Page 29: Modern Attempts

Why does any of this matter? Like the prospect facing Pitcairn in 1912, a designer in stained glass today would discover that there is no commercially-produced red glass on the market that matches the striated ruby of the middle ages. There are streaky copper-based reds produced by several factories, but when placed side by side with a medieval sample they are inadequate. What the Bryn Athyn craftsmen and Lawrence Saint achieved is absent from today’s palette. 

In my attempt to obtain a similar glass, I sent a sample of the Bryn Athyn red to the Lambert’s factory in Germany and they were unable to match it. Reviewing Lamberts’ attempts with the glassblowers I know from my association with the Wheaton factory in Millville, the verdict was that the color was accurate but the intricacy of the striated pattern was not well replicated owing to the larger size of the Lamberts’ sheets.

Lamberts' first attempt

Lamberts' second attempt