Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-22
MAKING STAINED GLASS
ITS MANUFACTURE IS ONE OF THE
FINE ARTS.
Good Results Necessitate Close Atten-
Drawn sd Then Tinted.

From the St Louis Globe Democrat.
Those who see the wonderful stained
glass windows in our churches and the
beautiful creations of the window build
ers art which dEeorate stairway and hall
In the artistic ma sions along our boule-
wards, seldom give u thought to the means
by which these witching fancies come into
being. Yet there is no branch of fine art
more intricate ins the matter Of manufac-
ture or in which, closer attention to detail
is necessary to secure the desired results.
The making of stained glass windows is
not only a learned profession, but a handi-
craft, or rather a combination of several
handicrafts, for it has many branches, the
successful combination of which is neces-
sary to secure the desired result
The manufacture Of stained-glass win
dows is. In ST. Louis. a very important in
| dustry, employing great numbers of work.
men in large establishments, and involving
the Investment of much capital, which,
| however, is regarded as perfectly safe, for
constantly increasing Every year great
er number are required for private resi-
dences, churches and public buildings and
thus, little by little, the ornamental win
dow factories have enlarged their borders
adding room here, q new department
there until they have reached their pres
ent dimensions.
The Factory.
A stained-giass window factory is like an
enchanter's palace. a dream of beautiful
| color. miracle of busy. hurrying indus
try. Everywhere glass, glass; glass in
the store room in great plates, to feet
| long, to in breadth standing on edge in
compartments, each kind to itself. Glass
in smaller pieces in pigeon holes, like those
of desk, but eight or ten times as large:
red glass, blue glass. green, violet, yellow
giass; plate glass as rough as an unplaned
board, smooth plate glass, highly polished
and rejecting light like mirror. Glass of
a hundred hues and tints; glass clOuded
notified like the beautiful artistic marbles
of which are made the affairs in old cathe-
| drals and the maTtels in royal palaces
diamond glass, ut Tor the Manufacture
of artificial gems; ruby, sapphire. anne
thyst, pearl, opal glass, rivaiing in it's hues
| the gems from which 1t takes its name
Glass overhead in boxes sheets and cases;
glass in transit, banded to and fro by wiz
ards as though 1t were so much sheet iron:
glass being ground, polished Clipped cut
| glass under foot in bits and fragments of
all sizes and colors; it is the realm of
the glass magician. where the fragile mate
rial is worked into forms of beauty
The making of window Is an fntri-
cate and delicate operation. In the first
place, there must be pattern. Some
times this is planned, in a general way,
by the customer, but more frequently
the would-be purchaser, whether the owner
Of a private house, the pastor of a church
or the donor of memorial window, con-
tents himself with an indication of what he
wants and leaves the rest to the artists
of the factory. These first prepare q de-
sign, outlining the general plan. The de-
| sign Is then tinted 10 indicate the colors of
glass to be employed in its construction.
The color sketch proving satisfactory, a
plan Of the proposed window is drawn of
the exact sizerof the space to be filled.
Every part of the pattern receives a
number and is also marked with cabal-
| istic figures to indicate the color and kind
| of glass to be employed. The plan is then
cut into pieces of many different sizes,
and every shape, of which the mind can
conceive, and the result is a heap of pa
per bits, having no apparent connection
| with each other. 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 scattered
fragments. are to construct the window. :
Cutting Out the Pattern.
The pieces into which the plan has been
divided are passed on to the glass cutters,
who take sheets OF sufficient size, lay the
pattern on the glass. and with diamond
cutter reproduce the figure In the glass. This
is not done at once, nor at a single stroke
for there Is always danger that the glass
may break In the wrong place. Little by
little the cutter slices away the glass,
piece at time. With deft strokes he
draws nearer and nearer to the bit of pa
per which is his pattern, breaking off the
gers, sometimes with pair OF pincers, until
the edges of the glass correspond to his
pattern, when 1t and the completed por-
ton are laid to one side and another
I pattern taken. -
The work. Is done rapidly and the loss
from breakage or improper cutting Is very
trihing. for although the material is fran
gible such is the tact with which 1t is
handled that accidents are infrequent. But
let an unskilled hand attempt the cutting,
and the material ftself seems to mock his
efforts and breaks lengthwise. crosswise,
diagonally. from end to end, any way.
every way, but the way he intended it
should
When the giasscutters have done their
work the piles Of glass designed to enter
into the composition of the proposed win
dow are passed on to the men who are to
do the building The pieces resemble a
Chinese puzzle, and at first glance the eff
fort to bring order out OF the confused
mass of shapes and colors seems quite
hopeless. But the window builder has the
key to the mystery in the shape Of a du-
plicate plan. This he lays fiat on his table,
guided by its markings and figures, selects
from his heaps of glass the pieces that
he needs for his design. and under his MIN
BILE fingers the window begins to take shape
and color. The pieces are united by cords,
this purpose Is lead wire which has been
drawn into a shape not greatly dissimilar
from that Of railroad rail.
On each side is q deep groove, into
which the edges Of the pieces Of glass are
placed. while the lead. being readily bent,
Is curved here and there round the differ
ent parts of the pattern until, having run
from end to end, or from one side to the
other Of the window, it Is firmly secured
into the frame. The pieces are then ce-
mented to the lead to render the structure
more solid, 1t is fitted into an outer frame
and is ready to be placed In position In
the house or church.
Curious Processes.
In connection with the manufacture of
ornamental glasswork there are many as
ISOLATED processes, not only interesting. but
some Of them extremely curious. An i'm
mense amount Of ground glass;" for in
stance. Is employed, not only in art glass
windows, but in offices and other places
where light Is desired and yet where
certain amount OF, privacy Is considered
necessary. The ground glass in doors and
windows ausu,ers the reinforcement and IS