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Valley Beth Shalom Synagogue Encino, CA, Stained Glass Restoration

   

                                                                                                                       

 

  Valley Beth Shalom Synagogue is the beautiful synagogue in Encino, California. The synagogue dates back to 1950 when three small congregations joined together and moved an old schoolhouse from Long Beach to the San Fernando Valley on Sepulveda Blvd. However, this rapidly became too small so the congregation moved to a small motel in the area. The end of the 1950's and beginning of the 1960's saw the congregation expand and build a permanent home. on the corner of Densmore and Ventura Blvd. The expansion of the synagogue saw tremendous increases in community participation including the Jewish youth. 

                                              
   

     As the 1960-'s came to a close a search for a new rabbi would see the congregation grow beyond anyone's wildest dreams. The construction of the main sanctuary included two contemporary stained-glass windows. One on either side of the Bima. The synagogue was truly off and running. Everything looked bright until on the evening of May 7th, 2003, a firebombing of the synagogue destroyed a large section of the Westerly stained glass window. As disturbing and frightful as this was there was overwhelming comfort when the valley community came together. "Where do you find the sparks of decency in tragedy? In the response of men and women of all faiths who, on the very next evening, gathered together in a prayer of solidarity at St. Cyril’s Catholic Church just two days after the fire-bombing. Men and women, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Baha’i, Armenian clergy, who sang and prayed and heard each other’s anguish and each other’s resolve to stand together to offer each other their houses of worship to those sanctuaries which were violated."

     Temporary repairs were made to the window, but it would be nearly 20 years before a total restoration would be completed. The restoration of the windows was a small part of a major expansion and remodel of the sanctuary and building itself. We were contacted at the end of 2023 to make a proposal for the repairs to the window. The temporary repair was in fact a hand painted reproduction of the stained glass done with acrylics on two sheets of 1/4" acrylic glass. There were still numerous broken pieces and smoke and burn marks on the adjacent areas. The windows were approximately 4' wide and 25' tall. They were made up in sections that were about 3 feet tall. After a thorough inspection we determined that the horizontal supports were far too weak to be reused. Each section was held in place by 1 1/2" aluminum H bar, we would replace these with 1" steel T bar. We removed both sets of windows, boarded up the openings with 1/2" plywood and brought them to out studio in Santa Monica. Once in the studio we soaked them in water, disassembled, and cleaned the pierces. Of course, we recycle all the old lead came.

                                                                                                           

     The glass was colorful cathedral glass manufactured by The Kokomo Opalescent Glass Company in Kokomo, Indiana. We have a wonderful relationship with Kokomo and use their glass often in restoration projects. Most of the glass was available from the local distributor (Hollander Glass Company in Stanton, CA.). The design was rectilinear with images of Hebrew letters and symbols as well at menorahs, Shabot candles, and other Jewish themes. All the paint was black creating a subtle feeling against the colorful background. The leading was a mixture of flat H ranging in width from 5/8" to 1".

                                                                                                       

      Therre were no images of the 3' x 12' section that had been destroyed so we used our imagination adding similar line work and colored glass. The restoration process took about 2 1/2 months including removal, acquiring the replacement glass, painting the images, fabrication and installation. We finished just in time for the reopening celebration.

                                                                                                      

 I have said many times that the joy in restoring religious windows cannot be matched. The wonderful feedback and love we get from the administration and members of the congregation are a payment that cannot be equaled. The windows are now ready to be inspiring and appreciated by many future generations. 

                * Thanks to Alberto Marquez(Chief Glazer), Jose Ceja, Armondo Colon, Mary Orrell our magnificent painter, and Bart Pachino of Valley Beth Shalom(Executive Director)

19th Century European Stained Glass Window Restoration

 

   

I acquired this window along with an identical one about 30 years ago. The designer who brought them in couldn't afford to have us restore both of them, so I kept this one and restored the other which she gladly took in exchange. For this one we replaced about 35 broken or missing painted pieces and totally restored it. The red glass is all antique (mouth blown) German glass. The painted gold colors are achieved with silver stain paints. All the painting is fired in a kiln which fuses the paint to the glass. The paint is actually composed of dyes and finely ground glass. The center medallion of the cavalier on horseback may not be original with the window. When we acquired the window the medallion's leading showed signs of being replaced at some point. However, since the state of the window was p[opopr it could have just been loose and was reworked to fit back in. the leading. We disassembled the window, thoroughly cleaned it and releaded it with all new lead. I happened to have an old oak sash that we were able to cut down a bit and make it fit. The window is about 72" x 30" and has a dramatic effect.

After all these years I have decided to retire it to my home. I love it when a beautiful window gets a nice home DON'T YOU?

The Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, Stained Glass Repair

                                                                                                        
                          

 

In November of 2022 we were asked to inspect the stained glass windows in the Club House restaurant at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.  The Riviera Golf and Tennis Club is a historic club. It was founded in 1926 by members of the Los Angeles Athletic Club. The club was an immediate success with many celebrities and prominent businessmen signing up as members. Over the years the club had been the home of the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Senior Open and the NCAA Championships.  In 2028, it will host the men’s and women’s golf competitions when the Olympic Games come to Los Angeles.

There are five sets of hemisphere windows approximately 8 feet wide and 44" tall. They are comprised of two panels each being 1/4 of the window. The windows had many broken pieces, but the main problem is that they were very loose.In actuality, the windows themselves were not installed properly. While there is wood molding around the perimeter the two sections of the window are supported in the center with a steel T bar and putty. The problem is that in a normal T bar installation there are steel clips that fasten the windows to the T bar before the putty is applied. In this case there were none., and the glazing putty was nonexistent.

                                          

On the initial inspection of the windows, I also noticed that there was a considerable number of broken pieces, and there were areas that needed reglazing. After explaining the problem, and submitting a proposal, we were asked to do what was necessary to restore the windows to their original condition. The Club also wanted us the finish the restoration before the beginning of the Genisis Open which is scheduled for February 16th, 2023. 

We removed all the windows at the beginning of December and the Club installed clear acrylic in their place. We then transported the windows to our studio in Santa Monica. Once in the studio we began work on them. With samples of the glass, we were able to order the pale green background glass directly from Kokomo Opalescent Glass. Surprisingly they are able to get it to us in about one week. The rest of the glass (old Desag hand blown antique glass from the 1970's and 80's) we fortunately had in stock. The repairs went very well. All the glass was a perfect match and there were no surprises in the procedure. We let the windows sit for a few weeks allowing the putty to cure. We also had to wait for the surprising deluge of rain to let up.

Finally, we were able to install the beginning of the third week of January well in advance of the open.

                                          

The University of Southern California -Doheny Library- Leaded Glass Window Restoration

    

Two years ago we restored the front windows of the Doheny Library at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. The Doheny library was built in 1931 by Edward Doheny. Edward Doheny was the first person to discover and produce oil in Los Angeles. At one point he was the richest man in America. The library was built to memorialize his son Edward (Ned) L. Doheny Jr. who was killed in 1929. The library was built at a cost of $ 1.1 million.

                                             
     A major portion of this years project is The Los Angeles Times reference Room. The room as 23 leaded glass windows that are approximately 3' wide and 16' tall. They are comprised of 4 section each in a steel frame. The glass as all hand blown German glass.Originally the glass was a pale amber color, but over time the glass changed color because of a magnesium imbalance. This causes the glass to turn a rose color which with the underlying amber shows as beige. It is actually a very pretty color.

                                            
   This same effect of color change can be seen in what has been called "Desert Glass". Desert glass refers to clear glass bottles that when stored on roof tops in the desert (typically Arizona, or Southern California) turns rose or purple over time. It is sometimes called "sun colored amethyst glass".

                    
     The windows are in poor condition with cracks in the lead came, dried up glazing, broken pieces, and sagging. They needed total restoration. We worked with K.C. Restoration on this project just as we did two years ago when we restored the front windows. We have also worked with K.C. on the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, Wilshire Boulevard Temple, and the Tower Theater among others. K.C. removed, and installed the windows. We soaked the windows in vats of water to loosen the old putty, and contain the old putty dust(which contains asbestos). In this case it also made removing the old solar/UV film that had been applied to the glass much easier.

                                                       
         After the bath we disassembled the windows, cleaned the glass, and leaded them up with new lead came. Staying with the original lead choice, we used 5/8" H flat lead on the border and 1/2" H flat lead in the body. We added them up, soldered the joints and used Atlas "Wonder"putty to glaze.

                                
          The reinforcing bars are solid brass rods with a flared end the flared ends are set behind the steel sash styles to lock in the windows. As with most pre 1930's windows the bars are attached to the windows with copper wire. We used 16 gauge bare copper wire that was soldered to the joints of the windows and then twisted around the bars.

                                        

                                             The windows are installed in steel frames with screw in steel moldings.

                                                                      
                                                                   Exterior sealant still needs some cleaning up
                                                                       Now on to the rest of the windows

 

Ebenezer Baptist Church Stained Glass Restoration

     Back in February of 2020 we received a call from Bishop Little of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Ebenezer Baptist Church was built in 1938, in South Los Angeles.The Bishop inquired if we would come out to take a look at the church stained glass windows. The windows were sagging and pieces were cracking. We made an appointment for the following week.

             
                                                                     Windows with exterior acrylic before
There are four stained glass windows two are 42" wide and 10 feet tall , and the other two are 42" wide and 12 feet tall. The  windows are composed of 4 sections each. All the windows had very crazed and hazy acrylic on the exterior for protective glazing. On the interior there was obvious slipping of the window. The bottom panels had cracks, and the lower borders had folded. Two of the bottom panels had gaps on top of up to 1". The panels three panels above the bottom panels were in fairly good condition.
     The Church wanted to conserve money(not unheard of), so I proposed that we remove and restore the four bottom panels  and leave the upper panels. We would remove the exterior acrylic and replace it with clear 1/4" tempered glass. It was also obvious that all the exterior woodwork would need to be replaced as it was severely weather beaten and had obvious rot. I presented a proposal to replace, and paint all the exterior wood(leaving the sash and frames), restore the four lower panels, and install the tempered glass. The proposal was accepted, and we scheduled the work. Unfortunately, the Cocid-19 pandemic struck at this time. It wasn't until late July that we were able to begin work.

          

                                                         Deterioration of frame and sash, sagging of window

     We removed the exterior acrylic  and observed just how bad the  frames and sash really were. There was extensive dry rot, and total deterioration of most of the frames. The steel T bars that were supporting the windows were tearing away from the sash. The sill was almost totally useless. We now proposed that we replace the entire set of four window frames and sash. We opened up the wall of the inside and saw that the studs were rotted and the entire wall was like jelly. We would have to rebuild the entire wall. With my friend and contractor Don Van Cura we proceeded. We ordered the frames and sash, and removed all the stained glass panels, and deteriorated frames and sash. Then we boarded up the opening with plywood for four weeks while we waited for the new frames and sash to arrive.

     

Wall with old frame and studs removed           Wall with old studs                        Exterior showing frame removed

                                                                                             
                                                                                              Wall with dry wall and frame installed                         
                  With the frames due to arrive we began rebuilding the walls. Don Van Cura was able to cut the old studs away from the exterior stucco with a Sawzall, and set in new 2 x 4's. He then miraculously screwed the existing stucco to the new 2 x 4's setting in flashing paper and caulking. With the new frames and sash in hand he began installation continuing with the fascia trim, and caulking the complete set of windows. He patched up the stucco, and Ron Benveniste of R.B Painting Company, primed all the woodwork interior and exterior.and we were ready to install the stained glass panels.

                                                    

                                                 Installing T bar                                                Windows installed

    The first step was to set all the original steel T bars in place. We previously cleaned them up and painted them. The bars had a 90 degree bend at each end, and we screwed them in place into the sash. Each bar was spaced to allow for the stacking of glass panels , but each would support their panel separately. With the T bars installed to set the panels in place securing them with steel sash clips, and wood molding. We completed the window installation, and came back after the painters painted the stucco, and interior and exterior of the woodwork. They did a fabulous job in color matching the stucco and frame color. The original color was from 1938.

                                            
                         Exterior with Tempered Glass                                                                     Finished Restoration from inside

     When the final painting was completed we went back and installed the tempered glass exterior glazing. We decided to cover each window with a single piece of glass rather than 4 separate pieces as was originally there. The final result met with many thanks, and much love. It is always such a wonderful feeling to restore beautiful windows and bring them to life once again. The spiritual feeling from the congregation, Bishop, and ourselves is a tremendous reward. During the whole process we feel a kinship with the original artisans that created these windows to so long ago. It's a nice way to honor them as well. Now the church will have these beautiful windows for many generations to come.

  

Leaking Leaded Glass Windows

Leaking  Leaded Glass Windows If you have older leaded or stained glass windows you may be experiencing leaks. You may see this as droplets forming on the lead came, and dripping down the window, or as a pool of water at the window sill. Remember that water flows down hill, so if you see water anyplace on the window or sill it is most likely coming from a place higher up. After the rain stops and the water dries you will see water marks where the water has dripped. DO NOT CLEAN these off. The dried spots will help us determine where the leaks actually are.     Leaks may be from dried out a flaking putty, or they may be from broken, or missing lead came. On older windows(65-100 years old), the smog and acid rains have disintegrated the heart of the lead came, and in many cases it just falls apart. Also improper repairs lead to weakened windows and cause leaks. If the leaks are caused from dried out and missing glazing putty we reglaze by forcing the new putty into the lead came between the glass and the lead. The right type of putty will last for many years. The correct putty is metal sash putty. It is either black or grey in color, and is oil based. It should not be thinned with paint thinner, or turpentine. This will only dilute it too much, and cause it to dry out and flake. Do not use white putty. It is meant for wooden sash. Also, by all means, DO NOT USE SILICON. Silicon may seal temporarily, but it will make a mess, and only increase the cost of a repair because it has to be cleaned off before a proper repair can be successful.                             Broken Came      If your window is very old and the lead came has gaps, or holes your window probably needs to be removed and releaded. In this case we rebuild your window with your old glass and new lead came. We will also replace any broken, or badly etched(water stained) glass. To reglaze the window we try to clean out as much old dried out putty as we can. Then we force the new putty into the lead channel. After the window is reglazed the putty needs to set up, so we need a few clear days. Otherwise the new putty stands a chance of being washed out in a heavy rain. On a large window it may take two or three applications before the reglazing is successful. Of course if we totally restore your window you will have a quality window that will last many, many years. IF YOU NEED US WE ARE READY !Adamm's Stained Glass   1426 4th St. Santa Monica, CA 90401  310 451 9390  [email protected]

First Baptist Church of Los Angeles Stained Glass Restoration

                                                               

   The First Baptist Church of Los Angeles is a magnificent church. The church is located at 760 S.Westmoreland Ave., Los Angeles. The present location was built in 1927. It's magnificent sanctuary ceiling was patterned after the chapel of the Ducal Palace in Mantova, Italy. It seats 1,950 and is one of the most beautiful in Los Angeles.The 1980s brought to FBC a designation by the City of Los Angeles as Historic Cultural Monument No. 237 in 1981, and FBC hosted the Baptist World Alliance in 1986 where former president Jimmy Carter spoke.

     Part of the church is the Moore Prayer Chapel. It is a relatively small chapel with two beautiful stained glass windows each of which is 32" x 72" tall. The windows are predominantly blue being composed of various shades. The windows are etched and painted. The use of both hand blown glass and machine made cathedral glass is marvelous. Some of the glass is variegated (streaky clear and blue glass) with black painting in a flowing design. As often happens, the reason we were called is because of vandalism to the windows. Unfortunately both windows were broken in at the lower of two panels.

            
            

           Before Restoration                                                                   Completed Restoration                                                      

                                                                                                                  

     We were able to find exact replacement glass (Lambert antique for the hand blown, and Kokomo variegated for the cathedral). Our fabulous painter, Mary Orrell, did a fantastic job in replicating the original artists work, and both Alberto Marquez, and Armando Aleman performed their usual magic. I could not tell the restoration from the original, and yes the church was thrilled. Now we will be installing protective glazing on the exterior. This will be 1/4" clear tempered glass installed with circulation vents at the top and bottom to prevent any heat damage to the stained glass.

Nativity Of The Blessed Virgin Mary- Flagstaff, AZ- Stained Glass Restoration

  

The Nativity Of Our Blessed Virgin Mary is a Catholic church in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Church was finished in 1930, and largely built with the hands of the entire congregation. It is made of volcanic rock that was brought from the surrounding hills by truck and in some instances piece by piece. The church has 18 stained glass windows including the magnificent multi section triptych of "The Assumption of Mary" over the entrance.

The Assumption depicts Mary as she is raised into heaven by cherubs. The Apostles mourn her death. Some kneel by her stone sarcophagus while others look upward witnessing the glory of her Assumption. All of the stained glass windows in the church were created and installed by Jesse Earl Fink in late February, or early march of 1930. Mr. Fink worked in Los Angeles at American Glass Company. The American Glass company was responsible for many other commissions including churches in New York city, Phoenix Arizona, Shakey's Pizza Parlor, and Forrest Lawn Cemetery.

Assumption Window

     The church is in dire need of restoration. The concrete  structure has severe cracks and deterioration.The pink decorative concrete is severely decayed due to a volcanic contaminate in the original concrete mix (silica).  However, the concrete substructure and stonework appears to be sound. Some gargoyles are missing, cracked,  and or severely damaged, as are other decorative elements. The harsh winters have taken their toll of the magnificent church, yet it stands proud and firm like the pioneer families that erected her. Some years ago the Catholic church decided to move and build a larger church for it's going congregation. This left the Nativity to fend for itself. Funds have been nearly non-existent.  However, thanks to an extremely ambitious, persistent, resourceful, and courageous volunteer(she prefers to remain anonymous) work is moving along.

                               
      Three years ago I performed a survey of all the windows to determine the condition, and type of restoration needed to preserve the windows for future generations to enjoy. Portions of the Assumption window were the most vulnerable. In addition  the windows in the Sacristy had multiple breaks, and one had multiple pieces missing. We determined that the lower left transom of the assumption window be restored immediately as it was in dire danger of falling out. In the future when more funds were available we would work on the sacristy windows.

It took three years but last month we returned to Flagstaff to work on the sacristy windows. The sacristy windows had been dual glazed with protective acrylic. Unfortunately the acrylic was sandwiched against the stained glass leading to the advanced deterioration of the lead came. Two of the windows had multiple broken pieces, and one of the windows was heavily damaged. We repaired two of the windows, but had to bring one back to our Santa Monica studio to totally restore it. We were able to get a very good match on the amber glass using a Bullseye amber, however the olive green was much more challenging. After sending samples out to various manufactures( Wismach Glass Co., Kokomo Glass Co., Bullseye Glass) we settled on dual glazing a gray and olive green glass from Kokomo(many thanks to Cindy and Judy for their terrific customer service). The resulting color was indistinguishable from the original.

           
                                                                 

                                                                 Removing window note old acrylic                                           Here's Adamm               Removed window note prior repairs to solder breaks in lead came

 

                                                                                          Completed and installed window(on right)    Nice Job Wonder Woman!           
       
 Because of costs and timing we shipped the window back to Flagstaff for our noble volunteer to install. I must say she did a fantastic job with only a very short demonstration by myself while I was there. We arranged for a local glass company (Rock Glass) to install 3/8" tempered glass as protection over the two sets of windows. We made sure to leave  space for

breathing room top and bottom. The glass was set in aluminum channel with the bottom resting on the steel hinge of the frame. The sides were fastened to the concrete jamb. 

 

                                                                       

                                                                  Installing 3/8" tempered glass protective glazing              exterior glazing finished

If you would like to help with the restoration by donating funds you can get in touch at

http://www.savenativitybvm.com/

The Nativity Restoration Project

c/o The Babbitt Foundation

P.O Box 520

Flagstaff, AZ  86002

 

Restoring Stained Glass Windows at Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Santa Monica, CA

           
          J.S.Bach Window before                           J.S. Bach After Restoration  

              

              Door Stained Glass                      Martin Luther Window

Having been located in Santa Monica, CA.  since 1978, and locally since 1972, we have been called upon to restore the stained glass of many local churches, and synagogues. We have worked for Pilgrim Lutheran for over 30 years, mostly doing repairs. Now we have begun a more in depth restoration. We are also updating, and adding to the current protective exterior glazing.

     The current home of Pilgrim Lutheran Church was dedicated in 1953. The more than 50 stained glass windows were hand crafted in Belgium. All the glass is hand blown "antique" glass, whose natural imperfections add to their dazzling beauty. The windows illustrate Biblical scenes, and the life of Christ.

     The church sits on the corner of 18th street and Wilshire Blvd. and gets a considerable amount of foot traffic. For this reason protective acrylic was added to the exterior in the 1970's. Over time the acrylic has hazed and discolored. We are currently replacing the acrylic with 1/4" tempered glass, and adding tempered glass protection to all the windows facing 18th St. We are also repairing, and restoring many of the windows that have suffered damage over the years from vandals, athletics(the church is also hoime to a school), and heat.

     Since the glass is European hand blown glass we have so far been able to get exact matches using Lambert German antique glass available through Bendheim Glass, in New Jersey. Our expert glass painter Mary Orrell, has been exceptional in her restoration abilities, and has provided a flawless recreation of the original pieces. In addition glaziers Alberto Marquez, and Armando Aleman have been doing an impeccable job with the removing, restoration, and installation of the windows. Indeed the Pastor and members of the congregation couldn't be happier. I must also add that they are a true pleasure to work for.

    Check back throughout the year for updates on this project.

 

Kent Kahlen American Glass Artist

"I started out in a different direction. I was on my way to becoming a chiropractor, then I happened on glass blowing. Glass was one of those pesky art electives you must take in order to get your degree. Let's just say I fell in love with the molten stuff immediately! I abandoned the idea of being a doctor and went for something I was passionate about, GLASS. That was in 1988 and I haven't looked back ever since. There is nothing simple about the glass blowing process. Something can go wrong at any stage in its production from melting the sand to putting the finished piece in the oven. This challenge is what has kept my interest for all the years I have been making glass. When I stop challenging myself with new ideas and techniques that will be the day I move on." Kent Kahlen

                  

  I first met Kent many years ago at the prestigious Laguna Beach Festival of the arts. The committee thaqt juries the Art Festival, which is also the site of the "Pageant of the Masters" is well known for being very particular, and it is quite an honor to be accepted to the show. Kent has done the show more times than I can count, and for good reason , his work is extraordinarily special. Kent has done other art shows in his many years of glass blowing, and he enjoys the interaction of the many people who truly love, and appreciate art, but his true love is in creating. Like all artists he is happiest when he can plan a piece and create it. Having seem and made many perfume bottles Kent asked himself "what can I do that is different?" The answer was the anti bottle. This is a bottle shape but not a vessel. The open space which you see is not a chamber, but is a hole.  It is truly a sculpture, and has proven to be very popular.

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          Anti Bottle  Ruby                Anti Bottle  Yellow               Anti Bottle Green

 

   After many years of creating his art Kent decided that he needed a change in his designs.

With this thought he created his Archeological Collection. This includes sculptures, vases, and of course his anti bottles.

                       

 Archeological Rock Sculpture   Anti Bottle Archeological Collection 

                           

                                      
                                        Blue Pokie Vase

 Kent's latest collection is what he calls ROCKS. These are solid glass with a powder finish, and a translucent band of color. The bottom allows light to be transmitted up through the center illuminating the colored band.                            

                                                               
                                       

           
        Orange Rock                        Blue Rock

                                                                                    

 Sometimes Kent reaches out  for inspiration and the result can be ingenious. This is the case with his Plumb Bob. The sculpture is created with hand forged steel and blown glass in the  encalmo technique. The sculpture stands 39 1/2" tall.

                                                                                                                                                                                      Plumb Bob

 

  kENT'S WORK MAKES WONDERFUL GIFTS, AS WELL AS A SPECIAL WORK OF ART FOR YOUR HOME. I am proud to say that we have a wonderful collection of Kent's work in our Santa Monica, CA. gallery.  adammsgallery.com