BACKGROUND: Louis Comfort Tiffany was born on Feb. 18th, 1848 in NYC . Working during a time of Gothic Revival, Tiffany sought to reproduce the quality and techniques of medieval stained glass in his pieces. As illustrated in this piece, the artist used characteristics inherent in the glass to achieve visual effects, with the use of paint limited to the figures' hands, feet and faces. Strategic placement and layering of different types of art glass allowed Tiffany to achieve rich depth and tonality. Additionally, the variety of leaf thickness in single matrix lines suggests that a majority of the lead was hand produced and shaved to achieve a specific appearance. This evidence of the artist's hand is an important aspect of the object's significance.
Christ Episcopal Church is located on 965 Forest Avenue in Glendale, Ohio. Construction of the building began in 1868 and the church was consecrated in 1872. The building is listed as a contributing structure in the Glendale Historic District.
The "Annunciation" window was commissioned by the Hodges family as a memorial window for their daughter, Antoinette Hodges, in 1902. The window is made up of two panels with horizontal round bars attached via copper tie wires for reinforcement, plus a memorial plate. Each panel is composed of layered glass with areas of copper foiled foliage, typical of Tiffany windows. The layers were achieved using both plates and tiered glass techniques, with a maximum of five layers in several areas. Types of glass used include streaky, opalescent and colorless with multiple textures present including rolled, drapery, and feather.
"Annunciation Window", upper panel, BT. Image courtesy of Bovard Studio, Inc.
"Annunciation Window", lower panel, BT. Image courtesy of Bovard Studio, Inc.
TREATMENT PLAN: Both the found conditions and intended use were considered when developing a treatment plan for this window. Due to the use of plates and tiers, dirt had accumulated both on the exterior of the glass and in between the glass layers. The large amount of grime resulted in a loss of transparency. Previous repair damage was noted across the angel's face. Several stress fractures could be seen across the piece. No losses were noted. Rubbings were taken of the front and back of all panels before and through the disassembly process for archival and releading purposes.
The restoration processes included the removal of plates to access the interspaces. As much of the original matrix retained as possible. No dismantling of the copper foiled portions was undertaken. Glass pieces were cleaned with water; a soft, natural bristle brush; and dried with a cotton cloth. The stability of the painted pieces was determined prior to cleaning. Breaks in the glass were repaired using Hxtal Nyl-1 Epoxy or copper foil where appropriate. Disassembled portions were releaded following the rubbings and using "Y" lead trimmed back to capture the original profiles.
Partial Disassembly & Plate Removal: Lead was peeled back, glass plate was removed, and debris was removed with vacuum. All copper foiled sections were retained.
Cleaning Process: Prior to cleaning, the stability of the paint was tested. Cleaning was performed using water applied with cotton swabs.
Partial Releading: Panels were reassembled according to the rubbings and documentation photos. Original matrix was saved and referenced during releading. Y-lead was used and the solder was floated.
"Annunciation Window", AT. Image courtesy of Bovard Studio, Inc.
"Annunciation Window", DT. Image courtesy of Bovard Studio, Inc.
