|
 These magnificent windows were designed in 1912 by Joseph V. Llorens
to honor the memory of the patriarch of the Duke family, Washington
Duke. Restoration of these windows began in 1992 and continues today
as funds become available for the Church.
The multicolored glass windows which adorn the walls of Duke Memorial
United Methodist Church are not lacking in rarity or appeal. They
are necessary components of a coherent scheme of design, color and
religious symbolism that contribute substantially to the aura of
reverence and dignity which pervades the Church.
These colorful windows
have much to share—their combination of color, design, image
and symbol challenges the mind and delights even the heaviest heart.
According to the church historians, these remarkable windows appear
to share an affinity with people who sit in the pews. Although constructed
of thick pieces of glass held together by lead cames—truly
not flesh and blood—they have become companions of human spirits.
They communicate through images and symbols, conveying to twentieth-century
minds, the abiding relevance of biblical truth and something of Christian
theology.
The cluster of stained glass units, which occupies much
of the wall of the east transept, is often regarded as one great
window, but actually, it is simply a substantial pattern into
which several windows of varying shapes and sizes, are fitted. At
the upper level there is an extensive three-paneled tracery window,
forming an immense arch eighteen feet high. The central panel portrays
the Virgin Mary holding her Son while sitting on the curbstone of
a fountain.
The lower level of the east transept has a row of seven narrow windows
grouped into three scenes featuring the mature Son of Mary. Eight
other slightly larger windows are commonly referred to as the female
windows; namely Deborah, Ruth, Dorcas, Lydia, Sarah, Rachel, Anna
and Elizabeth. These windows all depict beautifully the women whose
influence on humanity is undeniable.
  The face of John the Baptist (left) before
careful cleaning removed the sun baked deposits of soot and grime.
The same piece (right) after the delicate cleaning process. Years
of tenacious sediment mixed with sulfuric acid etched away
the fired emulsion which was carefully recreated and refired
onto the original piece of glass. |
The resplendent west transept windows characterize scenes that have
a common thread, namely the compassionate nature of the ministering
Christ. On the lower west side of the west transept are seven slender
stained glass panels containing images of writers, also known as
the Authors of the Holy Writ. The three center ones—Isaiah,
Jeremiah and Ezekiel—represent the Old Testament prophets.
Artisans at the Preservation Trades Company studio restored over
1,000 sq. ft. of the magnificent Duke Memorial stained glass windows.
This project continues today, with an additional 1,500 sq. ft. of
window restoration left to be done
These prolific gospel writers are portrayed with those traditional
symbols that have been consistently attributed to them since the
seventh century. These being the image of Matthew as an angel; Mark
as a winged lion; Luke as a winged ox; John as an eagle. The male
windows feature portraits of Moses, Ezra, Philip, Joseph, Timothy,
Abraham, John the Baptist and Stephen. The largest and most magnificent
window, which is the Wesley Window, symbolizes Duke Memorial Church’s
roots in eighteenth-century Anglicanism.
 The large panels were removed, disassembled,
and cleaned. The window was rebuilt piece-by-piece with new lead
came. Artisans then solder the joints and seal it, smoothing
in a waterproofing compound, tinted gray to match the lead.
The restoration process actually
begins before removing the windows, with a photographic documentation.
Then they are transported to our studio where the artisans begin
a careful and thorough hands-on restoration of the windows. First,
every window is photographed as is; an actual rubbing is made which
creates an exact pattern of the stained glass panels for artisans
to follow when rebuilding the window. The window is literally taken
apart at this point, piece-by-piece, and cleaned. In the restoration
process, the old lead and cement are normally discarded; however,
this is not the case for windows that are being preserved. In that
case, every effort is made to preserve rather than replace any
piece or part of the window.
|
