Reading Public Museum Stained Glass Windows

With the installation, late in 1938, of the two side panels, the stained glass window erected by Blood, Anderson and Light for the head of the Museum stairs, was completed.

The central panel, a memorial to Miss Amanda E. Stout, former Superintendent of Schools as a tribute from the Reading Teachers' Association, was installed in 1934.

The entire design is a happy solution of the problem of adapting the traditions of the glass painter's craft, originally built around ecclesiastical requirements, to the demands of the Museum, an educational institution. Fortunately, the idea of educational symbolism was seized upon, and the design developed as a symbolic exposition of the Museum and its work.

In the large central opening are four medallions, depicting the four major means of education. At the top is the figure of an old astronomer, with the instruments of science, symbolizing "Observation" as a process of education. The choice of this subject seems appropriate since our knowledge of the heavens depends largely upon observation, which is also the most direct method of acquiring knowledge.

The second medallion from the top, symbolizes "Speech," the second step toward acquisition of greater knowledge. Through speech man has been able to transmit the results of his own experiences and observations to his fellows, and hence make of knowledge a cumulative process. The use of the teacher and student group in this medallion is particularly appropriate.

The third medallion in the group is symbolic of written speech, or "Writing," which is mankind's next advance in methods of transmitting knowledge, as it is the growing child's third step toward acquiring means of information, if we include with writing, pictorial representation from which it sprang.

Two members of the old medieval religious orders are portrayed in this medallion, as it was they who brought writing to its greatest development, and nursed the seeds of culture through the stormy dark ages.

The fourth medallion in the series depicts "Participation" as the final and most satisfying means of learning. After the child has observed and been instructed by others, he finally proves his acquired knowledge by experience. An eighteenth century carpenter and his apprentice were chosen to depict this subject, as it was at this time that the apprentice system of learning was most in vogue.

Behind these figure medallions, rises the Tree of Knowledge, the Apple Tree, and on its topmost branch is the unattainable golden apple of perfect knowledge. This apple tree motif has been used throughout the window grouping. In the small quarter-circle shapes are various symbols of knowledge that have been used throughout the ages by various peoples and civilizations. At the bottom, on either side, are the closed book of incomplete knowledge and the open book of complete knowledge, while next above are the key of knowledge and the two fishes, an early Christian symbol; above these are the reed, an Oriental symbol of learning, and the well of knowledge, a Scandinavian symbol; then comes the owl and Greek Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, while at the top is a modern symbol, the student's lamp and the hand of the teacher passing the torch of knowledge to another. Around the whole window is a border of conventionalized bay leaves emblematic of the ultimate victory of learning.

The two narrow side windows which are part of the large center window are devoted to the various activities and collections of the Museum. The two upper panels represent sculpture and the graphic arts. Next come two of the crafts which are well represented in the Museum's collections, namely, metal work and glass blowing. Below these appears geography, symbolized by a mariner of the time of Queen Elizabeth, with his globe. It was at this time that so much progress was made in exploration and discovery. Opposite to the right, is an Egyptian historian writing his valuable message on the wall of a tomb.

The last two panels attempt to show the broad scope of the Museum's activities including the teaching of racial characteristics exemplified by the Asian, black and white men, each bringing his characteristic contribution to the Museum and to civilization as a whole, and the teaching of human custom, depicted by the black, white Christian and Mohammedan, each worshiping God after his own fashion.

The two side windows must be considered as a single unit in the scheme of design, for they were added to complete the scope of the Museum's activities as shown by the whole group of windows.

The medallions in the top openings on either side, depict "Architecture," on the left, and "Painting," on the right, to symbolize the art activity of the Museum. Architecture, called the mother of the arts, rightly occupies first position, and shows a medieval master architect at work on a Gothic Cathedral, the model for which is seen behind him, and the age as one outstanding in architectural achievement. The painter is of the Italian Renaissance, the period that gave Michelangelo, Titian, Raphael, and Leonardo to the world.

The central and lower medallions in the left window symbolize the Museum's activity in the field of commerce. The central one, "Commerce," showing two sea captains of the great Eliza-bethan era of trade expansion in England bartering at the water front, a galleon at anchor beyond. The lower medallion depicts a seventeenth century money-lender, as symbolic of "Finance," a part of all commerce, for out of their strong boxes grew the banking system of today.

The central and lower medallions in the right hand window symbolize the Museum's "scientific" teachings, the central one depicting an Alchemist of the middle ages, whose fruitless search for synthetic gold led to many advances in chemistry.

The "Natural History" medallion at the bottom, represents a twentieth century scientist gathering specimens on a field expedition. The modern period is chosen as the time contributing most to scientific study. In both windows the apple tree of knowledge is continued as the background, as well as the conventionalized bay leaf border for victory.

The quarter circle shape, on either side of "Architecture," shows the Ionic capital on the left, for art in architecture, the triangle and dividers, for science in architecture.

On the left side of "Painting" appears a Greek vase, symbolizing pottery, and also form, in art. On the right side, the old embroidery frame, symbolizing needle work, as well as line and color in art.

The quarter circle shapes at the top left of "Commerce" show the winged staff of Mercury, god of commerce. At the right appear the conventional bales, associated with trade and barter. Below on the left appears the telephone, a symbol of communication, and on the right, the "Winged Wheel of Transportation," both essential parts of commerce.

At the bottom left is a jeweler's scale, associated with gold, and at the right an abacus, the earliest form of adding machine, and still in use in many countries.

At the top left of Science is the retort of chemistry, and the device to show the principle of leverage, stands for physics at the right. Next below appears the microscope, at the left, for medical research, and the governor, at the right stands for mechanics. At the lower left, the bird symbolizes the study of zoology, the oak leaf the study of botany, both branches of natural history.

In addition to the symbolism throughout the windows, an effort has been made to teach something of the spread of learning through all countries and all periods of history, by showing the different characters in accurate costumes of their country and period. Thus we have Americans, English, Italians, Chinese, Africans, Arabs, French, Greeks, Egyptians, and many others, standing together in the Universal Brotherhood of Learning.

from article by William C. Blood