Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: St. John's Episcopal Church

Studio Name: Willet Hauser Architectural Glass

City: Royal Oak

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Date of Window: 1943

Subject/Title of Window: Crucifixion/Baptism of Jesus/Preaching of John the Baptist

Brief Description of Subject: This window was designed for this parish's Gothic styled Church which opened in 1926. Subsequently the congregation needed a larger church and replaced it with a modern styled church which opened in 1957, moving the stained glass to the new Church.

This is the fourth in a series of ten windows, consisting of three scenes each, covering the life of Christ, and were placed in chronological order in the narthex. All of the borders on the scenes feature geometrical patterns alternating with small scenes that is some cases relate to the larger scene they border.

Top Scene: This window was designed for the top scene to be "The Temptation of Christ," however in the process of assembling this window after a restoration it was mistakenly replaced with the scene of the Crucifixion." The Crucifixion depicted here is from John 19:17 - 37. The two kneeling by the cross are Jesus' mother, Mary, and the disciple who Jesus loved, the Apostle John, Verse 26. The miniature scene in the border with the inscription of Jesus' words, "I Thirst," is from Verse 28. The miniature scene with skull is from Verse 17 --- the place were Jesus was crucified was the "Place of the Skull" (Golgatha). Also the inscription "INRI" is a monogram of the words Pilate had fastened to the cross, Verse 19.

According to Church records, this scene was given in memory of Madeleine Dumble Watt by her husband, James M. Watt and dedicated October 3, 1943.

The Middle Scene: The Baptism of Jesus is found in all of the Synoptic Gospels. John the Baptist is costumed in his traditional camel hair clothing, Mark 1:6

Bottom Scene: Preaching of John the Baptist as found in John 1:29 -31 --- "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me. I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel,' " NIV. According to Church records, the bottom two scenes of this window were given in memory of Ada V. Barmby by her son, Harold K. Barmby, and dedicated on July 4, 1943.

Inscriptions: To the glory of God
In memory of
Ada V. Barmby
From her son


Condition of Window: Good

Height: 78"

Width: 16.25"

Type of Glass and Technique: Lead Came

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