Explore the stained glass windows of the First Baptist Church of Sylacauga, Alabama. Special emphasis is given to the Nineteenth Century European artists whose original paintings were used by stained glass craftsmen to create these reproductions. An effort is made to place each of the scenes within its biblical context.
3. STAINED GLASS WINDOWS
Our beautiful stained
glass windows were
crafted in 1914 by the
Saint Joseph Glass
Works Company in
Kansas City, Missouri.
They have inspired us
for many generations.
4. STAINED GLASS PROCESS
Artists took great pride in
faithfully reproducing the
works of various European
painters. During this time,
no international copyright
protection existed. Studio
artists used colored glazes
on clear glass before kiln
firing their work in order to
bring out richer colors and
fuse the glaze to the glass.
5. 1932 TORNADO DAMAGE
A life and property destroying tornado
hit Sylacauga in 1932, thus destroying
a section of one window on the Spring
Street side of the church. Though very
carefully replaced, slight differences in
the color and design can be detected.
The other windows were undisturbed.
6. ASSORTED IMAGES
Most of our windows
display symbols and
religious imagery like
an open Bible, a dove,
a shield, ripe grain, a
crown, a cup, a cross,
or lilies over the doors.
7. TEN CAMEO SCENES
Across the back wall
of the sanctuary, six
windows are adorned
with cameo images
inside framed ovals.
Each vestibule also
displays two cameos,
for a total of ten in all.
8. SIX PRIMARY SCENES
One finds six primary
scenes located at the
front of the sanctuary.
The images represent
various original works
by nineteenth century
European painters,
mostly from Germany.
9. HEINRICH HOFMANN
A German artist born
in 1824, his creations
adorn six windows in
our church. Four of
his paintings reside in
the Riverside Church
in New York City.
10. BERNHARD PLOCKHORST
A German artist born
in 1825, his creations
adorn five windows in
our church. He and
Hofmann were in the
Nazarene Movement,
a German art school.
11. GOTTLIEB BIERMANN
A German artist born in
1824, he is best known
for a painting of Kaiser
Wilhelm I. Biermann
became a member of
the Berlin Art Academy
in 1877 and taught at
the school very briefly.
12. CUNO VON BODENHAUSEN
A German artist born
in 1852, he is known
primarily for his 1889
Madonna, which he
entitled, “The Vision.”
It sold in 2011 for the
modest sum of $5,451.
13. JOHANNES ADAM OERTEL
A German-American
artist who was born
in 1823 and moved
to America in 1848.
He also served as an
Anglican Priest and
drew illustrations for
Harper’s Weekly.
14. SYBIL C. PARKER
A British artist born in
1872 who gave her
1895 painting the title
“The Door of the Fold.”
Jesus is dressed in a
white robe mirroring
the purity of the lambs.
15. JOHN KNIGHTON THOMSON
A British painter born
in 1820 specializing in
genre and historical
subjects. His work was
displayed at the Royal
Academy and the 1893
Chicago World Fair.
19. LUKE 2:46
Now so it was that after three
days they found Him in the
temple, sitting in the midst of the
teachers, both listening to them
and asking them questions.
25. LUKE 10:41-42
And Jesus answered and said
to her, “Martha, Martha, you
are worried and troubled about
many things. But one thing is
needed, and Mary has chosen
that good part, which will not
be taken away from her.”
31. MATTHEW 26:39
He went a little farther and
fell on His face, and prayed,
saying, “O My Father, if it is
possible, let this cup pass
from Me; nevertheless, not
as I will, but as You will.”
