The Opelousas courier., 1901-08-03
STAINED GLASS
1TS MANUFACTURE IS ONE or THE
FINE ARTS.

BE Put Up for Five or Ten Dollars.
Those who see the wonderful stained
glass windows in our churches and the
beautiful creations Of the window
builders art which decorate stairway
and hall in the artistic mansions along
our boulevards seldom give q thought
to the means yAanich these witching
1ancies come Tito being. Yet there
is no branch of fine art more intricate
in the matter Of manufacture or in
| which closer attention to detail is
necessary to secure the desired results.
The making Of stained glass windows
rs not only a learned profession, but
q handicraft. OF rather a combination
Of several handicrafts, for it has many
branches, the successful combination
Of which ia necessary to secure the
desired result.
A stained glass window factory is
like an enchsnter's palace, a dream OF
beautiful color, a miracle Of busy, hur-
rying industry. Everywhere glass,
glass; glass in the store room, in
great plates, 6 to 8 feet long, 4 to S in
breadth, standing on edge in compart-
ments, each kind to itself. Glass in
smaller pieces in pigeon holes, like
those Of a desk, but 8 or 10 times as
large; red glass, blue glass, green,
violet, yellow glass; plate glass as
rough rs an unplaned board, smooth
plate glass, highly polished and re-
decting light like q mirror. Glass of
a hundred hues and tints; glass cloud
ed, notified like the beautiful artistic
marbles of which are made the affairs
in old cathedrals and the mantels in
royal palaces.
Diamond glass, At for the manufac-
ture Of artificial gems; ruby, sapphire,
amethyst pearl, opal glass, rivaling in
its hues the gems from which it takes
its lame. Glass overhead in boxes,
sheets and cases; glass in transit,
banded to and fro by wizards as
though it were sc much sheet iron;
glass being ground, polished, Clipped,
cut; glass under foot in bits and frag-
ments Of all sizes and colors; it is
the realm Of the glass magician, where
the fragile material is worked into
forms Of beauty.
The making Of a window is an intri-
cate and delicate operation. In the
first place, there must be a pattern.
this is planned, in a gen.
eral way. by the customer, but more
the would-be purchaser,
whether the owner Of a private house,
the pastor Of q church or the donor
Of O memorial window, contents him.
self with an indication Of what he
wants and leaves the rest to the ar
Of the factory. These first pre-
pare a design, outlining the general
plan. The design is then tinted to in
dicate the colors of glass to be en-
in its construction. The color
sketch proving satisfactory a plan Of
proposed window is drawn Of the
sxact size Of the space to be filed.
Every part OF the pattern receives a
number and IL also marked with cab
alistic figures to indicate the color
and kind OF glass to be employed. The
plan Ia then cut into pieces OF many |
different sizes, and every shape of
which the mind can conceive, and the
result is q heap of paper bits, having |
no apparent connection with each 9TH
". The craftsman, however, has the
secret Of the combination, for he has
preserved a duplicate sketch for the
use Of the men who, from the scat
Tered fragments, are to construct the
window.
The pieces into which the plan has
been divided are passed on to the glass
who take sheets Of sufficient
,ize. lay the pattern on the glass, and
With a diamond cutter reproduce the
igure ON the glass. This is not done
It once, nor at a single stroke, for
is always danger that the glass
nay break in the wrong place. Little
~ little the cutter slices away the
glass, q piece at a time. With deft
he draws nearer and nearer
the bit Of paper which Is his pat
ern, breaking of the superfuous
ylass, sometimes with his fingers,
Iometimes with . pair Of pincers, until
he edges Of the glass correspond to his
when it and the completed
+ laid to one side and an
'ther pattern taken.
When the glasscutters have done
heir work the piles of glass designed
0 enter into the composition Of the
proposed window are passed on to the
zen who are TO do the building. The
'ieees resemble a Chinese puzzle, and
{ FIRST glance the effort to bring order
ut OF the confused mass of shapes
nd colors seems quite hopeless. But
he window builder has the key to the
MYSTERY in the shape OF a duplicate
han. This he lays fat ON his table,
uided by Its markings and figures,
elects from his heaps Of glass the
ieces that he needs for his design, and
nder his nimble fingers the window
egins to take shape and color. The
ieces are united by cords. not OF steel
ut Of lead. The material for this
urpose is q lead wire which has been
into a shape not greatly dis
Imilar from that of a railroad rail.
On each side is a deep grove, into
hitch the edges of the pieces of glass
re placed. while the lead, being read
bent, is curved here and there
ound the different parts Of the pattern
ntil, having run from end to end, or
'om one side to the other Of the win
ow, It Is firmly secured into the
anne. The pieces are then cemented
} the lead to render the structure