Catholic churches– especially the older ones– have long been known for their ornate and elaborate stained glass windows. Why do so many Catholic churches have them? Communication For starters, long ago we have to remember that the majority of people couldn’t read. Therefore, when the church wanted to communicate Bible stories and ideas to people,… Read more »

 Did you know there are people who professionally study glass? Take John Mauro, for instance. He’s a researcher at Penn State who is interested in the physics and chemistry of glassy materials like stained glass windows. He decided to investigate 13th-century glass in order to dispel a longstanding myth that cathedral glass is thicker at… Read more »

People who move into homes with stained glass windows often clean everything but their stained glass windows. Why is that? Could they fear they’re going to break them if they dare get near them or touch them? Perhaps. Ideally, if you have stained glass windows in your home or office and you want to clean… Read more »

You’ve heard of stained glass but you’re probably not that familiar with the term leaded glass. Interestingly, stained glass actually is leaded glass. Both terms can be used interchangeably. Stained Glass Vs. Leaded Glass Windows So what’s the difference, then? In general, leaded glass suggests no color is involved while stained glass implies color. If… Read more »

People often love older homes because they’re more ornate than the plain ones being built today. Back then, between the late 1800s and early 1900s, it seems like beauty triumphed over function more often than not, and anytime you get a chance to see a well-preserved house or building from that bygone era, it’s well… Read more »

How are stained glass windows appraised? That’s a great question. How do you put a value on something that’s often seen as priceless? Whether stained glass is in a church, synagogue or house, it can be appraised by a professional from the American Consultation of Stained Glass, found online at americanstainedglass.org. Consultants Carrie Crow Thiele… Read more »

The nice thing about the Northeast (places like Philly, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, New York City) is how much it grew in the 1920s and 1930s, to the point where many buildings from that era still stand today, showcasing the Art Deco period’s masterpieces like the Chrysler Building in NYC or Buffalo’s grand City Hall. Before Art… Read more »

Stained glass windows are perhaps most associated with Gothic churches, but lately stained glass has become popular in people’s everyday homes. There are variations on the stained glass window idea, from window panels to hangings and then some. Window panels add color to a room. They’re not a whole window, but that’s fine, as they’re… Read more »