Census of Stained Glass Windows (original) (raw)

THE CENSUS OF STAINED GLASS WINDOWS IN AMERICA INC.

The Census of Stained Glass Windows in America Inc. (CSGA) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1979 to establish a record, both historical and pictorial, of stained glass in the United States from the time of its first appearance. Windows of both American and European manufacture are included. The goal of the Census is to form an archive of artistic, historical, and technical information that will serve as a basis for study of this architectural embellishment. Linked to this study, are CSGA publications and support for the preservation of the windows and their architectural context. Windows frequently contain more specific references to the society that produced them than any other aspect of a building. Donors are noted in inscriptions, preferences for one kind of artistic style over another evident through the choice of studio, attitudes towards religion displayed by the type of imagery (or lack of it), and the wealth and social status of the patron conveyed by the lavishness of the commission. Serious study of all of these questions is contingent on locating and identifying these highly visible, but little understood aspects of our national heritage. To these ends, the CSGA brings together experts from many different fields: specialists in the field of stained glass, architectural historians, art historians, museum professionals, preservation experts, and dedicated volunteers.

The Census can provide detailed information for organizations and help prepare interns and volunteers from the locality. The CSGA is an educational resource, ready to lend its expertise to organizations concerned with recording and preserving the American heritage of architecture. We address, in particular, programs leading to degrees in historical preservation and organizations concerned with religious edifices. We ask you to cooperate in this essential work by alerting us to programs already underway and to organizations who have surveyed architecture, but who do not have a specialist who can aid them to survey the stained glass within such buildings.

NEW STAINED GLASS SURVEY GUIDE

The Census of Stained Glass Windows in America: A Surveyor's Guide, by Jean Farnsworth, is a new 100-page manual on how to organize a community stained glass survey. It includes a short history of stained glass in America, a report on a pilot project in Philadelphia that involved 64 volunteers, and ideas for funding such projects. Cost $15.00. Available from the National Trust for Historic Preservation (Informational Series), 1785 Massachusettes Ave. N.W., Washington DC 20036 (202) 588-6286 or (202) 588-6189, or FAX (202) 588-6223

CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF STAINED GLASS:
AN OWNER'S GUIDE
prepared by
The Census of Stained Glass Window in America Inc.

This forty-page illustrated booklet covers all major questions in stained glass repair. Attention is paid to the importance of conserving an architectural art form that commemorates the religious, social, and economic history of a community. The text describes the essential elements of a stained glass window and includes a glossary of terms describing the varieties of windows and their technical structures. Simple steps are given to help plan a conservation campaign, such as suggestions for photographic and written documentation, points to be noted in examining the structural and decorative fabric of the windows, and questions to ask potential restorers. A section is devoted to specific cleaning and mending methods, those approved and those to be avoided. The owner is also given suggestions for adapting windows to alternate installations and purchasing security and insurance. The important and often controversial issues of the reinstallation of restored panels and the possible benefits and drawbacks of protective glazing are included. The booklet also includes a list of agencies dealing with conservation issues and a selected bibliography of works on historic stained glass.

The booklet is designed as an unbiased guide for the owner of architectural stained glass, and certainly no church or public building with stained glass windows should be without it. The _Old House Journal_calls the Owner's Guide "a must-have for any person or group interested in restoring stained glass. It should prove of special use for church and synagogue restorations." Several large Episcopal dioceses and Preservation Societies have made bulk orders of the guide so that all of the churches under their protection would have an informed guide.

The booklet is available through:
Stained Glass Associates
Box 1531
Raleigh, NC 27602
Telephone (919) 266-2493 or 833-7668

Price $5.00 for single copy postpaid.
Bulk Order prices are as follows:

Click here for ORDER FORM.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative educational and scientific information solely in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the CSGA is not engaged in the rendering of legal, restoration, or other professional service.

GLORY IN GLASS
Stained Glass in the United States: Origin, Variety and Preservation
AT THE GALLERY OF THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY
1865 Broadway, (at 61st Street) New York, NY 10023-7505
NOVEMBER 12, 1998- FEBRUARY 16, 1999
A FULLY ILLUSTRATED 250-PAGE CATALOGUE ACCOMPANIED THE EXHIBITION
Price $ 29.95 To order: Call Bookstore, American Bible Society (212) 408-1201

This exhibition profiled a wide spectrum of stained glass, giving focus for the first time to windows that are still vital aspects of their sites of worship. Selected examples of pre-1700 stained glass from The Art Museum, Princeton University and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among others, established the examples on which the American historicizing styles were predicated. The role of churches in artistic style and value-centered art, and the methods of study as demonstrated by the Corpus Vitrearum and the_Census of Stained Glass Windows in America_ were displayed. A general history of the development of stained glass in the United States and its relationship to both medieval and to 19th-century European precidents are explained in the catalogue. The entries also cover the history of the congregations, origin, mission, and importance of the preservation of the place of worship to the life of congregations, as well as art historical perspectives of the window and its style, and special issues of restoration/conservation. The examples of windows extend from traditional European 19th-century pictorial style (1840s-1930s), enamel painting on glass (1800 through present), aesthetic style (1870-1900), opalescent (America from 1880-1920), arts and crafts (1895-1920), second Gothic Revival (America from 1910-1940), and models for stained glass from great paintings of the Renaissance and 19th century. For more information about the exhibition and its contents click here.

After the resounding success of Glory in Glass, we are planning for another exhibition on stained glass (Glory Strikes Back?). This exhibition, projected for November 2001-February 2002 will include the 20th-century development of the medium both as an independent art form and as an architectural presence. All interested parties should contact vraguin@holycross.edu.
The American Bible Society�s new Gallery is beautifully designed, and placed at an extremely attractive area of the cultural heart of the city, two blocks north of Lincoln Center, site of the Metropolitan Opera performances and concerts. Click here for more information about theABS Library.

LOCAL SURVEYS OF CHURCHES AND THEIR WINDOWS

Survey of Churches in Worcester, Massachusetts
This site offers a survey of selected Worcester Area Churches by the students of Structures of Faith. The course, offered every other year at the College of the Holy Cross by Professor Virginia Raguin, presents both an overview of important historic developments in religious architecture and a hands-on opportunity for students to move into the community and suvey local congregations.