A Genuine Tiffany Revealed

Written by: Michael Mezalick

October 30, 2002

 Ever so often the world is offered opportunities of a lifetime.  For some it might be finding a lost Egyptian tomb, or the restoration of a fine art masterpiece.  For the stained glass trade, it is the ability to work on an ancient window from the beginning of the craft or to find something of worth that has been lost for decades.

This is our story of a once in a lifetime opportunity.

On a warm summer day in 1902 workmen from Tiffany Studios of New York are busily finishing the installation of the newly created East Rose Window for the First Presbyterian Church in Germantown, located in Philadelphia, PA.  Twelve feet in diameter the new window immediately makes its mark on the interior ambiance.  Rich hues of green and blue flash across the wall of this church, first organized in 1810.  The current structure was built in 1872.

The talented hands that produced this window are paid $3.00 a day for their labor.  Beatrix Potter writes her first Peter Rabbit story.  And the cost of a first-class stamp is $.02.

Thousands of pieces of colored glass, held together by thin strips of lead, in some places two or three layers thick, create an ornamental stained glass window to complement the Victorian interior of this sacred space.  This Rose window is to be viewed from the inside of the church.  A layer of dark olive green glass is installed to the exterior of the Rose window so the brilliant morning sun would not conflict with the elegant mood of the interior.  The congregation approves enthusiastically.

Fast forward to the summer of 1918, 16 years after the installation of the Rose window.  It was the beginning of the end for World War I.  It is the last time the Boston Red Sox win the Baseball World Series.  And the cost of a first-class stamp is $.03.

Workers begin the task of renovating the interior of the church to house the newly purchased pipe organ, sure to be one of the finest in the city with its multitude of pipes and baffles.  The only location suitable for all of the necessary components is the rear balcony loft.  By the fall of 1919 the new organ pipe is dedicated and put into service.  Again the growing congregation approves with great enthusiasm

With the addition of the new pipe organ came the sacrifice of space and unfortunately the view of the Tiffany Rose window.  Over the next several years the interior space received several additional Tiffany stained glass windows, as well as works from the studios of Henry Lee Willet and Nicola D'Ascenzo.  Spacious and well decorated, this sacred space became know as a haven of important artwork.  Murals by the famous female painter Violet Oakley adorn an adjacent meeting hall.

While the surrounding neighborhood diminished, the mission of the church became stronger.  Attracting members and visitors from far and wide.  And the congregation grew.

The hot summer days and the cold winter nights of the Philadelphia area began to take their toll on the exterior of the building.  Workmen attempt to keep up with the ravages of time.  There is an endless process of painting and repainting the wooden frames.  Fourteen separate layers of paint have been found on the restoration of the Rose window frame.

Fast forward to 1988, 80 years after the installation of the Rose window.  Ninety-eight percent of U.S. households have at least one television set.  Cost of a first-class stamp:   $0.22 ($0.25 as of 4/3/88)

Viewing the ever-increasing maintenance of the exterior of the stained glass windows, church officials determine to contract a stained glass studio to install a new wonder, “Lexan”, as an additional exterior protective covering. This product, resistant to breakage but susceptible to the effect of UV rays, turned the clear polycarbonate plastic to a muddy brown in a few short years.  The last view of the wooden frame and Rose window was sealed shut.  Not to be seen again.  It was the hope of the church that this new outer layer would stall the effect of the sun, wind and rain.

Fast forward to the summer of 1998, 96 years after the installation of the Rose window.   Legendary crooner Frank Sinatra dies of a heart attack at age 82.  Cost of a first-class stamp:   $0.32.

Under the guidance of members of the church, determined to maintain the beauty and stability of the building, a major renovation had begun.  The interior is redecorated and a program to restore the numerous stained glass windows is instituted.

In the summer of 2002, 100 years after the installation of the Tiffany Rose window, Mezalick Design Studio, LLC of Philadelphia, PA was asked to evaluate the condition of the “ hidden” window.  After a careful inspection, it is determined that the stained glass showed the normal signs of age and the recommendation is submitted for its complete restoration. The church committee agreed and the restoration process began.

The exterior plastic covering is removed to reveal what the passing public had seen for many years, a wooden tracery of the rose window and the dark olive green glass installed by the Tiffany workmen decades ago. This green glass is removed and finally the original stained glass is seen.  Ornamental swirls of green opalescent glass on an alternating field of blue/purple and amber/red is revealed.  A 3-inch layer of dirt has collected over the years in the corners of the wooden frame.  Layers upon layers of paint lay waiting for someone to remove them.

The stained glass panels are carefully crated and transported to the studio after detailed photographs document their placement within the wooden frame.  Notes are taken on the condition of the stained glass and the surrounding area.  The smell of the 100-year-old soot lingers on the clothes of the workers. 

At the studio, rubbings on acid free paper are produced from each of the original panels of glass as they are removed from their crates.  Multiple drawings are made of the rubbings to act as blueprints for the reconstruction of the window panels.  Each piece of glass is removed from it lead casing, cleaned in warm water and mild soap, and placed on the blueprint in the exact location as it was found.  Notes are taken about any unusual condition that is found.  Cracked glass is indicated on the acid free blueprint and repaired.  Special lead cames are produced to match the original, and the tedious process of glazing or re-leading the window back together proceeds.

Multiple layers of glass are fitted together to create that special look of a Tiffany window.  Once a panel is re-leaded, it is then soldered on both sides and an organic putty mixture is used to add strength and stability to each stained glass panel.  After a drying time of two weeks, the top layer of glass is added to complete the look of the original window.  Thin copper wires are the last item added. These small but important items will secure the window in place to steel bars that are set firmly into the wooden frame.

Ready for reinstallation the issue of viewing the window still presented a problem because of the obstructions caused by the organ pipes from the interior and the layer of dark olive green glass on the exterior.  With only 11 inches between the stained glass window and the massive collection of organ pipes, the creative minds from Mezalick Design Studio, LLC went to work and produced a plan on how to illuminate the stained glass window.

With no access to the cavity between the stained glass window and the back of the organ pipes, the use of fiber optics became the only choice. The ease of maintaining the lighting fixtures without disturbing the ranks of organ pipes was a prime issue for all parties involved.

Now with the reinstallation of the totally restored stained glass without the dark olive green glass, the renovation of the wooden frame, and the installation of the fiber optics, this once hidden Tiffany Rose Window will grace the view of all who pass by.

Mezalick Design Studio, LLC is proud by play a major part in the continuing effort to maintain the First Presbyterian Church in Germantown.

Having the opportunity to work on a Tiffany window, which has not been seen in the last 84 years offers us the unmistakable fortune to add to the world’s appreciation of the artwork from Tiffany Studios of NY.

The First Presbyterian Church is one of the best-preserved religious buildings in the area.  Both its interior and exterior appearance make a strong statement of commitment to the physical well-being and dignity of central Germantown.