glass Windows in America conducted in Philadelphia and New Orleans showed that from 1849 through 1930, wealthier religious congregations in both cities installed hundreds of foreign-made stained glass windows from over 30 different studios. Moreover, by the 1870s, there were various incidents wherein American-made stained glasses were replaced by windows acquired from European firms. Different exhibitions wherein the bias for foreign-made stained glass was evident were also discussed in the article.