Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Click any image to enlarge.

MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: Grace United Methodist Church

Studio Name: Willet Hauser Architectural Glass

City: Britton

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Date of Window: 1971

Subject/Title of Window: The Lion and the Lamb

Brief Description of Subject: From a letter from The Willet Stained Glass Studios:
The Willet Studios here presents lumieres of faceted windows designed for Grace United Methodist Church. The nave aisles give a synopsis of Old and New Testament illustrated with rather abstract symbolism.

The next window deals with Isaiah, the prophet. Isaiah was a member of "the establishment." He felt a call top prophesy but considered himself unworthy. Then he experienced a vision wherein a seraphim took a burning coal from the altar of Sacrifice and held it to his lips. This his sin was purged and his mouth opened. At the bottom of the window are the tongs and burning coal. Isaiah gave promise of a coming Messiah. In the time to come he predicted a peaceable Kingdom. This is illustrated by the lion and the lamb lying down together.

Faceted glass windows are made by one of the new techniques appropriate to the more contemporary styles of architecture. Brilliantly colored glass, usually an inch in thickness, but up to two or more inches for special effects, is cut to the desired size. The inner surface of certain pieces is then chipped or faceted conchoidally to enhance the design and add a jewel-like quality. The matrix of epoxy, a synthetic resin, is poured around the carefully arranged piece of glass, and holds them in place to form a structural unit of great strength. It is the thickness of the glass which assures the breathtaking rediance and complete purity of color which are the outstanding characteristics of the medium.

From an unidentified church source:
Our stained glass windows were made by the Willet Studios of Philadelphia. The same company that Mr. Ray Herrick had do the windows at Adrain College Chapel. Faceted Lumineries - Faceted Glass - an inch or up to two inches or more thick. Chipped or faceted to enhance the design. A matrix of epoxy is poured around the carefully arranged pieces to hold them in place, to form a structural unit of great strength.

Type of Glass and Technique: Slab or Faceted Glass (Dalle de Verre)

The MSGC is a constantly evolving database. Not all the data that has been collected by volunteers has been sorted and entered. Not every building has been completely documented.

All images in the Index are either born-digital photographs of windows or buildings or are scans of slides, prints, or other published sources. These images have been provided by volunteers and the quality of the material varies widely.

If you have any questions, additions or corrections, or think you can provide better images and are willing to share them, please contact donald20@msu.edu