We are researching and sharing the life and work of John Mallon. You can visit the Table of Contents here.

Before we further proceed we should take a bird’s eye view of Mr. Mallon's life and work. Included are his commissions of which we are aware, understanding that we have significant gaps to fill. As new information comes to light we will update this page.

1828: Born in Ireland

1832: Emigrated to the United States and settled in NYC

1841: Father passed away

1843: Entered into glass-cutting apprenticeship with Joseph Stouvenel & Bros., 27 Gold Street, New York, New York

1848: Married Elizabeth Hanson

1848: Gold discovered at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California

1854: Opened a glass-cutting business on 34th between Lexington and Third Avenue, New York, New York

1858: Sold his business and set sail for the Fraser River gold fields

But meanwhile the Frazer (sic) River bubble had burst, and he landed in San Francisco only to be met with disappointment. He would have returned to New York, but the thought of having to face his friends again after the failure of his plans and his hopes was too much for him. He determined to remain in San Francisco, and began casting about for some business opening... (Morrison)

1858:  Began operating a glass-cutting business in the Pioneer Flour Mill building at Market and First Streets, San Francisco, California

1859: Relocated to "more commodious quarters" (Morrison) at Chase & McDonald's Mill on Beale near Market Street, San Francisco, California, then to the Mechanics' Mill until it burned down at a considerable loss to Mallon

7/20/2018 Update: The previous citation may be incorrect. According to a July 24, 1871 Sacramento Daily Union article, a fire at the Mechanics' Mill impacted other business around the corner, namely that of "John Mallon, glass cutting establishment, Fremont street, near Mission, loss $5,000; insured for $1,000." This raises the possibility that Mallon moved to the Fremont location not because of the fire but in order to expand his operations. Regardless, the loss was indeed considerable: $5,000 in 1871 is equivalent to $100,000 in 2018.

The encouragement he met with in his efforts to introduce decoration on glass was at first very small indeed. The people had little taste for art, and little thought or desire for decoration of any kind. Under these circumstances Mr. Mallon set himself systematically to work to create the taste he found was lacking, to educate the public up to an appreciation of the beautiful and the artistic. He made up many samples of windows and other artistic work, and placed them all over town in situations where they could not but attract the attention of the public.  (Morrison)

1869: Moved to 19 Fremont Street near Market Street, San Francisco, California

1869: Added embossing and staining capabilities and expanded to 222 and 224 Howard Street, San Francisco, California

1874: St. Peter's Episcopal Church commission, Carson City, Nevada

1879: Exhibited at the San Francisco Mechanics' Institute's Fourteenth Industrial Exhibition (you can see a stereograph of Mallon's booth in this interesting article on the history of these important exhibitions). The first took place in 1857 and once Mallon arrived in San Francisco it's likely he held a booth at nearly every subsequent fair. The following excerpt is from a report of the nineteenth exhibition that took place in 1885:

John Mallon Stained Embossed Etched Cut and Bent Glass...fairly rivaled the Music Stand and Art Gallery in its attraction of visitors the liberal allowance of space for the exhibit being almost constantly thronged by architects and persons of cultivated tastes. Each succeeding year's exhibit of the Mechanics Institute has shown a decided advance by Mr. Mallon in his important specialty and a corresponding growth in public interest for his department. The success he has achieved under the stimulus of business enterprise and correct art taste awakens no sentiment in the heart of California lower than that of pride in the "Workman and his Work". (Mechanics' Institute)

The report describes works such as "Angel of the Resurrection", "Marguerite" and "Falconer and Dog" - companion pictures that "are beautiful examples of what may be achieved by the artistic use of jewel glass," and "Transom of Glass Effects” - an eclectic arrangement of opalescent glass, jewels, cracked dishes, roundels, and antique glass. 

1881: Residential commission, San Francisco, California (featured in this video)

1886: St. Peter's Catholic Church commission, San Francisco, California

1887: Villa Montezuma commission, San Diego, California (we shared a few pictures of this installation here)

1888: Presbyterian Church commission, San Diego, California

In 1888 mention was made of the "Mechanic’s Fair, where one of the most attractive displays is the exhibition of stained glass. John Mallon, designer at the Pacific Glass-Cutting Works (19 Fremont Street, San Francisco) displays a Memorial Window designed for the Presbyterian Church of San Diego, an especially handsome production." (Henderson)

The story is that the church was built at "8th and D Streets"* adjacent to the original building on land donated by Alonzo Horton. The building and furnishings cost $36,000 (nearly $1MM in 2018 dollars) and soon after the congregation nearly went into default due to San Diego's bust of the 1880's.

Additionally, in 1888 Mallon's son Peter L. was interviewed by George Morrison for the The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft (or Bancroft’s Works). Much of the notes from this interview are now being utilized for our research.

*What may be currently 8th Avenue and Broadway

1889: Dominican Sisters' Motherhouse commission, San Rafael, California

1889: Hall of Justice commission, San Diego, California

1889: Filed patent US447991A: Method of Decorating Glass and Porcelain, a chemical method of impressing an image on glass (or porcelain) then making it permanent by kiln firing

1890: Stanford Window commission, Sacramento, California

As early as 1890 Mallon started to advertise his facilities at a new address - 1211, 1213, and 1215 Howard Street in San Francisco, California - and his son Peter L. as the manager.

1891: Immanuel Lutheran Church commission, Alameda, California

1897: Passed away

Bibliography:

Henderson, John D. Rae Tauber. "Documents in Architectural History" The Journal of San Diego History. Fall 1975, Volume 21, Number 4. Online

Mechanics' Institute. "Report of the ... Industrial Exposition of the Mechanics' Institute of the City of San Francisco, Volume 19." 1885. San Francisco, California. Online

Morrison, George H. 1888. "Biographical Sketches of John Mallon. Based on notes furnished by Peter L. Mallon to George H. Morrison concerning the art glass manufacturing company established by his father in San Francisco, 1858." UC Berkeley Bancroft Library. 

Smythe, William Ellsworth. History of San Diego, 1542-1908. 1908. The History Company. San Diego, California. Online

The Bay of San Francisco the Metropolis of the Pacific Coast and its Suburban Cities. 1892. Lewis Publishing Company, Alameda County, California. Online

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