Restoring an 1890s Victorian Stained Glass Transom
There is something special about a window that has already lived a hundred years before it ever reaches my bench.
This antique Victorian/Art Nouveau stained glass transom, with a central hand painted floral design, is the kind of panel that was very popular from the 1890s through the 1920s. Windows like this one graced the entryways of countless homes during that era, catching the morning light and scattering it across front halls the same way this one will do again.
When it arrived at my studio, it was in pretty rough shape. The panel needed to be completely re-leaded and re-glazed — a full restoration from the ground up. But here is the fortunate part, and the part that made this project such a joy: there was not one single broken section of glass. Every piece was intact, and all of the hand spun rondels were in really good shape. When you work with glass this old, that is a gift.
The Restoration Process
Back in the day, the glazing on these panels was often re-painted many times over the decades — layer upon layer of paint sealing the glass into its wooden frame. To remove it, we take a heat gun to the old glazing to soften it, which makes it much easier to chisel away without stressing the glass. Then the panel is carefully removed from the wooden frame and the real restoration work begins.
Every original piece of glass was cleaned, the panel was re-leaded with new came, and it was re-glazed so it will be weathertight and structurally sound for the next hundred years.
Restoration work like this is why I do what I do. These panels were made by hand over a century ago, and with the right care, they will outlive all of us. That history is worth taking the time to do the job well the first time.
If you have an antique stained glass window or transom in need of restoration, I would love to see it. Visit me at Studio M, 217 Middle St. in downtown New Bern, or reach out through the contact page.