The Wilbur H. Burnham Studios

 

     In December 1930, Wilbur Herbert Burnham, Sr., founder of the Wilbur H. Burnham Studios, commented in The Church Monthly on his clerestory apse windows in Riverside Church, New York. He claimed that his "first purpose was to give glory to God through a material which is the crowning accent to architecture." He went on to say:

     Stained glass appeals directly to the emotions. Being more closely allied to music than to painting, it thrills and overpowers and leaves us with a sense of richness and beauty simulating the orchestration of a great symphony.

     Wilbur H. Burnham, Sr. founded his studio in 1922. He secured his first commission from Ralph Adams Cram. On tour with his family in Europe prior to the first World War, Burnham sketched famous stained glass windows in many cathedrals. As an advocate of the medieval stained glass tradition, Burnham's philosophical compatibilities with those of the enormously successful Cram led to commissions to provide windows for Cram's churches in many of the major cities in North America. (Temme, 1982-1983)

     Burnham's son, Wilbur Herbert Burnham, Jr.(1913?-1984), joined the studios in the late 1930s. His education began as a child on tour with his parents in Europe and was formalized at Yale University, where he received a BFA. The Burnhams were awarded the Metal D'Argent at the Paris Exposition of 1937. Each served as President of the Stained Glass Association of America. Burnham, Sr. was elected in 1939 and during World War II lobbied in Washington to obtain supplies of lead and tin for stained glass artists instead of the cigarette industry, where considerable supplies were directed. Burnham, Jr. served during 1959-1961. Because of failing health, the younger Burnham put the studio up for sale in 1982. When the studio closed, the Smithsonian Institution designated it as one of the four major studios (along with the Charles J. Connick Associates, Nicola D'Ascenzo, and Reynolds, Francis, and Rohnstock Studios) most deserving of having their works preserved. Today, the studio's records are in the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art (Temme, 1982-1983).

     W.H. Burnham, Sr.'s philosophy of the design and crafting of stained glass windows are expressed in a 1935 article in the journal Stained Glass. In this article, he expresses his views about the importance of the medieval tradition in the harmony of the primary colors, red, blue, and yellow, with the complementary orange, green, and violet typical of his windows. His studies of medieval windows demonstrated that reds and blues should predominate and be in good balance. People not as knowledgeable overused the color blue. Burnham also noted that windows should maintain high luminosity under all light conditions, with depth of color and amount of pigment useful in controlling glare in variably intense light. Burnham agreed with the concept of unity in multiple windows, which are most easily created when there has been an early, consistent policy by church leaders in collaboration with the designer.

From The Urban Center monograph: Stained Glass Windows of Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland Ohio, Produced by the Wilbur H. Burnham Studios (March 31, 1999)