Restoration
Story #1 | Restoration
Story #2 | Restoring Your
Stained Glass Treasure
Stained glass in need of restoration is like someone's broken
dream.
That's why we approach each restoration project
with reverence for the original artist and subject and with uncommon appreciation
for his or her work -- as well as respect for its setting.
All work is done with the care you would expect when bringing broken dreams
back to life, whether the glass being restored will fit in the back seat of
someone's car or is one of dozens of huge church windows that must be laboriously
disassembled one by one and crated for transportation to our studio while
the sanctuary is still in use.
We are pleased to quote on major or minor repairs to your stained glass treasures,
including cleaning, total restoration and weather protection of both the art
and its surrounding framework. And we fully understand that the needs and
sensitivities of each congregation may differ.
We are practiced and patient in communicating with boards, committees, or
patrons. Salem Stained Glass also has deep experience working with building
contractors on new installations and restorations, whether tradesmen provided
by our clients or our own trusted contracting partners.
One of our most important restoration projects was "The Good Knight", a 1902 John LaFarge commission originally installed in Detroit's First Unitarian Church in memory of a prominent citizen. The window depicts a Tuscan soldier in medieval dress protected by armor, a shield and a sword. LaFarge was an artist of almost Renaissance proportions who is credited with inventing opalescent glass (although some also credit Louis Comfort Tiffany) and is considered one of the great masters of stained glass -- among other artistic undertakings.
The 5 x 15 foot window was removed in the late 1950s and stored in the church basement, where it gathered decades of dust and grime. Forty-five years later, a collector/art dealer from Independence, Virginia purchased the window and had it shipped to our studio for complete restoration. This restoration proved particularly challenging because of the four levels of delicate glass layering (or "plating") techniques used by LaFarge to create depth and color diversity. Each section had to be cleaned -- between the pieces -- and reassembled.
The results were spectacular. For the first time in almost 50 years, John LaFarge's wonderful stained glass composition glows with its original depth and brilliance. Appraised value or the work is said to have increased from $50,000 to $1.5 million after completion of our work.
Salem Stained Glass was commissioned in 2004
to restore this valuable and well-known historic window called Angel At The
Tomb, created by the Franz Mayer Studio of Munich, Germany in 1911 and originally
installed in St. Andrews Covenant Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, N.C.
It was discovered in a storage building almost 90 years later, in dismal condition.
It was dirty. Holes had been punched in the glass, and pieces were missing
-- although its beauty still shone through. Decades of soot and grime were
carefully washed away using conservation detergent. Cracked pieces were removed,
glued with conservator's epoxy, and reinstalled. Missing pieces were replaced
by matching the old glass, painting each panel in the same style, and leading
them back in.
The window is now installed in a private home in Lake Waccamaw, N.C. where
it glows with new life and brings great joy to its owner.
Restoring Your Stained Glass Treasure
When considering whether to restore the weathered, worn, cracked, bulging or broken stained glass in your sacred space, you should first evaluate each window's history and value. Then, if your board or committee decides in favor of restoration, Salem Stained Glass will be pleased to provide a detailed quote and restoration timetable, including a description of the steps required to return your damaged or aged windows to their original condition. From the simplest design to the most intricate, your stained glass treasures deserve the highest quality restoration and care.