AdammsGallery

Stained Glass Restoration at Pepperdine University Stauffer Chapel

 

Ocean facing window with second row restored

 No wonder Pepperdine considers their Stauffer Chapel their "Crown Jewel".  The way the light comes through the stained glass at various times of the day creates a magical air. The chapel was dedicated in 1973, just after the University opened in 1972. All the glass used was manufactured by the Blenko Glass Co. in Milton, West Virginia. Donovan Art Glass, a stained glass studio in Burbank, CA at the time fabricated the leaded panels and installed them. It caused quite a stir then and today every visitor to the Chapel is in awe.

     Over the past 42 years the elements, and heat have played havoc on the windows. There is very bad bowing, and broken pieces exist throughout the installation.  As a remedy heavy steel supports were attached to the steel framework of the church and then the windows were glued to the steel bars. In addition a dual glazing was added to the outside. The extra protection from the windows and blowing rain surely extended the life of the windows.

     In the fall of 2012 we were asked to bid on the restoration of a single "test" panel. The idea was to see just what difficulties  would be encountered in the restoration. We won the project, and in  the early part of 2013 removed the panel and started to soak, clean, replace broken pieces, and relead the panel. We were able to get sufficient matching glass from the Blenko Glass Company to cover the broken pieces. This panel was at the bottom, and as a result had been subjected to  floor level abuse. In short there were many broken pieces.

      

        DISSASSEMBELY          SOAKING GLASS             BRACING          FINISHED PANEL

          Since the Blenko glass can be quite thick we had to use high heart lead. Some of the lead is 1 1/2" wide, while the remainder is 5/8", 1/2", and 5/16".  We were able to obtain the lead from DHD Metals in Conyers, GA., about 20 miles East of Atlanta. Of course we recycle all the old lead, which as you can imagine adds up.

     In addition to releading we also changed the support structure.  The original panels were installed with only two 1/2" vertical reinforcing bars. It was obvious that this was insufficient for the type if installation(Each panel is 6 feet x 4 feet). We used  5/8" steel reinforcing bars and bent them along the lead lines of the window. This made them vertually invisible from the chapel floor. In further panels we moved the reinforcing bars to the outer facing side. While the general rule is to put the support on the inside in this case the protection of the exterior glazing protects the bars from the elements and dirt. It also stops the wind so that the window is not pushed away from the bars. We also removed the heavy steel horizontal and vertical supports. This not only cleaned up the clutter, but really brought out the majesty of the original plan. We have thus far finished one complete row and  are half way through another.

   

Note the change in the bottom row with the vertical and horizontal supports removed.

 

     After the trustees saw what the window should look like they gave us the go ahead to restore the compete window. After this there is a duplicate window in the rear of the church.We still have a lot to do, and I will keep you informed along the way. As you can imagine it is very rewarding to be part of a project such as this.

   You can see other restoration projects we have worked on at

http://www.adammsgallery.com/31/html/repairs_restoration.shtml

 1426 4th St

Santa Monica, CA 90401

866 764 6513

 

Christian Thirion Blown Glass Teapots

     For many years I represented Christian Thirion.We loved his tea pots, vases, and vessels.  We still have some of his vases and vessels, but had been out of his tea pots for a few years. Many of my customers inquired to see if he was still making them. I was unable to locate Christian even though I knew he still resided in upstate New York. Non of the gallery owners I knew had any idea how to get in touch with him.  They all assumed that he was no longer blowing glass.

   

 

     Finally a couple of months ago I decided to try again. After searching the internet I found Christian. He had  set up a new business, Chemung County candy company.  I wasn't too surprised to discover that he had started a confectionary business. After all Christian started out as pastry chief in Paris, France.  That's right French Pastry.  It was over 30 years ago after staying with a friend in San Jose, California that he got hooked on glass.  Christian has great energy and you have to love him. 

     I am very happy that Christian has sent a pair of tea pots.  With their vibrant colors they easily bring a smile to your face.Many people collect teapots. To many they are the ultimate gift. I haven't tried one of his candies yet, but they are fairly high on my list. You can check out the teapots in detail on our website  www.adammsgallery.com. They are nonfunctional.

 

1426 4th St.

Santa Moinica, CA 90401

adammsgallery.com

 

Helena Modjeska Historic House Glass Restoration

      

     We were asked to replace the missing red glass that was originally in the bathroom of the Helena Modjeska Historic Home in Silverado, California. We have been working on the historic properties of the California County of Orange  Parks and Recreation Department for some time. It is not known how long the glass has been missing.  Fortunately one of the members of the historic society had a broken piece so we could find a match.  Up until we replaced the glass they were using red plastic.

     We were lucky in our pursuit of the proper glass.  We used a Desag clear red glass.  It was a bit scary as Desag has stopped manufacturing this glass and it was the only clear red glass available.  This was the last sheet we could find, and it was just enough for the two pieces we had to replace.

     The process was a standard puttied in window. We removed the old putty and clear glass that had been used. Then cleaned up the window sash, cut the new glass and puttied it back in using metal points to secure it in place..

    The result was definitely transforming for the bathroom. It produced a beautiful and at the same time eerie feel. It is said that people came from miles around to see Mrs. Modjeska's red bathroom glass. In fact they paid 5 cents each for the privilege.  Actually I think after coming from so far away(as this place is out in the boonies now, let alone then) they were happy to pay the 5 cents just to use the bathroom.

     If you want to read more about Helena Modjeska and other female actors of the old West there is an excellent book Gilded Girls by Jo Ann Chartier and Chris Evans. They have very interesting profiles on Lilly Langtree, Maud Adams, Lillian Russell, and many others.

             Stained Glass & Gallery

         1426 4th St. Santa Monica, Ca 90401 USA

        310 451 9390  866 764 6513

Restoring Century Old Stained Glass Doors for Venus Williams

   

  For the past year we have been working on a project for tennis great Venus Williams. Venus came to us with a pair of doors that were at least 200 years old. She had purchased them in Paris and wanted to make them into a headboard  for her new home. Each door was approximately 36" x 90" tall. While one side was stripped the other side was coated with heavy layers of paint.  The stripped side revealed broken styles, panels, and multiple Bondo and fillings from other products. The glass was nearly all broken and was obviously not original being of the flemish pattern.

  

  We started by selecting new glass.  Venus and her assistant selected the colors and we worked on a pattern. During this time I had  my woodworker and re-finisher drop by to take a look and give me prices on their part in the restoration. Pricing was a very difficult process as we didn't know the condition of the surface on the painted side. This was complicated by not knowing just how far we should go in restoring the doors. How much of the old beaten look shall we retain while cleaning them up as furniture. The use as a headboard further complicated things because we needed the surface to be smooth enough so that  it didn't grab onto fabrics, hair, or skin.

     We decided on a ballpark price to get started. Once we had the doors completely stripped we realized just how much work this was really going to be. Both sides were on terrible shape with bondo, and other fillers qalong with styles and rails broken in numerous places. My wood worker, Cak Kelley of Think Inside in Los Angelespicked up his tools and began work.  It was clear that this was a long term project, and we needed more direction on the extent of restoration.

     I proposed and Venus agreed that after we repair the broken aspects of the door(replaing broken panels, and repairing the styles and rails) we should focus mainly on only one side, and allow the wall to hide much of the other. Cal dug out all the old fillers, and restored hundreds of tiny spleensand chips throughout the surface and on the edges.It was a lot of work and he came through as I knew he would.

     The next phase was the refinishing. Venus wanted the finish to mastch a dresser she had in her bedroom. My painter who is extremely respected here in Los Angeles, Ron Benveniste of RB Painting Co., suggested his refinisher Patrick Englehardt. I had met with Patrick earlier top get a bid. Not only was he hoghly recommended, but his price was extremely fair.  Patrick made up a matching sample of the wood foimnish which we showed Venus.  We got the go ahead and Patrick began. The more he sanded the more a blackness was drawn out of the wood.  Both he and Cal theorized that the doors  at one time may have been soaked in kreosote a preserving treatment. Patrick tried to bleacvh out the darkness, but this only resulted in bubbling on the old wood and bleaching the new wood white. Patrick mericuously was able to even out the coloring and create a finish the went well with the matching dresser. 

     He had cut the the replacement glass that Venus had selected. The glass we used was flemish pattern glass. Venus wanted a green, clear, and black glass. Unforunately flemish glass is not avai,lable in blck. To resolve this problem we duaol glazed the clear flemish with charcoal gray GNA glass which appears absolute black with no light behind it. This was the situation with the headboard attached to the wall. We wrapped the gray and clear glass with copper foil tape so there would never be any dirt between the two. Patrick cut new oak stops for the glass, installed them, and put on the final finish. Finally he used a wax finish on the entire surface of both sides.

    The final results show an unbelievable transormation. The doors will be stacked horizontally against the wall behind her bed.  It is a very dramatic look and combinds both the rustic elegance of the home with the natural setting of ther grounds. I thankj Cal Keyy, Ron Benveniste, Patrick Englehardt, and of course my foreman and friend Alberto Marquez for a magniicent job.

   By the way Venus is great.  She is a very kind, thoughtful, and considerate person.

Related articles

Starstruck: Venus Williams

Evan Chambers Glass Artist

 



I have been representing Evan Chambers
for at least 7 years by now. He first came in the gallery on the suggestion of a
friend(one of my young customers) that he was helping blow glass at Cal Poly San
Louis Obispo. As it turned out I had known Evan's mom  30 years prior.  She
teaches art at Santa Monica College. At the time she was teaching stained
glass and I would visit the classes to promote  our stained glass supply
business.

  Evan brought in a few of his pieces and he was very interested to get my opinion.  I bought two pieces and gave him some suggestions. He returned a few weeks later with more and much improved work. This pattern continued. 

   Later he joined Elaine Hyde in a studio in Atascadero, CA. He learned a great deal from Elaine during their years at the studio. Elaine taught him how to create rich lusters for his vases, as well as techniques to increase production.  It is evident from his work that he learnt well.

     Evan makes a variety of art pieces including traditional vases, lampshades, paperweights, Christmas ornaments, and mixed media pieces using bronze and glass. Evan lives and works at his studio Pavonine Glass in Pasadena,
CA, and he creates wonderful pieces.  In addition to glass, and mixed media he also works in solid bronze.  You can see some of his use of metals ion his vessels and lamps.

  You can view Evans work on his website or  at  www.Adammsgallery.com

 

 

 

Adamm's Stained Glass & Gallery

1426 4th St.

Santa Monica, CA 90401

310 451 9390

adammsgallery.com

.

Historic Preservation: Painting on Glass

 

 

     We were recently asked to restore a leaded glass window containing a medallion of a  painted scene  with a sailboat.  The medallion was broken, and the client was doubtful that we could  make a duplicate.Knowing how talented our painter is I had no such doubts.

     We carefully removed the old glass and let our painter, Mary Orrel, get to work.  I know you will agree that there will be no doubts in the future.

     You can see the broken piece on the right and the new replacement piece on the left.  The only difference is in the availability of colored paints today.  The window is approximately 85 years old. Most all old paints contained elements that are illegal today(lead, arsenic, etc.). Dispite  this minor problem everyone was extraordinarily happy. 

Tiffany Style Lamp Shade Repair

    Having been in the business of stained glass for over 40 years I have experienced great stained glass shades and terrible shades.  Louis Comfort Tiffany was determined to make the best product available. During more than 40 years making stained glass windows, lamp shades, and other decorative glass he created the best methods available to make lasting treasures.  Not only were his designs timeless, but the construction of his windows and shades were as well. He created heavy gage rings to be used as support on the bottom border and the top aperture of the shade. He reinforced his shades with heavy gage wire to alleviate the pressures on the upper ring. He demanded that all his shades were well soldered on the inside as well as the outside to give the added strength necessary to endure.

   The following pictures show what we had to do.

 

 

Over the 40 years I have been inthe stained glass business I have seen the best(Tiffany) and some of the worst stained glass lampshades ever made. The example in this blog is a combination.

The shade is very well made and the design, and glass are well chosen.  The problem, because of the size and weight of the shade, is there is no wire reinforcing.  The shade had been repaired once before. I use the term repaired very loosely.  The repairer used epoxy to glue the separating parts together.  We had to remove all the epoxy, not an easy job, and disassemble the shade in the damaged area.  We removed and replaced al the broken pieces. After we soldered the pieces in place we laid reinforcing wire to help support the shape and weight. The shade was probably made in the 1980's and fortunately we had replacement glass available in our studio. The glass was Uroboros Glass and Kokomo Opalescent Glass. The repair was perfect and it was  impossible to tell where we had worked.

The shade was originally in the estate of the actor Red Buttons.  It had been purchased by Edgar and Monique Winter. Edgar, the brother of Johnny Winter is a legendary song writer , music an, and rock star. His wife Monique  and he are well known producers.  It was a pleasure working for these wonderful people.

     The following pictures show  what we had to do to restore the shade.

Notice the epoxy glue                                                                  Copper Foiled replacement pieces

Laying in the reinforcing wire                        


Finished shade                                                      Finished shade showing the top ring.

Cal Breed Glass Wine Stoppers: The Perfect Gift

 

 

 

     Are you looking for that special gift for the man who is difficult to buy for? Well, here is your answer. In fact women love them also. These hand sculpted glass wine bottle stoppers are indidually made by master glass blower Cal Breed. They come in a wide variety of colors. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but totally fuctional as well. Many people leave them in empty bottles on display,  they look that good.

     Each stopper is approximately 1 1/4" wide  and 4" high.  The cost is $65.00 each. From Adamm's if you buy two or more you will receive FREE SHIPPING. They are made using centuries old Venetian techniques, and being solid glass, are very sturdy.

     For a truly unique gift you couldn't find anything better.

 

Adamm's Stained Glass & Gallery

1426 4th St.

Santa Monica, CA 90401

310 451 9390

adammsgallery.com

 

 

Mike Fisher of Heartland Creations

For over 3o years Mike Fisher has been creating wonderful wooden boxes.  His signature style is "secret Box".  His boxes are made so well that it is very difficult to decipher how to open them.  Indeed, the puzzle boxes,another fascinating invention, which come in a variety of styles, have the instructions on the bottom of the box.  Even after following the instructions it is sometime difficult to open.  One must follow the directions precisely. When you do the box opens all the time.

Mike uses beautiful woods for these wonderful gifts cocobola, birdseye maple, walnut, bubinga, cherry, and mahogany. He also works with intricate inlays that add to the tasteful designs. In recent years Mike has added laser etched design for the tops of many of his boxes.

In addition to his boxes Heartland also makes magnificent jewelery boxes in all sizes. All of these pieces will certainly become family heirlooms. They are also tyhe perfect gift for the person who has everything. Many people also use them as presentation cases. Just slip a ring or a pair of earrings into a box for that special person.   They make for a truly unique gift.

Adamm's Stained Glass & Gallery

1426 4th St.

Santa Monica, CA 90401

310 451 9390

adammsgallery.com

 

UCLA Royce Hall Leaded Glass Restoration

Royce Hall UCLA

Usually we work at Kerkoff Hall atUCLA.  In fact we are nearly there every month with some sort of
repair.  We haven't been to Royce Hall for over a year.  Royce Hall is the prize gem of UCLA.  It is one of the four original buildings from the 1929 campus.

The following is from the UCLA website.

    

"Royce Hall

UCLA Live's extraordinary history is rooted
in the late 1930s, when George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Arnold Schoenberg and
Jimmy Dorsey's Band all performed in Royce Hall. Since then, the list of
illustrious artists who have graced Royce Hall's stage reads like a Who's Who
of performing arts in the 20th and 21st centuries, including Frank Sinatra,
Ella Fitzgerald, Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, Twyla Tharp,
Frank Zappa, Mikhail Baryshnikov, The Philip Glass Ensemble and Meredith Monk
to name a few.

Modeled after Milan's San Ambrogio Church,
constructed in the tenth and eleventh centuries, Royce Hall was built in 1929
as one of the first campus structures. Its unique Romanesque architecture
prompted the State Historic Preservation Office to select it for restoration to
its original design. In 1936, University of California President Robert Gordon
Sproul appointed a committee to oversee programming and in 1937, Royce Hall's
first performing arts season was born. The first subscription series included the
great contralto Marian Anderson, the Budapest String Quartet and the Los
Angeles Philharmonic.

Like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Royce
Hall is one of America's great concert halls, distinguished, not only for its
impeccable beauty and refined acoustics, but also for the ghosts of
performances that haunt it. As the main performance venue for UCLA Live, the
most important aspect of Royce Hall's legacy has been its role in providing
something other than just the standard cultural menu. Today, Royce Hall is not
only regarded as the symbol of UCLA, but also as ground zero for the most
exciting, innovative and far-reaching programming on the West Coast."

 
 

   We were called out
to restore a window in the main entry to Royce Hall. The window while not
colored and in any great detail was non the less beautiful in it's simplicity.
It had appeared that some misplaced individual had thrown a wine bottle though
the window. This in itself was somewhat of an achivement given the height of
the window.

Stained Glass & Gallery

1426 4th St.

Santa Monica, CA 90401

310 451 9390

adammsgallery.com

 

        

    

Ralph Mossman and Mary Mullaney Glass Artists

Ralph Mossman and Mary Mullaney   are a husband and wife team as well as extremely accomplished glass blowers.  They both work equally in the production of each piece. Their glassblowing routine is a dance executed to the finest detail.    Ralph and Mary have a standard line of blown glass that includes perfume bottles, goblets and cups, and ornaments. They use centuries old Venetian techniques for these exquisite works. Some of these are the use of murrine (common pluralization murrini) is an Italian term for colored patterns or images made in a glass cane (long rods of glass) that are revealed when cut in cross-sections. Murrine can be made in infinite designs—some styles are more familiar, such as millefiore. Artists working in glass design murrine in a variety of ways from simple circular or square patterns to complex detailed designs to even portraits of people. Murrine are designed by layering different colors of molten glass around a core, then heating and stretching it into a rod. When cool, the rod is sliced into cross-sections of desired thickness with each slice possessing the same pattern in cross-section. The murrine process first appeared in the Mideast more than 4,000 years ago and was revived by Venetian glass makers on Murano in the early 16th century), and Zanfirico,a glassblowing technique that is used to add intricate patterns and stripes to vessels or other blown glass objects. Cane refers to rods of glass with color; these rods can be simple, containing a single color, or they can be complex and contain many strands of multiple colors in pattern. Created in a wide variety of color each is a little treasure. In addition to these  Ralph and Mary create a collection of blown and sand carved pieces, assembled vases using various fusing techniques, and other built up blown glass object.     Their Christmas ornaments are a must for any serious collector. Here at Adamm's Stained Glass & Gallery we have been representing Ralph and Mary for over 20 years.  Every shipment that arrives is eagerly opened with great anticipation.  We are never dissappointed. Stained Glass & Gallery 1426 4th St.  Santa Monica, CA 90401 310 451 9390