The later films in the British Pathe tend to focus more on innovation than on tradition, at least in terms of process.
These two short clips deal with the Dalle De Verre Process, though that phrase is never used here. Dalle De Verre is still used today, though many question its long term sustainability and it appears to be a technique in decline.
Stained Glass, 1963, Color, 2:54
Cemented Stained Glass, 1956, Color, 2:27
A short quote from the 1963 film –
Then we see the new glass which comes in a slab and is an inch thick. Various shots of the slab of glass being cut and chipped by hand to give it a jewel like appearance. We see how it is toughened by covering it with sawdust and putting plasticine round the slabs to stop the concrete encroaching on them. Various shots of the windows in church.
Churchill Glass Painting, 1968, Color, 3:18
Sculptor - painter Bainbridge Copnall is seen walking across his garden with some sheets of coloured glass under his arm; outside a greenhouse he takes a mallet and smashes the glass into small pieces.
Unfortunately, this is a case where the innovative nature of the process worked against the art, and the system of gluing failed a short time after installation. This is summarized in a paper by Norman Tennent, called Appliqué Stained Glass: The Conflict Between Conservation And Context (direct download, 2.3mb .pdf file).
Posted by Tom at January 22, 2012 12:09 PM