This is an exciting week for us! In a couple of days John and Warren will be heading off to Alberta to install the restoration project that we have been working on for over a year. Some of you may remember when I blogged about the removal of this window back in May last year (John is pictured here removing one of the sections); it is the Great West Window at First Presbyterian Church in Edmonton, which is over a hundred years old and is the largest leaded window in Alberta.
The seven main windows and eighteen traceries were in a very fragile condition, mostly holding together only because they were so tightly pinned into the stonework. When we got them back to our studio, we created rubbings of the windows to record their original condition and positioning of the lead, then they were completely and painstakingly dismantled, cleaned and re-built; some of the stages are pictured below.
We’re really looking forward to getting the Great West Window back into its rightful place, restored to (better than) its former glory. I’ll be joining the fun onsite at a later date so I’ll post some photos of the progress then.
Scaffolding currently being erected for the installation *Photo courtesy of David Murray Architect
The original condition of the windows
Cutting new glass to replace badly damaged areas. We found a hand cast and hand rolled glass that was an excellent match to the original.
John leading in our studio
Soldering the joints
Warren with a restored section of one of the top traceries
Some of the finished panels that make up the main windows.