Los Angeles in the 1920's -1970's was home to a variety of stained glass studios. Among the projects these studios were contracted for were church, and synagogue windows, commercial buildings, and residential homes. Many of these homes used stained glass windows as a major focus in the living rooms. Another feature was cave/convex leaded glass windows. This windows were made with a diamond pattern and reinforced with 1/2 or 3/8 " bars.
Many times the owners of these windows desired a deeper depression than that originally manufactured. To effect this they would push out the glass from the inside. Naturally this served to weaken the window. Over time this hastened the deterioration. Today, after approximately 80 years these windows are in dire need of restoration.
This was the case at historic Chateau Colline, where we had worked many years previously. The Chateau had been the home of many Hollywood celebrities in the past including Clark Gable, Betty Davis, and Frank Sinatra. With the help of the Los Angeles Conservancy we removed and restored three windows, and puttied and cleaned in place an additional three smaller Windows.
The releading of these windows differs from standard diamond windows. In. Building the concave/convex we prop up the raised sections with 1/2 " pieces of styrofoam insulation. The exterior border lead has to be propped up as well.
The three dimensional quality of the windows is very appealing, and supplies additional strength.
It is always rewarding to restore original art work. Bringing these widows back to their original condition at such an historic building ranks right up at the top.
