Catalogue Title:

          -- 1886 Belcher Mosaic (Stained) Glass Catalogue        

Details about this publication:

Replica of the original 1886 trade samples catalog for builders and architects from the Victorian age. 
64 pages, in very good, like new condition.   
  -- Glossy, flex covers, with cloth binding.  A sturdy book, about 7.5 x 9.75 inches in size
  -- Replica/reprint published by Portable Trunk Publishers. (undated) Circa 2014.

A delightful look at specific type of architectural window renderings from late 19th and early 20th century.  

This catalog shows gloriously wonderful stained glass designs, using the mosaic technique of small pieces to make bigger motifs.  Includes all sorts of window designs, from whimsical, functional transoms and religious allegorical depictions.

-- Profusely illustrated. Thoroughly engaging.

Ideal catalog for collectors, designers, restorers, or architects or those who are fans of Victorian era stained glass or mosaic works.

Paper / Soft cover reprint edition in very good condition, flex covers, cloth bound, a sturdy book with typical slight wear to edges and spine from being moved around the shop, stored flat. Overall wonderful copy, informative resource. It would make a great gift for the fan in your life, even if that's you. 

About the company:  

Belcher mosaic windows were manufactured in the United States by the Belcher Mosaic Glass Company between 1884 and 1897. Identifiable by their unique, continuous lead matrix and use of small, glass tesserae, Belcher windows are an example of the innovation occurring in decorative glass during the nineteenth century. Also referred to as “mercury mosaics” or “metallo mosaics”, Belcher windows echo many of the larger concepts at play in American architecture during the end of the 1800s including an emphasis on the inherent nature of the material to impart design and a capitalization of developments in technology to create more affordable decorative objects. While their era of production was short lived, Belcher windows were popular and many examples still survive today, both in situ but more likely in collections.

Located in Newark, New Jersey, research gathered by Barbara E. Krueger, Director of the Michigan Stained Glass Census, indicates that the Belcher Glass Company was in operation as early as 1825. It is unclear what kind of work was being performed by the Belcher Glass Company in its early years, though it is almost certainly not figural stained glass.

The timeline established by Krueger shows that the company, then called Cooper & Belcher Glass, began producing decorative windows as early as 1855.  The company experiences a third change in ownership in 1875 and is renamed as Belcher & Povey until the 1880s when the Belcher Mosaic Glass Company is founded following the invention of Henry F Belcher’s “Mosaic of Glass and Lead Glazing” process, patented in 1884. The company’s first catalogue published in 1886 includes over fifty full-color examples of Belcher mosaic windows customers could select.

Designs included in this publication ranged from simple mixes of colors and shapes, complex geometric patterns, transom lights with building numbers for secular use, and figural scenes for religious settings. The catalogue also boasts that the Belcher system produces windows that are lighter, air-tight, and more durable than their leaded counterparts. Whether this is accurate or not, it does show that the Belcher Mosaic Glass Company sought to compete directly with other stained glass studios at the time. It should also be noted that surviving examples of Belcher mosaic windows do show that both the patented matrix system and traditional leaded method were sometimes used in the same panel. Based on archival evidence and the dates of construction of all known windows, it is likely that the Belcher Mosaic Glass Company went out of business after 1897.

     -- Source: Wikipedia --

Firmly readable, ideal for reference and collecting.   Very nice.  
            Clean Text.  Very Good condition.  Text is in English. 
            Reproduced directly from the original.

-- Defects: None found.   Please note that some sections from the original source may have used smaller text, thus those sections of the reprint may be a little hard to read.                

Modern, undated replica.    -- Facsimile edition

   Enjoy!