Povey Brothers Studio Explained

Povey Brothers Studio, also known as Povey Brothers Art Glass Works or Povey Bros. Glass Co., was an American producer of stained glass windows based in Portland, Oregon. The studio was active from 1888 to 1928.[1] As the largest and best known art glass company in Oregon, it produced windows for homes, churches, and commercial buildings throughout the West.[2] When the firm was founded in 1888, it was the only creative window firm in Portland, then a city of 42,000 residents.[3]

Povey Brothers was known as the "Tiffany of the Northwest"[4] [5] and many of the company's windows still exist in historic buildings throughout the region, including those on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

The windows were considered to have extraordinary quality and beauty, and the firm's work was virtually unequaled in the Pacific Northwest.[3] The heyday of Povey Brothers coincided with the growing economic affluence of the region, and the brothers' work was much sought after by the new rich to decorate the large houses they were building.[3] Of this sort of installation, art glass expert Michael McCary said, "People who put in that kind of glass were kind of showing off."[6] The Great Depression and changes in house styles eventually caused demand for the brothers' work to decline, however.[3] Today Povey Brothers windows are a mark of pride in many landmark buildings in Portland.[3]

History

The company was founded by David Lincoln Povey, the son of English-born stained glass window maker Joseph Povey, who immigrated to the United States in 1848 and subsequently worked in stained glass in Philadelphia, New York City, and Newark, New Jersey.[1] [3] [7] [8] The family, who had been in the stained glass trade for generations, eventually settled in St. Louis, Missouri.[1] [3] [7] [9] David Povey was born in 1865.[1] He studied art at Cooper Union in New York and traveled in Europe for further study before moving to Portland.[1] [7] David formed the glass company in 1888 with his brother John, shortly after working on a commission for First Presbyterian Church.[1] [2] [7] The company incorporated in 1893.[1] John was the main craftsman and did the glazing and leading, while David did the design and art work.[1] [7] Their brother George Povey later joined the company as its accountant and business manager, and two Povey sisters also worked for the company.[3] [7] All three of the brothers worked in various glass studios on the East Coast before establishing their Portland shop.[8] At the height of their business, the brothers employed 25 workers, including several Povey family members.[10] David died in 1924 and his sons David and Darrel took over the business.[1] In 1925, they hired Albert Gerlach, formerly of Giannini & Hilgart in Chicago and trained at the Art Institute of Chicago, to assist in the business.[1] The Povey Brothers sold the company to W. P. Fuller in 1930,[2] and Gerlach remained at the company until 1950.[1]

John Povey died in 1917. His Queen Anne Victorian home in the Irvington neighborhood, the John E. G. Povey House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[11]

David Povey's daughter, Portland architect Polly Povey Thompson, had planned to write a book on her father's works, but she died in 1994 before it could be completed.[7] Povey windows continue to be documented. George Povey's granddaughter, Laurie Povey Crawford, of Everett, Washington, did not know that the First Presbyterian Church in Everett held Povey windows until 2015.[12]

Production and style

The brothers imported their glass from Europe, but designed and constructed their windows in Portland.[7] They often used opalescent glass in their work, a style that John La Farge and Louis Tiffany had pioneered in the 1870s.[7] Their church windows were done in a Classical style often based on famous religious paintings, such as those by Raphael, and had images or scenes painted on nonopalescent glass.[2] [7] They were also noted for their use of "jewels", small, thickly cut faceted pieces of glass in rich colors, and for several other types and textures of glass, including Kokomo, crackle, rippled, granite-textured, and machine-rolled.[2] [10] [13] The studio's early residential work was colorful and ornate, often using Art Nouveau motifs, and later work was influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement.[2] [10] Popular motifs included grape clusters, roses, lilies, birds, and dogwood, which became a signature of the company.[2] Another notable feature of the studio's work was the use of clear glass in the background to allow light to pass through the windows on the Northwest's typically overcast days.[2]

Besides windows, the company also designed other glass products, including light fixtures that had a horizontal Prairie School design influence.[2]

The studio was known for using the latest equipment and trade techniques, and for working with architects and homeowners to create unique designs that set the Poveys apart.[10] David Povey, who developed a distinct style, designed virtually every window that left the studio.[10] While the company's residential work was often small in scale, its church installations could be quite massive, with multiple panels.[10]

Most Povey windows are not signed, which led to imitators passing off their work as the Poveys'.[7] It also makes the Poveys' work difficult to identify.[7] [13] In 1923, David Povey began signing the widows with "Povey Brothers Studio" and the year of completion.[7] This may have first been done for the windows of the First Christian Church in Portland, and the last such signatures may have been on the windows of Atkinson Memorial Church in 1924, the year David died.[7]

Studios

By 1889, the Povey Brothers Studio was located in the Phoenix Building at 124 SW Ash Street in Portland.[14] The building is a contributing property in the Skidmore/Old Town Historic District.[14]

In 1905, the company relocated to the Povey Building at 408 NW 5th Avenue in Portland, designed for them by architect Emil Schacht.[1] The company was still located there in 1926.[1] The Povey Building is a contributing property to the Portland New Chinatown/Japantown Historic District.[1]

Buildings containing Povey Brothers glass

Listed on the NRHP in Oregon

Other Oregon installations

First Christian Church in Eugene has Povey Brothers windows created for the current building constructed in 1911, as well as windows moved from a previous building that were made in about 1865 by other artists.[54]

Lawrence Hall at the University of Oregon has some of the stained glass panels originally installed as a skylight in 1915 in the NRHP-listed Johnson Hall, the school's administration building.[55] The panels were dispersed during a 1949 remodel of the hall; some were used in the school's Erb Memorial Union.[55] A 1998 restoration moved the panels to a boardroom of Johnson Hall and a hallway of Lawrence Hall.[55]

Works outside Oregon

The Povey Brothers also completed commissions in the city of Bellingham, Washington, and in Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Northern California.[3] [8] [9]

Former installations

Many Portland buildings that once had Povey glass windows have been demolished, but the Bosco-Milligan Foundation/Architectural Heritage Center holds several salvaged Povey windows in its building artifact collection.[34] [49]

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=89001957}} Portland New Chinatown/Japantown Historic District National Register of Historic Places Registration Form ]. . September 1, 1989 . June 12, 2011.
  2. Book: Kreisman, Lawrence . The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest . Glenn W. Mason . 2007 . . Portland, Oregon . 43, 94, 238–240 . 978-0-88192-849-5.
  3. News: Historic Church Lost in Fire Featured Fine Stained Glass . Sullivan . Ann . November 1, 1989 . The Oregonian.
  4. Web site: Povey Windows–Walking Tour of Downtown Churches . 8 . News & Notes . . Summer 2006 . June 12, 2011.
  5. Book: McAlester, Virginia . A Field Guide to America's Historic Neighborhoods and House Museums: The Western States . Lee McAlester . 1998 . . New York . 532. 0-375-70172-9.
  6. News: In a Glass By Itself . Mullen . Ruth . February 23, 2006 . The Oregonian.
  7. Web site: Povey Brothers Stained Glass Windows. Beals. Herb. Atkinson Memorial Church. https://archive.today/20130117072243/http://www.atkinsonchurch.com/archive/stainedglass.shtml. 2013-01-17. dead. June 12, 2011.
  8. Web site: First United Methodist Church . The City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board . 27–28 . 2011-06-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110825191045/http://recitalhall.fifthandcolumbia.com/LMKapp.pdf . 2011-08-25 . dead .
  9. Web site: The Stained Glass of Portland's Povey Brothers . 2–3 . News & Notes . . Winter 2005 . June 12, 2011.
  10. News: Illuminations . Mullen . Ruth . April 28, 2005 . The Oregonian.
  11. Web site: Irvington Home Tour: The John E. G. Povey House . Irvington Community Association . June 12, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110721203059/http://www.irvingtonhometour.com/NationalRegister/PoveyJohn.shtml . July 21, 2011 .
  12. News: Stained Glass Windows Offer Glimpse of History, Philanthropy . . Julie . Muhlstein . August 22, 2018 . December 24, 2021.
  13. Web site: The Beautiful Stained Glass Windows . Bradley . Jim . First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Wilmington, Ohio . June 12, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120325154907/http://www.wilmingtondisciples.org/Stained%20Glass%20Windows.pdf . March 25, 2012 . dead .
  14. Web site: Skidmore/Old Town Historic District National Historic Landmark Nomination . . 30 . October 6, 2008 . June 12, 2011.
  15. Web site: Mountain View Cemetery . Ashland Oregon: From Stage Coach to Center Stage: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary . . June 12, 2011.
  16. "Church To Be Dedicated; Elaborate Features Embodied in Structure, in Which Services Will Be Held Today" (February 1, 1925). The Sunday Oregonian, p. 6. Excerpt: "Among the outstanding characteristics of the new church is its series of artistic memorial windows ... made by Povey Brothers of Portland."
  17. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=05000094}} Boschke-Boyd House National Register of Historic Places Registration Form ]. . January 5, 2005 . June 12, 2011.
  18. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=82003742}} Burke-Clark House National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form ]. . July 16, 1982 . June 12, 2011.
  19. Book: Classic Houses of Portland, Oregon: 1850–1950 . Hawkins . William John . Willingham . William F. . 2000 . . Portland, Oregon . 0-88192-433-4 . 1999.
  20. News: Stumptown Stumper . December 28, 2006 . . May 22, 2014.
  21. Web site: Deepwood Estate . Salem Online History . June 12, 2011.
  22. Web site: Springfield Downtown District Walking Tour Guide . 16 . 2008 . City of Springfield . June 12, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111005013603/http://www.ci.springfield.or.us/dsd/Planning/hcommission/Documents/downtown%20walking%20tour.pdf . October 5, 2011 .
  23. Web site: Ebbert Memorial Church . . June 12, 2011.
  24. Web site: Povey Glass Elsinore Theatre Lady Macbeth . oregonlink.com . June 12, 2011.
  25. Web site: Building History. First Congregational United Church of Christ . https://web.archive.org/web/20160405112027/http://www.uccportland.org/bldghistory . 5 April 2016 . dead . June 12, 2011.
  26. News: Guided Tour Spotlights Churches, Synagogue . Richards . Suzanne . October 7, 1987 . The Oregonian.
  27. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=00001293}} Alphabet Historic District National Register of Historic Places Registration Form ]. . June 18, 2011.
  28. Web site: The LCPS Chooses Historical Povey Brothers Art Glass Works As Their Focus For Historic Preservation Month Lecture . . June 12, 2011.
  29. News: This Old House of Worship . Lewis . Graham . May 3, 2004 . . June 12, 2011.
  30. News: Father & Son . Pollock . Buffy . April 20, 2008 . . June 12, 2011.
  31. News: The Real Doyle . Mershon . Helen L. . February 18, 1999 . The Oregonian.
  32. Web site: Restoring an Eclectic Mansion . Old House Online . Donna . Pizzi . June 19, 2011.
  33. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=83002166}} Frank C. Barnes House National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form ]. . June 19, 2011.
  34. Web site: Commemorative Plaques to Honor Povey Brother Glass Company . July 9, 2010 . . June 12, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110825001441/http://portlandpreservation.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/commemorative-plaques-to-honor-povey-brother-glass-company/ . August 25, 2011 .
  35. News: 91-Year-Old Keeps Portland's History Alive . Sullivan . Ann . December 19, 1990 . The Oregonian.
  36. News: John Povey House Proposed for List . Christ . Janet . May 6, 1998 . The Oregonian.
  37. Web site: Joseph Jacobberger Country House National Register of Historic Places Registration Form . National Park Service (via Oregon Parks and Recreation Department) . June 12, 2011 .
  38. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=79002134}} Joseph Kendall House National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination ]. Berg . Arthur H. . March 5, 1979 . . June 12, 2011.
  39. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=01000937}} Lewis and Elizabeth Van Vleet House National Register of Historic Places Registration Form ]. July 6, 2001 . . June 13, 2011.
  40. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=05000574}} Louis Pfunder House National Register of Historic Places Registration Form ]. April 26, 2005 . . June 12, 2011.
  41. Web site: Mission . The Old Church . June 12, 2011.
  42. News: Crowning Glory . Mershon . Helen L. . January 29, 1995 . The Oregonian.
  43. Web site: IOOF EastWood Cemetery . City of Medford . June 12, 2011.
  44. Web site: History of Our Building . Jasmine's Catering . June 12, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120325154931/http://www.jasminescatering.com/page_ourbuilding.html . March 25, 2012 .
  45. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=78002318}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Nathan Loeb House ]. November 29, 1977 . National Park Service . May 7, 2014.
  46. Web site: Items of Interest . Old St. Peter's Landmark . June 12, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110718190410/http://www.oldstpeterslandmark.org/interest.htm . July 18, 2011 . dead .
  47. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form: Ralston, John, House . National Park Service . December 9, 1981 . May 26, 2015.
  48. Web site: Tour of the Parish . St. Mary Parish . June 12, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726063846/http://www.stmarymtangel.org/stmary/tour/tour_of_the_church.aspx . July 26, 2011 .
  49. Book: Foster, Laura O. . Portland City Walks: Twenty Explorations in and Around Town . 2008 . . 56, 107, 147 . Portland, Oregon . 978-0-88192-885-3.
  50. Web site: United Presbyterian Church, Albany . linncountyroots.com . June 12, 2011.
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  53. News: A-List Architects . Hogue . Kendra . September 14, 2003 . The Oregonian.
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  55. Web site: The Architecture of the University of Oregon: Johnson Hall . . June 12, 2011.
  56. Web site: Canby Wedding Chapel . https://web.archive.org/web/20120325210149/http://www.canbyweddingchapel.com/CWC/Canby_Chapel_Home.html . March 25, 2012 . dead . June 19, 2011.
  57. Web site: The Stained Glass Windows . The Church of Saint Michael the Archangel . June 12, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120325154931/http://www.stmichaelportland.org/History/Book_17.html . March 25, 2012 .
  58. Web site: First Presbyterian Church Oregon Inventory of Historic Properties Historic Resource Survey Form . City of Corvallis . https://web.archive.org/web/20110927160134/http://www.ci.corvallis.or.us/downloads/city/8th_sw_114.pdf. September 27, 2011 . dead . June 13, 2011.
  59. Web site: Memories from the first 150 years . First United Methodist Church, Corvallis . June 12, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110828233419/http://www.corvallisfumc.org/fumcmem.htm#fum21#fum21 . 2011-08-28 . dead .
  60. News: Johnson . Julie . Bend church plans stained glass restoration . . March 26, 2014.
  61. Web site: Repair and Restoration . John Rose Glass . December 24, 2021.
  62. Web site: Methodist Episcopal Church . . June 19, 2011.
  63. Web site: McMenamins Wilsonville Pub . McMenamins . June 19, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110609200132/http://www.mcmenamins.com/1652-mcmenamins-wilsonville-pub-home# . 2011-06-09 . dead .
  64. Web site: Wilhelm's Portland Memorial . June 12, 2011.
  65. Web site: Bibliography of Stained Glass Windows in Canada . Registry of Stained Glass Windows in Canada . June 12, 2011.
  66. Web site: History . Dayton First Christian Church . June 12, 2011.
  67. Web site: South Side Historic District Survey-Inventory Form Community Cultural Resource Survey . . June 17, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120315064959/https://fortress.wa.gov/dahp/wisaard/documents/RN/0/0/571.pdf . March 15, 2012 .
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  70. News: Saving Pieces of History . Blozis . Dana . . November 25, 2007 . June 12, 2011.
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  72. Web site: And What About the Rose Friend Apartments? . Friends of Ladd Carriage House (Bosco-Milligan Foundation) . June 17, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111003052459/http://www.laddcarriagehouse.org/RoseFriend.htm . October 3, 2011 .
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