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INFORMATIVE STAINED GLASS INDUSTRY REPORT

Our "SMASHIN' GLASS" report is full of valuable stained glass related information. This is a practical and informative guide that offers valuable information such as the relevance of color selection in religious stained glass windows, religious symbols, art glass history, the composition of stained glass, glass types, manufacturers, assessing values and restoration requirements in older stained glass windows and more. Great resource for stained glass studios, designers, architects, church committees or just anyone interested in this exciting art form.   Be sure to check out and subscribe to our free monthly newsletter, "Art Glass News".  Stay informed of relevant current events in the stained glass industry from around the world including new artistic releases, major restoration projects of historical stained glass windows, reports of vandalism and fire damaged stained glass windows and more.           "SMASHIN’ GLASS" REPORT Beaumont Leaded Glass & Restoration     The Obscure Beginnings of Stained Glass From The Stained Glass Association of America Many histories of stained glass begin with Pliny’s tale of the accidental discovery of glass by Phoenician sailors. The legend recounts shipwrecked sailors who set their cooking pots on blocks of natron (soda) from their cargo then built a fire under it on the beach. In the morning, the fire’s heat had melted the sand and soda mixture. The resultant mass had cooled and hardened into glass. Today, though, it is thought that Pliny -- though energetic in collecting material -- was not very scientifically reliable. It is more likely that Egyptian or Mesopotamian potters accidentally discovered glass when firing their vessels. The earliest known man made glass is in the form of Egyptian beads from between 2750 and 2625 BC. Artisans made these beads by winding a thin string of molten glass around a removable clay core. This glass is opaque and very precious. Jean Lafond’s gripping story tells how, in the desert west of Palmyra in 1937, David Schiumberger, director of excavations, showed Lafond a cache of 115 colored glass fragments that Lafond described as “Greenish white, bluish white, moss green, two tobacco yellows (one more gold than the other), burnt sienna, smokey, three purples (one near wine, one more brown), a garnet of great beauty and two violet purples. A varied thickness adds to their nuances.” The greens had been blown in a roundel which he could surmise because of the presence of part of the outer rim. Several pieces showed a right angle and traces of a grozer on the edge. Schiumberger explained that these glasses had decorated clairesvoies (literally “clear ways”) of stucco designed in elegant interlaced arabesques In the first century AD, the Romans glazed glass into windows. They cast glass slabs and employed blowing techniques to spin discs and made cylinder glass. The glass was irregular and not very transparent. One of the oldest known examples of multiple pieces of colored glass used in a window were unearthed at St. Paul’s Monastery in Jarrow, England, founded in 686 AD. The oldest complete European windows found in situ are thought to be five relatively sophisticated figures in Augsburg Cathedral. (These five windows are no longer in their original setting. They have recently been moved into a museum and replaced with copies.) These five windows show fired glass painting which utilizes line and tonal shading and they are made of bright, varied colors of glass. Authorities believe that Arabian glass windows appeared in the second half of the thirteenth century. Lewis F. Day suggests that Byzantine, Moorish or Arabian glass could have appeared by the tenth century AD. Pieces of glass were either inserted into intricate pierced marble or stone, or glazed in plaster before the plaster had set hard. Ribs of iron were often used to strengthen the plaster. Arabian filigree windows moved into Europe when the Moors entered Spain. As the fashion moved farther north into areas of more inclement weather, covering became more necessary. This covering usually came in the form of slices of alabaster. In Europe, plates of pierced lead replaced the plaster grillwork. The first of these had no glass in the decorative openings, but later small pieces of glass were attached using strings of lead. Arabian glass windows’ development was slowed because Islam allows no subject other than geometric or vegetal ornament. Traces of cold paint on glass have been found in the mid-east indicating that windows probably stood up better than those windows in damper climates. In 1930 at Saint Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, the archaeologist Cecchelli dug up three glass fragments showing Christ with a cruciform nimbus standing between an alpha and omega painted with grisaille. (The word grisaille applies equally to vitrifiable glass paint, as well as a style of lightly toned window that has been painted and stained in a decorative pattern.) It is assumed these fragments date from approximately 540 AD, the time of the construction of the building. In 1878 at a dig in a cemetery abandoned about 1000 AD at Sery les Mezieres, Aisne, France, Jules Pilloy found about 30 pieces of glass which had suffered from an apparent fire, a lead strip with two channels and a small slab of bone among some charred wood. The bone (which might have been a holy relic) pre-dated Charlemagne. Edmond Socard arranged the glass into a small, simple window. A cross patee, from which hung an alpha and omega, were painted and fired on it. This symbol was very popular from the sixth to ninth centuries. Unfortunately, this treasure was destroyed in 1918 during World War 1. Fragments of a very early head of Christ were excavated in 1932 at Lorsch Abbey in Germany. This is similar to the better known and more complete head of Christ from the Abbey Church of Saint Peter, Wissembourg, Alsace (c. 1060). The latter has more advanced glass painting with both trace line and wash. Because of their size and their aspect -- that is, with the heads forward like the icon called the Panto crater, as well as the lack of any fragments showing bodies -- Catherine Brisac thinks these heads were displayed as icons in the middle of windows in which they would have been the only painted elements. Christian iconography developed from pagan illustrations found in the catacombs. The beardless pagan god of the underworld, Orphaeus, was transformed into a youthful Christ the Good Shepherd. From the fourth century forward, He had a beard. The pagan phoenix and peacock were used for resurrection symbols. Wall paintings gave way to mosaics of ceramic tiles, stones and glass bits. Moving from the catacombs, the earliest Christians worshiped in their homes; then, when they became politically secure enough, the Christians built churches. The first churches housed the relics of saints. Architecturally, they were based on the basilica, the Roman law court. The cruciform floor plan developed from the Byzantine square floor plan with a dome added. European kings and bishops sent to Jerusalem and the east for holy relics. Their emissaries brought back small works of art such as cloisonne, damascene and carved ivory set with jewels and precious glass. Oriental and African craftsmen and glass makers found their way to Europe as early as the third century. We can no longer agree with Hugh Arnold when he writes, “The making of stained glass windows is one of the arts that belong wholly to the Christian Era. Its traditions do not extend back beyond the great times of Gothic architecture. We can no longer say that stained glass is a purely Christian art form, either at its beginning or in its current usage. COMPOSITION IN BRIEF: Stained glass is composed of silica sand with varying small amounts of iron, limestone, soda ash, and borax. The relative percentage of iron contained in the silica sand is one of the important variants in the glass making process. The different colors of stained glass are obtained by the addition of metal oxides to the basic glass materials. These minerals within the glass capture specific portions from the spectrum of white light allowing the human eye to see many various colors. Gold produces cranberry, cobalt makes blue, silver makes yellow and golds, while copper makes greens and red. Glass is like a super-cooled liquid glowing from within. It’s a jewel like substance made from something so ordinary; sand transformed by fire.(about 2550*F) • Blue: cobalt oxide, & combinations of cobalt & chromium. • Red: selenium in combination with cadmium & copper salts. • Gold-Pink: manganese oxide, gold oxide; this may vary between deep cherry red and light pink. This is a relatively expensive glass. • Purple: manganese with cobalt mix • Yellow: selenium & chromiun along with cadmium salts. • Sulfur yellow: sodium • Black: concentrated copper salts • Green: copper & chromium salts A single color glass is referred to as “pot” glass. This gets this name by the steel lined vat that contains the molten glass. The blower dips only into one pot and extracts the glass to be blown. SOME TYPES OF STAINED GLASS: Opalescent Glass: milky in appearance, opaque to light, and seen as reflected light color. Light enters the glass and is dispersed from within the confines of the glass. Cathedral Glass: Usually machine rolled. The rollers may have patterns that will emboss or make an impression on the glass resulting in a texture. Very even in thickness, with a wide range of good consistent color, less expensive than hand and mouth blown glass, and fairly easy to cut. This glass is made by melting and extruding it through rollers onto a lehr. A lehr is a moving belt that moves the glass through an annealing oven to disperse the heat evenly. Hand Rolled Cathedral: hand rolled one sheet at a time on a steel plate. Glue Chip Glass: this process involves a light over spray of sandblasting, then applying a layer of animal glue (hoof & horn). It is then baked until the glue shrinks and dries. As this happens, it pulls away sections of the glass resulting in a feathered pattern. This would be single-chip. Double-chip is the same process only with a second application, which results in a tighter pattern; more crystalline in appearance. Opaque Glass: A flashed glass opal with a milky finish to the glass. Cats Paw Glass: Has a mottled look. Hot glass is rolled over a cool cast iron plate and the sudden change of temperature causes it to immediately contract. This creates the ‘cats paw” texture. Craquel Glass: This glass (antique) in it’s molten state, is quickly dipped in water. The outside is cooled. This result is the crackled effect that can be large or small, depending upon the manufacturer. Reamy Glass: Imagine molten glass being stirred just before it suddenly cools. That’s the look you get. Awesome handmade appearance. It allows for a great amount of light to pass through. Sheet Antique Glass: Does not mean antique as in old (100 or more years) It simply refers to the method. It’s a modified version on the 19th century technique.. Mostly, antique glass is blown into elongated cylinder type bubbles. As the glass is blown, it is rotated up & down . During this process it is purposely scratched by spikes on the inside walls. These marks are what result in the movement we so associate with antique glass. The ends of the cylinder are then cut off and its split lengthwise with a hot knife. It’s then flattened out to a flat sheet and run through an annealing oven. This removes stress and brittleness. Even color, thickness, and real easy to cut. Full Antique Glass: Made much the same as sheet antique except the ends are pierced and fluted one end at a time, the bubble it derives from is smaller and the glass is generally uneven in thickness. You will notice a sheet of this glass range from very dark to very light on one sheet depending on it’s thickness. Beveled Glass: A piece of glass (normally 1/4” - 3/16” thick) that has been cut to a desired shape, then about 1/2” of the outer perimeter is ground and polished to a beveled edge. This edge, on a good quality bevel, should be free from scratches, waves or any trace of the beveling process. This beveled edge reflects the light and results in a show of light play in a rainbow of colors. Flashed Glass: Antique glass with a thin layer of a primary colored glass fused to the thicker base colored glass. A FEW IMPORTANT GLASS MANUFACTURERS: • KOKOMO • BULLSEYE • UROBOROS • YOUGHIOGHENY • WISSMACH • SPECTRUM • CASIMIR • PILKINGTON • ARMSTRONG • CHICAGO • VERRERIE DE ST. JUST • WASSER • OCEANA • FREMONT • ST. GOBAIN • OPTIMUM RELEVANT GLASS TERMS: Came: Strips of lead milled to specific shapes and sizes used to hold pieces of glass together. Lead Joint: intersection of two or more pieces of lead during assembly Leading: the process of joining cut pieces of glass together with lead came and soldering Flux: chemical applied to the leaded joints or copper foil to allow bonding of solder. Solder will not stick without flux. Solder: Combination of tin & lead (solid core) in 118’ wide wire. Can also be a verb when meaning to solder. Tack Solder: to add a small amount of solder to hold in place prior to full application Tinning: to coat the copper tip of the soldering iron Score: to cut or scratch the surface of the glass with a glass cutter Grozing: To nibble small pieces of glass by hand with grozing pliers Re-Bar: reinforcement strips soldered to the back side of a finished piece to add strength and prevent sagging and bowing over time. Cementing: waterproofing process used in leaded panels to allow exposure to the elements as well as add strength and longevity to the finished piece. Whiting: powdered calcium carbonate used to clean flux residue and clean the piece after cementing. Absorbs excess linseed oil and turpentine seeping from cement. Patina: chemical process of various techniques used to darken or color the lead, zinc & solder. Also, can be the natural process that will occur with aging. Carborundum Stone: an abrasive stone used to smooth the rough edges of glass. Cartoon: Working drawing Color Intensity: the degree of purity or brilliance of a color Color Value: The relationship of color to lightness or darkness Hue: color Mosaic: an organized arrangement of smaller pieces grouped together to form a specific expression Sandblast: the act of obscuring glass by forcing a stream of sand or abrasive grit through a nozzle under air pressure. Restoration: the act of re-establishing the legibility, integrity or intention of the object. ASSESSING VALUES AND RESTORATION REQUIREMENTS IN OLDER WINDOWS: There were a huge amount of decorative windows manufactured around the turn of the century. There are alot of these still available for purchase. Some are really worth alot of money. Some are not. It would be wise to know a few things to look for that might authenticate your purchase. Stained glass windows today are easily produced to look as an old window would. There are many glass reproductions of both color and texture that are almost undetectable, even to an experienced glass artist. There are chemicals that promotes oxidation that will age a panel in appearance. If you are looking to purchase an authentic antique stained glass piece, evaluate the following: Lead deteriorates from the inside out. The lead will be weak and brittle in most cases. If it is lead, you will be able to mar the surface with your fingernail. If you can scratch the color (dark gray/black) off the lead, there is a good chance it is new and you are removing the patina. This would leave a shiny silver mark. The solder joints in an old piece would not be shiny silver, even if clean. If the piece is installed in a wood sash it will probably be caulked around the perimeter with a compound similar to Dap. Chances are very good that the lead beneath this caulk is deteriorated beyond repair. A new zinc border will need to be added and soldered to the existing lead. Soldering old lead is not an easy task. If it has a well preserved zinc border, the caulking looks good and is not falling out, chances are, it is not old. It may be new or may have been restored. Look for signs of wear. Build-up of grease and dirt, crevices in the glass texture that are holding deposits of grime and multiple colors of paint splatters on the glass usually give clues to it’s past. Finding lead with ridges running the length of the lead is a good find if it’s in good shape. This would mean the lead was hand cranked and rolled leaving the impression of the crank. Glass breakage in older windows is common. Finding one in perfect shape is rare. Expect to make a few alterations. Small cracks in singular lines running edge to edge are probably not going to do much more. A multiple shatter will eventually fall out. If the crack is not severe I would leave it. Missing glass pieces will need to be matched and replaced. If there are multiple pieces missing, the value as an old piece is not that good. In my opinion if the piece appeals to you, it’s worth it. Restoring a stained glass window is the act of re-establishing the legibility, integrity or intention of the object. It is not necessarily returning the object to its state when new. Restoration may involve replacement of deteriorated such as the lead or zinc, repair of deteriorated elements such as the glass, redesign of structural elements to alleviate bowing or sagging, and waterproofing, also referred to as cementing. The cementing process a critical step in a well made stained glass window and protects them from the elements that do the most harm, wind and rain. It adds necessary rigidity to the window partnered with reinforcement bars. The composition contents of the cement and the correct application of this have much to do with the longevity of the window. The cement must adhere to both the glass and the lead or channels in which it was constructed. This adhesion must withstand the elements of water, heat and cold. The cement must be able to remain somewhat flexible to allow the window to slightly move with wind pressure and allow for expansion and contraction. A professionally cemented window, exposed to the elements, should be able to perform as intended for 75 to 100 years before needing reapplication. TRADITIONAL COLOR RELEVANCE IN RELIGIOUS STAINED GLASS: Colors in religious windows have specific meaning. It is important to select the correct color to convey your idea. • PURPLE- A sign of royalty. God the Father. A symbol of suffering & endurance. • VIOLET- Love, truth, passion, suffering • WHITE- Innocence & purity. The hue of God. • PALE GREEN- The hue of Baptism • GREEN- Faith. Spring. Triumph of life over death. • PALE BLUE- Peace. Christian prudence. • BLUE- Hope. Love of divine works. Sincerity. • GOLD & YELLOW- Power & Glory.The gates of heaven. Halo of the saints. • RED- The blood of Christ. • GRAY- Emblem of Christ risen. The darkness of sin & death. • BLACK- Death & Regeneration     RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS                               CONTACT US ..........     beaumontleadedglass@yahoo.com   Looking for low cost stained glass instruction ? Click on the banner below to visit our tutorial page and see how to save hundreds of dollars on stained glass tools and receive the correct professional stained glass instruction needed to master this craft. Loaded with stained glass photos & illustrations, we simplify this without taking an expensive & lengthy stained glass class.