I was asked to fabricate a pair of new-old transom windows to install above interior bedrooms for a row home in Philadelphia. The owners felt that their 100+ year old house needed some of its original charm back.
The result were two very custom panels. The panels measure 11 1/8 x 28 3/4 and 14 7/8 x 28 1/2. Both are made with clouded clear seed glass for the hexagons and very pale green seed glass for the triangles. All of it was set into zinc framing and blackened for age.
I am insanely excited to share this custom transom window that was completed and installed in record time! Thanks to the sweetest clients ever, I've had the opportunity to learn about these amazing glass tiles.
Incorporated in the 81 pieces that make up this 14 1/2 x 31 1/2 interior transom are Luxfer Prisms designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1895 FLW designed and patented 41 different designs. Of the 41 designs, the “flower” pattern was the only pattern that was produced by Luxfer. Prism glass tiles - with the saw tooth pattern on the back side - were typically used in commercial storefront transom windows to light the interior rooms; reducing the need for artificial light at a time when electric lighting wasn’t widely available.
When originally created, the tiles were clear, but prolonged exposure to sunlight causes a reaction with the manganese oxide that was used in the manufacturing process, causing the glass to turn amethyst in color. This window’s inspiration was drawn from the work of FLW and the Prairie School and the Arts and Crafts movement. Featured in this transom are the Flower and Teardrop tiles.
Classic is classic for a reason and you cannot miss with a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired stained glass transom. This panel contains 91 individual pieces in a mix of seed glass, clear quarter reed glass, water glass, and wispy semi-transparent glass. Completed dimensions are 1’ x 3”.
I always love to see the process to imagine what the end result will be by only viewing a line drawing. When you start meticulous you stay that way and good planning never killed anyone right?!
So here is the original sketch(please no reproducing this) to the cut and cleaned glass to the copper foil applied and finally the finished project that's been soldered and had a black patina applied to age it. Voila
