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Saint Bartholomew's Church

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Saint Bartholomew's Church
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Saint Bartholomew's Church

churchcathedralphotoKent Beckernot my day job photographySaint BartholomewSt BartholomewSt BartNew York

  • Saint Bartholomew's Church
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Saint Bartholomew’s Church is located on Park Avenue and 50th street. The congregation was founded in 1835 in the Bowery section of Manhattan. A second location was finished in 1876 at 44th and Madison Avenue. Supported by the Vanderbilt family, the church opened a large parish house on 42nd street during the large immigration of the late 19th century, ministering to large numbers of new arrivals, according to a Saint Bartholomew tourist guide. 
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Bertram Goodhue designed the current church in a Byzantine style. According to <a href="http://nyc-architecture.com/TEN/TEN-CHURCHES.htm">NYC Architecture</a>, the style is “…free and simplified Byzantine design with heavier French Romanesque portal retained from the earlier building. A pleasantly eclectic mixture.” The foundation stone of Goodhue's original design, a vast, unified barrel-vaulted space, without side aisles or chapels and with severely reduced transepts, was laid  in May 1917 and the construction was sufficiently far along for the church to be consecrated in 1918, according to  <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Bartholomew%27s_Episcopal_Church,_New_York">Wikipedia.</a>
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Goodhue’s office associates,in partnership as Mayers, Murray and Philips, altered the church design during construction after Goodhue's sudden, unexpected death in 1924. They inserted dome, tile-patterned on the exterior and with a polychrome Hispano-Moresque interior dome, which substituted for the spire that had been planned but never built. Completed in 1930, the church contains stained-glass windows by such artists as Reynolds, Francis and Rohnstock, J. Gordon Guthrie, Lamb Studios, Owen Bonwit,  C.E. Kempe, Ernest Lastman, Henry Wynd Young, and Hildreth Meiere. The church features mosaics by Meiere. Saint Bartholomew's, completed by 1930 at a cost of $5,400,000, is one of the city's landmarks, according to Wikipedia. Saint Bart's is known for a wide range of programs. It draws parishioners from all areas of New York City and surroundings.
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For more detail on the history on the history of Saint Bartholomew, see <a href="http://www.stbarts.org/history/">the church website.</a>
  • ”Transfiguration of Christ” Mosaic in the Apse above the Altar by Hildreth Meière
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Hildreth Meière (1892-1961) was one of the most influential and creative decorative artists of the 20th century  and ranks with a small number of women artists whose achievements gained the recognition of the art world in the first half of the century according to the <a href="http://www.hildrethmeiere.com"> International Hildreth Meiere Association website.</a>  She was born in New York  City. After studying in Florence and exposed to the Renaissance masters, she said “After that I could not be satisfied with anything less than a big wall to paint on. I just had to be a mural painter,” according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildreth_Meiere"> Wikipedia.</a>  She continued her studies at the Art Students League of New York, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, New York School of Applied Design for Women. She served as a draftsman in the U.S. Navy during World War I after training as a mapmaker. “Her military service proved to be a valuable addition to her training for her career as a mural painter and designer,” according to the Meière website. 
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After the war, she was introduced to Bertram Goodhue, one of America’s leading architects. Goodhue gave her the opportunity to paint the high altar for one of his church projects, Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in Mt. Kisco, New York. Afterward, she did most of the mural work for Goodhue’s firm.
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She next worked with Goodhue on the National Academy of Sciences building in Washington, D.C. He chose her to do the decorative mosaic work for the dome and arches in the Great Hall. 
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Goodhue was selected the architect for the Nebraska state Capital in Lincoln. He gave her a great opportunity as the principal designer of the decorative art for the interior of the building to interpret the history and symbolism of the state of Nebraska. She received eight commissions over the next eight years to design the dome, ceilings, floors, and various spaces in the building. 
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Meière received a Gold Medal from the Architectural League of New York in 1928 for her work on the Nebraska State Capital. This project was at the beginning of her career and established her as a leading designer of mural and mosaic work and interiors, according to the Meière website.
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In 1928.1929, she had commissions to design interior mosaics for Temple Emanu-El and Saint Bartholomew’s in New York City. For Saint Bartholomew’s, she used glass mosaic for the ”Tranfiguration of Christ” in the apse above the Altar. 
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Meière served on the Citizen’s Committee for the Army and Navy, providing altarpieces for military chaplains used on base camps, battleships, and hospitals worldwide. 
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She served as President of the National Society of Mural Painters and the Liturgical arts Society, First Vice President of the Architectural League of New York (one of the first women members, she received its Gold Medal in Mural Painting in 1928), director of the Municipal Arts Society, and Associate of the National Academy of Design, and was appointed the first woman on the New York City Art Commission. 
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Some of her work includes:
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Mosaics for the Great Hall of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.;
Evolution-themed floor and ceiling art in Nebraska’s State Capital, Lincoln, Nebraska;
Saint Bartholomew’s glass mosaic for the ”Transfiguration of Christ” in the apse above the altar, New York City;
75-foot mosaic arch over the sanctuary, and mosaics surrounding the Torah-shaped bronze arc, Temple Emanu-El, New York City;
Radio Center Music Hall building façade: three metal rondels called Song, Drama, and Dance;
Washington National Cathedral, “The Resurrected Christ”.
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From the Meière website:
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“Hildreth Meière as an artist was a significant figure in several important areas of American visual culture.  First, she was most famous as an Art Deco muralist and decorator whose work stands among the most distinguished of her era.  Second, she is an important figure in the history of American Liturgical Art, and one of its most ecumenical practitioners.  Third, she is one of the preeminent mosaicists in the history of American art.  Finally, she is a woman artist who was able to gain the respect of the greatest muralists and architects of her day.  In 1956 she was the first woman honored with The Fine Arts Medal of the American Institute of Architects: 
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A Master of Murals: the world of art might write your name high on the list of the great among our painters and write truly, but not fully.  Mosaic, terra cotta, leaded glass, metal, gesso -- these and still other media respond gratefully to the direction of your heart and hands.  Your collaboration with architects and other artists brings more than the addition of beauty; it transfuses the joint concept and makes it indivisible.  In accepting one more token, added to all the expressions of grateful appreciation your work has earned, you will permit us the realization that you are giving the institute the greater honor.”
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She died in 1961. The requiem mass was held for her at Saint Vincent Ferrer Church in New York City, a church designed by Goodhue.
  • Wheel Window by Reynolds, Francis and Rohnstock (1943)<br />
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This is the wheel window in the traditional medieval glass known as pot metal glass designed by Reynolds, Francis and Rohnstock. Joseph G. Reynolds worked with Charles Connick before founding the firm in Boston in 1923. The window is 24 feet in diameter and a circumference of 75 feet. The window has seraphim (the highest angelic class and serve as the caretakers of God's throne and continuously shout praises: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. All the earth is filled with His Glory."), cherubim (angelic beings involved in the worship and praise of God, first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 3:24), and archangels (the highest-ranking angels in heaven) representing three of the nine orders of angels. Cherubim have six blue or yellow wings and are the symbols of Divine Wisdom. Seraphim, the red-winged angels, are symbols of Divine Love. Within the circles are figures from the Old Testament and men in the history of the Christian Church. Saint Bartholomew is in the center with his traditional symbol, the knife.<br />
<br />
I obtained information on the Saint Bartholomew’s stained glass windows from “Holy Light,” an excellent source of information by Becca Earley Richards, available at the Saint Bartholomew’s bookstore.
  • Wheel Window by Reynolds, Francis and Rohnstock (1943)<br />
<br />
This is the wheel window in the traditional medieval glass known as pot metal glass designed by Reynolds, Francis and Rohnstock. Joseph G. Reynolds worked with Charles Connick before founding the firm in Boston in 1923. The window is 24 feet in diameter and a circumference of 75 feet. The window has seraphim (the highest angelic class and serve as the caretakers of God's throne and continuously shout praises: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. All the earth is filled with His Glory."), cherubim (angelic beings involved in the worship and praise of God, first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 3:24), and archangels (the highest-ranking angels in heaven) representing three of the nine orders of angels. Cherubim have six blue or yellow wings and are the symbols of Divine Wisdom. Seraphim, the red-winged angels, are symbols of Divine Love. Within the circles are figures from the Old Testament and men in the history of the Christian Church. Saint Bartholomew is in the center with his traditional symbol, the knife.<br />
<br />
I obtained information on the Saint Bartholomew’s stained glass windows from “Holy Light,” an excellent source of information by Becca Earley Richards, available at the Saint Bartholomew’s bookstore.
  • Saint Bartholomew's Oak Statues Under Organ Pipes
  • Saint Bartholomew's Church
  • The Crucifixion Stained Glass Window by J. Gordon Guthrie
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John Gordon Guthrie (1874–1961), a Scottish immigrant, known professionally as "J. Gordon Guthrie" designed this window. Guthrie had first designed windows for Tiffany Studios. He left Tiffany in 1906 and worked for Duffner & Kimberly until 1914. The New York City company produced leaded glass and bronze lamps at approximately the same time as Tiffany. He then worked with Henry Wynd Young (1874–1923) until Young's death in 1923, when Guthrie took over the management of Young's studio. Guthrie began his own firm in 1925, and was active as a stained glass designer until his death on June 23, 1961, according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duffner_and_Kimberly ">Wikipedia.</a>
  • Luke Stained Glass Window by J. Gordon Guthrie
<br><br>
John Gordon Guthrie (1874–1961), a Scottish immigrant, known professionally as "J. Gordon Guthrie" designed this window. Guthrie had first designed windows for Tiffany Studios. He left Tiffany in 1906 and worked for Duffner & Kimberly until 1914. The New York City company produced leaded glass and bronze lamps at approximately the same time as Tiffany. He then worked with Henry Wynd Young (1874–1923) until Young's death in 1923, when Guthrie took over the management of Young's studio. Guthrie began his own firm in 1925, and was active as a stained glass designer until his death on June 23, 1961, according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duffner_and_Kimberly ">Wikipedia.</a>
  • Saint Bartholomew's Church from 1930 Stained Glass Window by J. Gordon Guthrie
<br><br>
John Gordon Guthrie (1874–1961), a Scottish immigrant, known professionally as "J. Gordon Guthrie" designed this window. Guthrie had first designed windows for Tiffany Studios. He left Tiffany in 1906 and worked for Duffner & Kimberly until 1914. The New York City company produced leaded glass and bronze lamps at approximately the same time as Tiffany. He then worked with Henry Wynd Young (1874–1923) until Young's death in 1923, when Guthrie took over the management of Young's studio. Guthrie began his own firm in 1925, and was active as a stained glass designer until his death on June 23, 1961, according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duffner_and_Kimberly ">Wikipedia.</a>
  • Saints Stained Glass Window Designed by J. Gordon Guthrie, executed by Ernest Lastman, and Made by Henry Wynd Young Studio (1920) 
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Saints Thaddeus, Matthius, James the Less, Simon: the Apostles. 
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The Cantlcle of Te Deum is one of the oldest hymns in the Church and is featured in seven windows on the north side of the nave. The light colored glass surrounding the circle is called grisaille glas, which is silvery tinted glass with floral patterns which allows more light to come through. 
<br><br>
I obtained information on the Saint Bartholomew’s stained glass windows from “Holy Light,” an excellent source of information by Becca Earley Richards, available at the Saint Bartholomew’s bookstore.
  • Saints Stained Glass Window Designed by J. Gordon Guthrie, executed by Ernest Lastman, and Made by Henry Wynd Young Studio (1920) 
<br><br>
Saints Bartholomew, Philip, Andrew, Peter, James the Great, and John: the Apostles.
<br><br>
The Cantlcle of Te Deum is one of the oldest hymns in the Church and is featured in seven windows on the north side of the nave. The light colored glass surrounding the circle is called grisaille glas, which is silvery tinted glass with floral patterns which allows more light to come through. 
<br><br>
I obtained information on the Saint Bartholomew’s stained glass windows from “Holy Light,” an excellent source of information by Becca Earley Richards, available at the Saint Bartholomew’s bookstore.
  • Saints Stained Glass Window Designed by J. Gordon Guthrie, executed by Ernest Lastman, and Made by Henry Wynd Young Studio (1920) <br />
<br />
Top: Saints Thaddeus, Matthius, James the Less, Simon: the Apostles. <br />
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Bottom: Saints Bartholomew, Philip, Andrew, Peter, James the Great, and John: the Apostles.<br />
<br />
The Cantlcle of Te Deum is one of the oldest hymns in the Church and is featured in seven windows on the north side of the nave. The light colored glass surrounding the circle is called grisaille glas, which is silvery tinted glass with floral patterns which allows more light to come through. <br />
<br />
I obtained information on the Saint Bartholomew’s stained glass windows from “Holy Light,” an excellent source of information by Becca Earley Richards, available at the Saint Bartholomew’s bookstore.
  • Saints Stained Glass Window Designed by J. Gordon Guthrie, executed by Ernest Lastman, and Made by Henry Wynd Young Studio (1920) <br />
<br />
Top: Apollos (first century) North African missionary; Prophetess (1st century), one of the four daughters of Saint Phillip; Saint John Chrysotom (347-407), early Church Father; Savonarola (1452-1498); infamous Florentine monk who promoted the burning of secular art; Saint Dominic (1170-1221) founded the Dominican order. <br />
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Bottom: James Bossuet (1627-1704), Bishop and orator under Louis XIV; Phillip Brooks (1835-1893), American Episcopal Bishop who wrote "O Little Tow of Bethlehem"; Hugh Latimer (1485-1555), Protestant Bishop under Henry VIII; William Robertson (1721-1793), Scottish churchman and historian; George Whitfield (1714-1770), leader of the Calvinistic Methodist Church<br />
<br />
The Cantlcle of Te Deum is one of the oldest hymns in the Church and is featured in seven windows on the north side of the nave. The light colored glass surrounding the circle is called grisaille glas, which is silvery tinted glass with floral patterns which allows more light to come through. <br />
<br />
I obtained information on the Saint Bartholomew’s stained glass windows from “Holy Light,” an excellent source of information by Becca Earley Richards, available at the Saint Bartholomew’s bookstore.
  • Woman Gazing at Angels by Owen Bonawit
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G. Owen Bonawit (1891–1971) was an artist whose studio created thousands of pieces of stained glass for Yale, Duke, Northwestern, and Connecticut College, and private homes. There are, by one count, 887 pieces in Yale's Sterling Memorial Library. His career peaked around 1930; his last major commission was in 1940, according to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._Owen_Bonawit">Wikipedia.</a>

He was the son of a commercial illustrator in Brooklyn. His uncle was noted stained glass artist Owen J. Bowen, an associate of Louis Tiffany, John LaFarge and Otto Heinigke. Bonawit went into business for himself in 1918 and by 1930 employed 15 craftsmen. In 1941 Bonawit closed his shop and moved to the Southwest. There, he launched a successful career as a technical photographer. Bonawit is best known for his secular work, especially in libraries at Yale and Northwestern. See the <a href="http://www.conncoll.edu/campus-life/religious-spiritual-life/chapel-history/the-bonawit-stained-glass-windows/ ">Connecticut College Website </a>
  • Saint Bartholomew's Church <br />
<br />
A chapel at Saint Bartholomew’s Church.
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