The collection consists primarily of materials generated by contributors to the Michigan Stained Glass Census, begun in June 1992 and coordinated by Betty MacDowell, Barbara Krueger, and Michele Beltran. The main goals of the Census are to locate and document the state's stained glass windows and to encourage their preservation. Hundreds of volunteers have documented windows in churches, synagogues, homes, public buildings, businesses, mausoleums, and other buildings.

The collections include over 1000 Census reports on the stained glass windows of buildings located in 325 communities, in 77 counties throughout the state. The reports include registration forms (listing information about the building's construction date, architect, number of windows and their locations within the building, window shapes, dates, sources, dimensions, subjects, donors, conditions, type of glass, techniques and exterior protection), digital images that show each window and the building exterior, and copies of related archival materials, such as building histories, dedication programs, or papers related to the commissioning of the windows. The windows registered in the Census include older windows from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as more recent windows. They represent a variety of stained glass styles and techniques, from simple stenciled designs to painted, opalescent or faceted glass windows.

The collection also includes materials related to stained glass studios and artists, with an emphasis on those with Michigan ties, and includes historic photographs, studio ledgers, patterns, tools, and other artifacts.

For more information on the Michigan Stained Glass Census, see: http://michiganstainedglass.org/.
To view the Featured Windows see: http://www.michiganstainedglass.org/month/archive.php
For a listing of stained glass collections in other Michigan Museums see: http://museum.msu.edu/s-program/mtap/Collections/MSGC%20collections.pdf

Publications:
MacDowell, Betty. "Michigan's Stained Glass Industry: Tradition and Innovation," in Yvonne R. Lockwood and Ruth Fitzgerald, eds. 1995 Festival of Michigan Folklife. East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University Museum, 1995.

Krueger, Barbara. "Belcher Mosaic Stained Glass," Stained Glass Quarterly. Spring 1994, Vol. 89, No. 1, 20-30.


---compiled by Michele Beltran, 2003.


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