I acquired this porthole window from a bungalow in Southampton earlier this week. I’m based in Harrow but as soon as I saw the seller’s photo the “must-have” adrenalin kicked in and I was soon hurtling down the motorway. This blog post explains why it’s so special. Some of its features I was aware of and others are a surprise as is often the case when I buy old glass and is why I enjoy this unusual trade…
Round windows
Any kind of traditionally made wooden or metal round window is hard to find from salvage, let alone in good condition and regardless of whether it contains stained glass. In my 13 years of dealing, I’ve previously had only two porthole windows featuring an owl…
… now I realise how infrequently these will perch on my website I kick myself for how cheap I probably sold them! While the above two owls were spectacular neither featured hand painted glass. This one does and is kiln fired of course…
I’m uncertain what kind of owl this is. I’ve asked someone I know who has owl expertise and received the following response: ‘Our best guess is a short eared owl but they usually look cross in the wild so think a little artistic licence has been used. It is a nice piece of work. It may well be completely made up from a number of different owls.’ If anyone else thinks otherwise please let me know by writing a comment in the below reply box.
The maker’s mark
You may notice that many of my product listings reference where in Great Britain I got the window from*, possibly the year the house was built and the type of old glass used which was discontinued from production decades ago. But it’s rare that we know who made the piece. A maker’s mark is usually only found on hand painted windows and likely only on one within a whole set that was produced for the building. Therefore if the set is split on the secondhand market, you’re unlikely to know who made it if yours doesn’t have the mark. This round window didn’t have a maker’s mark but upon collecting I discovered it was part of a set of three, one of which has a mark…
I. Irwin A.M.G.P 1980
Unfortunately I’ve found only a fleeting reference, via Google, to Mr Irwin. “A.M.G.P.” stands for Associate Master Glass Painter. I’m reliably informed that means he was very good – not that there’s any doubt from looking at his work! I’ve contacted the British Society of Master Glass Painters but no reply yet. It would be interesting to know a bit about who Irwin was – when did he trade and were owl scenes a specialism, or was this theme entirely the customer’s request?
Not all maker’s marks will have a date. 1980 is the year I was born; I feel as though it’s been waiting for me all this time!
The new owner of the bungalow couldn’t provide me with exact information as to when it was built; I wondered if these were fitted at the same time. I usually rescue windows from houses dating from the late Victorian period to the 1930s. Therefore I would class these as vintage rather than antique, but whatever period the method of this artisan craft is the same.
Day or night?
This is one of only two windows you’ll find on my website photographed with a night time background. Instinct tells me this is how they were meant to be appreciated. Not that my photography does it justice! I’ve taken several photos on different backgrounds.
For sale
At the time I published this blog post the window was for sale…
I also acquired the middle window which has the maker’s mark…
There was another porthole but unfortunately that was not available for me to buy; apparently it’s going to be covered up, but perhaps one day it will be discovered like a hidden fireplace – what a time capsule find that would be!
Call to action
Perhaps you’re associated with the traditional window glass trade as a glazier, stained glass artist or leaded light maker, and can tell me a bit about Mr Irwin by writing a comment in the below reply box? But whoever you are, if you ever see a porthole window for sale – please let me know!
Mystery solved
Since initially publishing this blog post (and selling both the owl windows!), I have heard back from one of the leads I followed, Andrew Johnston, who trained under Isaac Irwin, (you can have a look at his work on his website Andrew D Johnston – Stained Glass).
Isaac Irwin
I hope some of my readers will be as interested as I am to learn about the creator of the beautiful windows described and pictured above, based on some information in the email I received from Andy Johnson. Isaac Irwin was born in Glasgow in 1915 and died in Southampton in 2007. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art and Andy thinks he served apprenticeships in the Stained Glass Studios in Glasgow. He studied under eminent people in stained glass such as Dr Douglas Strachan, William Wilson, Herbert Hendrie and Alf Webster, who were associated with The Glasgow Boys.
Isaac moved to Southampton in the late 1950s / early 1960s and was head artist, painter and designer of stained glass for E. R. Wright and Son, a family run firm which was founded in the late 1800s. It was here where he did most of his works, acid etching, sand blasting/carving, as well as many stained glass projects.
Andy says:
“I worked with Isaac at Wright’s for 13 years; he was a truly inspirational artist, person and character, he introduced me to the Glasgow Boys, Jacques Loire, Patrick Reyntiens, to name but a few.
Upon his passing I was gifted his personal collection of glass which has been used in all of my commissions, even the project I am working on today. I use the brushes he used, the paints he made all stored in the apprentice boxes he made whilst a journeyman.”
Reading up a little on some of the people that Andy mentioned in his email to me has highlighted how much I have to learn and explore, despite spending my life immersed in stained glass.
NOTE *I also have an extensive sold archive which references the street name and town of most windows that have been in my dealership. I’ve started to recognise patterns and glass choices which were exclusive to certain English regions. These may not be complex cathedral-like works of art but I believe the brief practice of stained glass being a common feature of British domestic housing is a period of artisan craft that should not be forgotten.
