Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Famous and Fascinating Stained Glass Windows through the years Part 14, The Teatro Colon in Romantic Buenos Aires
Welcome back!!!
One of the world’s best opera houses is found in Buenos Aires. Built in 1908 at the height of the city’s Golden Age, the Teatro Colón is a grandiose testament to the rivers of money that once flooded the Argentine capital.
The French Renaissance building on Plaza Lavalle is impressive enough from the outside, but it has a magnificent interior. It begins in the theater’s foyer, with stained glass windows on the ceiling that depict allegories of music and mirth, antique statues and polished floors exuding pure elegance. Then there is the staircase, made of three different kinds of marble. Just imagine wealthy turn-of-the-century ladies ascending to the theater, gowns flowing behind them while admiring on-lookers watched from the balconies. The scene is surprisingly easy to picture.
The foyer
The picturesque staircase
More Stained Glass in the Foyer
As awesome as the foyer is, the theater is even better. With five rows of golden balconies arched around the stage, it’s little wonder that the Colón is considered among the world’s most beautiful. It’s also said to have some of the best acoustics in the world.
The stuning theatre
If you are on tour in Buenos Aires and have the chance, make sure to take the tour of the theater. It really is a beautiful, very romantic, and incredible piece of work.
That's all for now!! May sunshine fill your day!
I'll be back with more very soon so stay tuned!!
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Famous and Fascinating Stained Glass Windows through the years Part 13, Halifax, N.S.
Hello and welcome back!
In all of my research to find fascinating Stained Glass, I do find that stained glass was predominately through our religious past. Here is another to share with you!
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In all of my research to find fascinating Stained Glass, I do find that stained glass was predominately through our religious past. Here is another to share with you!
The windows at St. James Anglican Church tell the story of
Christ’s life from the Annunciation to the Ascension. The man responsible for their existence is
Rev. Canon George W. Findlay, rector of the parish from 1927 to 1951. It all
started with the East Window …
By the 1940s, mortgages had been paid off and the
parishioners decided to turn their attention to beautifying the ‘new’
church. Rev. Findlay suggested that
stained glass be installed in the East Window, to honour “the men and women who
served, suffered, and died in the service of God, King, and Country.” Rev.
Findlay had been impressed with windows he had seen in Toronto and invited
their creator, Meikle Studios, to submit a design. When he visited the church,
the studio representative suggested that stained glass be installed in the 14
aisle windows as well. Conceptual designs were drawn up for them, with the
upper and lower panel designs being formalized, and the center panel left for a
Biblical scene that would be designed when the window was commissioned.
Fundraising for the East Window began in September of 1944,
and the window was unveiled on November 11, 1945; a fitting gift from the
congregation. The cost was $1,460.17
Canon Findlay drew up a list of 14 pivotal events in
Christ’s life to suggest to parishioners who wanted to donate a window and
stipulated that they had to be installed in the correct order in the story
sequence. The first aisle windows to be donated were the pair illustrating ‘The
Women Come to the Tomb” and ‘The Emmaus Road’.
This was the beginning; interest and excitement increased as
the remaining windows were installed over the next decades. After Canon
Findlay’s death in 1952, his family donated ‘The Birth of Christ’ and ‘The
Presentation at the Temple’ in his memory.
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Behind the Baptismal Font, at the nave entrance, is a double
panelled Baptistery Window designed and created by Winnipeg’s Leo Mol, the
world-renowned artist and sculptor. These are not part of the story sequence
but are important representations of periods in Christ’s life. The left panel
shows John the Baptist baptizing Christ with water from a scallop shell (the
symbol for St. James); the right shows Jesus welcoming three children to Him.
The most recent windows to be added are two small panels
beside the Baptistery Windows (Abbey Most windows were created by Meikle
Studios (of Toronto), but it no longer exists. Westmacott Art Glass Studio of
Winnipeg created two of the aisle windows as well as the large West Window in
the gallery (balcony).
Art Glass). As all of the story windows are complete, these
illustrate concepts in Christianity:
• The chalice symbolizes faith, sacrifice,
redemption, the Eucharist, the cup of salvation
• The dove expresses innocence and purity and
signifies the Holy Spirit and presence of God; rays of light of divine power
indicate the Holy Spirit, and also declare the innocence of the departed.
Adapted from Through a Glass Brightly —
The Heritage Windows of St. James Anglican Church
by the late Reverend Canon John D. Caird
That's all for now folks! May sunshine fill your day!! Please check back often!
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