Last year we had the opportunity to restore some interesting windows in San Francisco's Western Addition. The Victorian era house featured several stained glass windows that were all variations of a theme: colorful floral motifs with high texture and generous use of jewels. The designs were repetitive, graphical, yet asymmetrical and almost as if they had been cobbled together. At first we thought they dated to a much later time frame, like the 1960's or 70's. But as we learned from the client, these windows were original to the house. You can see some snapshots in the gallery below.

In the months that followed we noticed other Victorians throughout the city with similar style glass. Assuming these windows all came from the same studio, we attempted to research their origin. Life got in the way, however, and the subject was forgotten.

After nearly a year and while walking through Haight-Ashbury we noticed one of these quirky windows on the landing of a somewhat neglected Victorian. Our curiosity was piqued once again and we resumed our research. After a few days of digging we determined who we believe to be the maker and his studio. Unfortunately stained glass artisans have been notoriously poorly documented in the past, and their works were rarely signed. Therefore, some added research is required, including visits to UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library and a couple on-site installations. Mind you, this work dates to pre-1906 San Francisco, which makes it pre-quake glass, very rare, and, in our opinion, a vital slice of our city’s history. 

Our journey will be published as a series, so hang on to your corsets and toppers, folks: this is going to be fun! Visit our Table of Contents here.

Restoration 2017 Bob Lucas

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