At the height of the great Gothic revival in church architecture during the 19th century, stained glass windows enjoyed a renaissance. Already famous for their innovative designs, William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and Ford Madox Brown were responsible for some of the most beautiful stained-glass windows of the 19th and 20th centuries. This lecture will look at the history of how ‘The Firm’ brought church windows to life with their new vibrant colors and sensuous designs. The languid faces of the saints and holy family were often modeled on real life portraits of their friends and lovers.

The presentation will be given by Geri Parlby, a former Fleet Street journalist. She has a Masters in the History of Art from the Courtauld Institute and a Theology doctorate from Roehampton University in London. She has been lecturing for the past 18 years both in the UK and internationally.

Discover the remarkable artistic legacy of Giannini & Hilgart, a Chicago-based firm founded in 1899 that created exquisite stained glass installations across America. This talk will examine the firm's contributions to Chicago's historic Second Presbyterian Church alongside rarely seen residential installations in homes throughout the country, revealing how Giannini & Hilgart worked seamlessly with leading architects of the Progressive Era to create harmonious decorative environments. Through visual examples and historical context, attendees will gain an appreciation for the craftsmanship and creativity of one of America's most accomplished yet overlooked stained glass studios, illuminating a hidden chapter in American decorative arts history.

The presentation will be given by Ted Ellison who operates an architectural glass studio in Oakland, California, bringing more than 25 years of experience to creating one-of-a-kind stained glass installations for homeowners, architects, and designers.