Guidebooks to local
stained glass collections are becoming increasingly popular and in view
of the work of the Connick Foundation, their numbers are bound to increase
and happily so. Within this field The Stained Glass of All Saints,'
published by All Saints' Parish Peterborough, NH, with text by Joan Jessop
Brewster and photographs by William H. Gnade, is an attractive addition,
presenting a number of lessons for others contemplating a similar project.
To begin with, the color photography of Mr. Gnade is a wonderful example
of how to capture stained glass windows in pictures. Overall views and
detail shots are true to the 2-dimensional format of the subject, sensitively
cropped, crisply focused and without perspective distortions, making the
windows more legible to the reader than is ordinarily possible to the viewer
on site. This is no simple feat and how fitting for a book. Even more satisfying
are the
The lower panel of Saint Nicholas
shows "a bright green Christmas tree alive with candles.
Tiny figures of boys, girls, trees, … are scattered through out the diamond
shapes of white and blue background lending a spirit of spirit of love
and delight." *
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architectural views which depict space, light
and color in images of radiant glass surrounded by colored reflections
on textured stucco and stonework and polished woods and metals all framed
by the shadows of architectural forms and flickering tapers. Perhaps
an emphasis on identifying sacred images and recounting biblical narratives
is obligatory given the religious mission of the Parish. But, Ms. Brewster
has not missed important relationships between iconography and liturgical
functions, window positions and cardinal orientations, not to mention the
influence of patrons, artists and architect. Often these details
are revealed in anecdotes from the history of individual window commissions
taken directly from the Connick studio archive. Biographies of artists
and patrons are also a useful feature, though necessarily brief in this
context. All of this enhances immeasurably the visitor experience
and understanding of All Saints Peterborough. Perhaps the most intriguing
historical incident related by Ms. Brewster concerns the complaint by stained
glass artist Margaret Redmond, that her work was dismissed by Ralph Adams
Cram "on the grounds that a woman's place was in the home." Details
of this sort point to the importance of a footnote and bibliography for
the more inquisitive reader. Indeed, Margaret Redmond (1867-1948),
who was associated with Connick |
early in her career and later opened a stained glass studio
of her own in the Back Bay is largely forgotten today. Despite the
beautiful full-page illustration of her window Isaiah the Prophet, at All
Saints, she is unfortunately not recognized by a biographical entry in
this book. But the historical record of American stained glass is only
now just emerging from local archives and the studio records and personal
papers of figures such as Charles Connick, Margaret Redmond and their patrons.
It is through research and publications such as The Stained Glass of All
Saints' that we should look for the history of American stained glass to
emerge gradually and come to light.
Lance Kasparian is an architect and historian who has
researched American stained glass for over twenty years. He kindly
contributed a review of Peter Cormack's book The Stained Glass Work of
Christopher Whall (1849-1924): ‘Aglow with Brave Resplendent Colour.’ for
our October 2000 newsletter.
The Stained Glass of All Saints' published in 2001 contains
56 pages paperbound. It can be ordered by mail from All Saints' Parish,
51 Concord Street, Peterborough, NH 03458 for $15.00 per copy plus $3.50
shipping. |
Saint Cecilia, patron of music. One of four woman saints
in lantern windows in the bell tower, All Saints' Church, Peterborough,
NH. * |
