EVENT: Rededication of 20-ft Tiffany Windows in Fort Greene
Landmark Brooklyn church to unveil stunning work hidden by decades of soot and some misguided restoration attempts made in the early 20th century
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, DECEMBER 6, 2006: The Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church is unveiling and re-dedicating “The Nativity”, one of an amazing collection of windows by Tiffany Studios that grace this landmark structure, at a ceremony Sunday, December 10, 2006 at 3:00pm in the sanctuary, 85 South Oxford St. (at Lafayette Ave.), in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Historic District.
“Unfortunately, Bakelite was painted all over these windows (by a so-called restorers) sometime in the first half of the 20th Century — severely reducing their transparency” says David Fraser of the Brooklyn Stained Glass Conservation Center, who restored this and six other windows in the church. Fraser adds: “This is truly one of the most interesting and challenging Tiffany windows that I have worked on. It exhibits the kind of illumination that is rarely seen in stained glass and it took a lot of mettle to create a window that presents a moment so delicately lit by an evening glow.”
Tiffany Studios’ extraordinary use of three-dimensional glass is on full display throughout this window. Originally dedicated in 1893, this window shows how Tiffany used multiple layers of American Opalescent Stained Glass to enhance the dimensional qualities even more.
Completely dismantled, cleaned and rebuilt over a period of twelve months, “The Nativity” measures 5’9” wide x 20’ tall. Scientists and conservators from France, including some who worked on the stained glass windows at Chartres, participated in the restoration. As did an intern from the Brooklyn High School for the Preservation Arts, the country’s only preservation-based high school.
And at 4:00pm on December 10, the famed Lafayette Inspirational Ensemble Gospel Choir Annual Holiday Concert — it’s unlike any other you will ever hear.
The Village Voice has named the “Ensemble” as the best gospel choir in the city. Here’s your chance to ring in the holidays in an unforgettable way. “Everyone is welcome to attend events, services, meetings and concerts at Lafayette Avenue.” According to Pastor Dyson: “The church has a long history of opening its doors to all. And truth be told, we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
This window restoration project was supported by the World Monuments Fund, the Florence Gould Foundation, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the Buckhorn Foundation, The Tiffany& Co. Foundation, The New York Landmarks Conservancy Sacred Sites Program, Laboratoire de Recherche des Monuments Historiques, Paris and the congregation of the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church.
The Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church is a dynamic multi-racial, multi-cultural church nestled in the center of Brooklyn’s historic Fort Greene neighborhood. 85 South Oxford Street (at Lafayette Avenue), Brooklyn, NY 11217
Phone: 718-625-7515 More info at: www.lapcbrooklyn.org
Rev. David Dyson, Pastor.