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Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: Ypsilanti Historical Museum

Studio Name: Tiffany Studios

City: Ypsilanti

Window Shape: 3 (arched)

Date of Window: 1890

Subject/Title of Window: Clio, the Muse of History

Brief Description of Subject: In 1890 Mary Ann Starkweather donated her home to the Ladies Library Association. At that time she commissioned Tiffany to create this window to replace the one that had existed over the front doorway. The building now served as the Ladies Library and later as a city library. In 1963 the library was closed and the building abandoned. Four years later the city had the window removed and given to the Historical Museum of Ypsilanti. It was in poor condition. In 2007 they had the window restored by the Thompson Art Glass Studios. It is presently displayed in one of the rooms in the Museum, receiving no sunlight it is illuminated artificially.
 
The window features Clio (Kleio) a Greek goddess and the Muse of History. She is depicted here with a book and pen, preserving the memory of historical figures and events.
 
In the canopy is another of her attributes, a laurel wreath, a symbol of glory. Also seen is an hourglass. This is probably related to her being referred to as the "Proclaimer," which stems from the root of her Greek name. She proclaims stories based on historical happenings. Her connection to an hourglass as a storyteller and writer is best said by Shakespeare in the Prologue to Act 1 of Henry V, an historical play about kings in England, "For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings, carry them here and there, jumping o'er times, Turning th' accomplishments of many years into an hourglass."
 
In the predella is a lit oil lamp, the symbol for enlightenment, appropo for a library window.

In the unrestored window, as well as the postcard with the window in its original place, the inscription was read from the outside of the building. When the window was restored the inscription, possibly the whole predella was reversed. Reversing the inscription allowed it to be read from its new location, inside the building.

Inscriptions: Starkweather Library Building


Condition of Window: Fair

Height: 6’2”

Width: 3’8”

Type of Glass and Technique: Opalescent Glass, Lead Came, Jewels or Cast Glass, Drapery Glass

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