On the corner of Spring and North Second Streets is Immanuel Lutheran Church. This structure was burned to the ground in the 1971 when it was struck by Lightening, and all but the walls were destroyed. The building was redone in a very modern but traditional way. Do you like the spires on the top, or do they seem awkward to you?
One of the largest tragedies as a result of fire was the loss of some of the finest German stained glass windows in Southern Minnesota. The windows are an uncommon technique described below.
From Spring Street, cross North Second, then go to Fourth St. and turn right.
Dalle de Verre Glass
Dalle de Verre, or slab glass, is
much thicker than more common stained glass windows.
The pieces are typically approximately 7/8 of an inch thick. One
slab of the glass can weigh eight pounds, such as those made
by Blenko Glass Company of Milton, West Virginia.
Unique in the approach to dalle, is the fact that it is faceted.
This means that the pieces are chiseled side that would catch light
using a chisel or similar tool. Pieces
can have very little to a lot of facets depending on the artist, and they
are then placed within the design. These
facets do something "traditional" stained glass windows wouldn't
do, and that they can capture light into pockets that may have certain
focuses within a piece.
The windows we think of as traditional stained glass
windows use came, commonly made of lead, or copper foil and solder to hold
the pieces together. With
dalle, the pieces are held together by using sand and an epoxy.
This is a newer technique. Previously
artists have used concrete
and iron bars in that concrete for support.
However, over time these windows have cracked and the bars have
rusted.
Today these windows are increasing in popularity, even though this
technique has existed for over 300 years.
These windows can be made "virtually
vandal proof" and can withstand extreme weather conditions
when properly made.
Freeman-Jurney, Roberta. "How to: Dalle de Verre." Glass Craftsman. Pages 20-22. February/March, 1999. PA: Glass Craftsman.
Isenberg, Anita, Isenberg, Seymour. How to work in Stained Glass, 3rd Edition. Pages 213-217. Wisconsin: Krause Publication.
