Sacristy Stained Glass Restoration

Author:
January 05, 2017

Designed in 1923 by Gaytee Stained Glass artists Robert John Norman and Florence Neubauer, these windows became their masterpiece. Now, almost a century later, Gaytee Stained Glass has cleaned and restored the beautiful windows to their original glory. 

The restoration of these windows is essential to their longevity. The renovation process included the repair of bulging and damaged glass.

The original storm windows were cleaned and now let more light through.The pure lead sealing of the current windows was updated with a new mixture that will last approximately 115 years and better prevent water leaks. The restoration process began with the removal of the two 6-and-a-half foot tall, 100 pound windows, which were then transported to Gaytee’s studios in Minneapolis to be cleaned. At the studios, the windows were taken apart and each piece soaked in a water tank for 24 hours. The glass pieces were then cleaned, sodded, and re-cemented with new lead. Once restored, the windows were brought back to The Basilica to be reinstalled in the Sacristy.

This project was made possible through the work of The Basilica Landmark, as well as the generous donations made to the 2013 Masqueray Ball’s Fund-A-Need project. The cleaning of these windows completed the restoration of the Sacristy and paved the way for a similar restoration of the entire Building of Hope in the future.

 

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