Blog - Church Stained Glass Restoration

Texas Churches That Stained Glass Enthusiasts Will Love

November 5, 2018 in Church And Religious Stained Glass

For centuries, stained glass has been the dominating art form used in religious architecture. Since Early Egyptian times, humankind has used colored glass to bring beauty and elegance to religious settings. As attendees of morning mass and religious ceremonies stand beneath the vibrant, light reflecting windows, they are filled with a sense of wonder and inspiration. Just seeing the stained glass itself is almost a spiritual experience.

Today, beautiful stained glass windows adorn churches and cathedrals across the globe. Notable works include Sainte-Chapelle, Notre Dame de Paris, La Sagrada Familia, and more. But you don’t have to go far to see beautiful stained glass. In fact, there are many churches in the United States that have breathtaking stained glass windows.

If you’re a fan of stained glass or a church that’s seeking inspiration you’ll love these Texas churches with stained glass windows.

How to Get Started with Your Church’s Antique Stained Glass Restoration Project

November 2, 2018 in Aggrigate, Church Stained Glass Restoration

Numerous churches across the United States are now seeing the signs of deterioration among their treasured, antique stained glass windows. Deterioration can present itself in a multitude of different ways– from cracked glass to missing glass pieces, disintegrating lead came, white film, and much more, these all signify that your religious stained glass is ready for restoration. Restoration is usually recommended when stained glass reaches the age of 75 years to 100 years old. It can definitely be an intimidating process, so we’re happy to help.

The Assessment of Stained Glass Restoration for Your Church’s Antique Stained Glass Windows

If you’re wondering how to get started on stained glass restoration, it all begins with identifying deterioration and determining if your stained glass is a candidate. Finding a trustworthy, well-experienced stained glass artisan is the next step. This stained glass repair studio should have numerous years of experience in addition to requiring an on-site assessment to determine project costs and timelines. If a stained glass studio offers you a quote without seeing your stained glass in person, this is not a good sign. Restoration estimates require in-person evaluation in order to properly determine the causes of deterioration in addition to creating a custom restoration plan. This simply cannot be done without an on-site assessment.

Benefits of Stained Glass Restoration for Church Antique Stained Glass Windows

Stained glass restoration offers so many benefits that any church can take advantage of. From preserving antique value to ensuring future generations are inspired as well, restoration can return your antique stained glass windows to their original condition. Many congregation members are shocked after re-installation of properly restored stained glass windows– the luminosity and vibrancy of colors are truly jaw-dropping. Restoration can add another 100 years to your stained glass’ lifespan.

For more information regarding stained glass restoration for your church’s antique stained glass, please contact us!

The History Of Stained Glass In the US

October 16, 2018 in Aggrigate, Church Stained Glass Restoration

American Stained Glass

As you likely well know, stained glass is a very old form of art dating back over a thousand years. The stained glass in our country obviously not quite that old but does have a history nearly as long as the European settlers to the US. Here at Church Stained Glass Restoration, we take great pride in our own rich history for over 25 years here in the US and wanted to enlighten our readers with a brief history of American stained glass.

Church Stained Glass: The Beginning Of Stained Glass In The US

Although glass making was first set up in Jamestown in 1607– the industry did not stick. However, the first record of church stained glass is much later is not surprisingly a reference to an unpaid invoice for stained glass on a local chapel. It is not surprising since church stained glass has long played a role in stained glass proliferation. The first reference to church stained glass is a complaint written by an enterprising stained glass artist named Duyckingh requesting a payment of 2.5 beavers as payment for church stained glass he had installed. However, it would be quite a while from here before stained glass on churches and homes took hold in America due to declining trends and the expense of glass in the new world

Innovations In Church And Home Stained Glass In The US

It is around 1857 with the establishment of J&R Lamb Studios in New York City that we really see stained glass catch hold.. This was the first major decorative arts studio in the United States and for quite a few years they produced the majority of the ecclesiastical stained glass.

From here on we see stained glass in the US grow and a real push towards innovation with renowned American craftsman like:

John La Farge (1835–1910): He Invented opalescent glass and received a U.S. patent for it in 1880

Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933): He Received a number of patents for variations of the opalescent process and is rumored to have invented the copper foil method as an alternative to lead. This can be seen extensively in Tiffany windows, lamps and other decorations.

Charles J. Connick (1875-1945): Founded his Boston studio in 1913 and was heavily influenced by his study of medieval stained glass in Europe. Connick created hundreds of windows throughout the USA, including major glazing schemes at Princeton University Chapel and at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Memorial Chapel.

All of these artists and many more led to the creation of many beautiful stained glass cathedrals, churches and a lot of the home stained glass we see here in the United States today. For more information on stained glass for your home or church or for stained glass restoration contact us at Church Stained Glass Restoration today.