Memorial Windows.
Originally written by Grant Baker
(June 2015 and abridged in 2018)
The “poor mans stained glass” memorial windows and windows over the altar were installed as part of an upgrade, probably in 1893, and hence the glass is at least 120 years old at the writing of this article.
The windows have a transparency of “Evangelists and Saints” with a frieze pattern and a memorial message and then a single sheet of glass on the outside to give weather protection.
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The draft planning documents for the Transmission Gully project in 2012 showed that the main SH58 interchange and construction site including a concreting plant would be close to the church and hence there would be considerable vibration expected through the construction phase which could potentially damage the memorial windows. The draft resource consent suggested that given the fragile nature of the windows they should be removed and put into storage for the duration of the project and reinstalled after completion.
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The windows had steadily deteriorated over the years to the extent that many of them where in very poor condition and some had nearly totally disappeared as a result of years of sunlight and the paper cracking and then breaking free. The St Theresa’s Resources committee considered the option of replacing the originals with direct copies and from that time the search was on to find copies of the originals.
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There are eleven windows, four down each side and three larger ones over the altar. While the windows are mentioned in articles in the Tablet as early as September 1894 and in our centenary booklet, there was no actual list of who the Evangelists and Saints are and no record of where the pictures for the windows actually came from.
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Research on the production history and design of the church windows involved discussions with church historians and conservation architect Ian Bowman. The discovery of the manufacturer name and window description on one of the church windows -- M’Caw, Stephenson and Orr, Patent Glacier Window Decoration, Linehall Press, Belfast was a vital clue that led to further research and the discovery of 2 pattern books.
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A visit to the University of Melbourne by Ian Bowman who located the pattern book meant that we were able to confirm that all of our memorial window pictures were in the pattern book along with the friezes. For the first time we had a copy of the originals along with a name for each picture of the saints and angels. The next step was to arrange through the Digitisation Unit at the University of Melbourne for a scan of each of the pictures and the friezes to be sent across as a digital file so that our memorial windows could be formatted and reprinted.
This also required the small originals to be capable of being expanded to 28” x 14” without pixilation, a challenge in itself.
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Further research showed that Buxton's Artistic Stationery Company in Melbourne acquired an agency in about 1884 for the 'Patent Glacier Window Decoration' made by McCaw, Stephenson & Orr of Belfast. The material was claimed to be inexpensive, but distinguishable from stained glass only by an expert.
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In 1888-9 McCaw, Stephenson & Orr obtained a bronze medal for their Glacier window decoration at the Centennial Exhibition in Melbourne and it is suspected that the St Joseph windows probably came about as a result of attendance at the Centennial Exhibition or through Martin and Co in Manners Street, Wellington. It is likely that the transparencies were ordered from the catalogue through Martin and Co, Manners Street, Wellington and made by Buxton’s Artistic Stationery Company in Melbourne. The windows were installed by Charles Carter from Martin & Co, Manners Street, Wellington.
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Three of the windows arrived with family names misspelt but were still installed in the church, possibly due to the time it would take to get new ones sent across from Melbourne. These spelling mistakes have been corrected with the new memorial windows.
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Discussions had already occurred early on with Chris Wilson from Artrix Glass Studio in Upper Hutt about the potential to refurbish the memorial windows. With new technology improvements it was agreed that the original paper transparencies could be replaced with film. With the arrival of the digital photos from the pattern book and the individual pictures Chris was finally able to start the long task of reformatting new windows identical to the originals from the digital copies. The digital information arrived in December 2014 and finally in April 2015 we had the finished replacement memorial windows ready to be installed in the church.
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The windows were finally installed by Bebans Glass of Upper Hutt during the last week of May 2015. The glazier costs have been kindly paid for by the construction company for Transmission Gully, Leighton HEB Joint Venture.
