November 2003 Update

November
1st update

We now have 9 sets of cards specially selected with Christmas in mind. At time of writing all of the cards are on one page and that makes the page very slow to load. To anyone reading this who has a dial-up connection and/or a slow modem I would ask you to be patient. We are planning to split the content into 2 pages and I am hopeful that this will be done within a day or two.

If you are planning to order cards then now would not be too soon. The cards are more or less made-to-order and we do not carry large stocks. There are several events coming up which will place demands on us and if we get a sudden upsurge of business via the website we might get back-ordered. To avoid disappointment or delay I am urging everyone to place their orders early so that we can be sure to be able to fulfill them.

These are really great cards. Yesterday I delivered the Christmas order to Epstein's in Morristown and the buyer commented on how bright and vibrant the colours are.
This is partly the photography but also because they are actual photographic
prints and rarely can a conventionally printed card reproduce colour the way
a photo can.

October was
a record-breaking month in terms of traffic through the website. During the
course of the month 16,624 unique users made a total of 33,774 visits to the
site and viewed 75,333 pages. I will watch with interest to see how November
and December pan out but it is clear to me that there is interest in this art
and I have no regrets in having embarked on this journey. However, I will need
help if
the site is to continue and grow.

November
26th update

There are a few upcoming events which may be of interest to visitors who are within reach of northern New Jersey.

Firstly some work is being exhibited at the Gallery Petite in High Bridge, just outside Clinton. It is part of a larger exhibition entitled 'Of the Spirit' comprising works in a range of different media by several artists. The exhibition opened in November and will close at the end of December.

Also running during the month of December is an exhibition at a gallery in Clifton called 'The Artisan's Touch'. The gallery is located on the lower level of the Styertowne Shopping Center which is just off route 3 at the Bloomfield Avenue exit. The gallery is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11.00am or noon depending on the day. There will be a "Meet the Photographer" session on Saturday 13th December from around 1.00pm. For further details or directions call the gallery on 973-471-0001.

On December 6th 2003 cards and prints will be on sale at the 'Fair in the Square' in Verona.

On December 7th 2003 there will be a Christmas Concert entitled "Cathedral Sounds at Christmas" at the Convent of St Elizabeth in Convent Station. Immediately following the concert will be an exhibition and sale of photographs of the exquisite stained glass windows in the chapel of the Motherhouse, where the concert will have been held. Admission is by ticket only and tickets may be obtained by calling Sister Sheila Holleran on 973-290-5454.

For anyone who is planning to order one or more sets of our cards now would be a good time to do it. At time of writing this update I can safely promise a speedy turnaround of orders and pre-Christmas delivery, even to overseas purchasers. If you haven't made your mind up yet whether to buy some then all I can say is 'go ahead and buy', you will not be disappointed. I sold a lot at a local Christmas Fair this past weekend and everyone loved them. Many people said that they were buying them for framing or to use as Christmas decorations or special gifts rather than to be sent as cards. If you are ready to buy then click on the link at the top of this page.

October 2003 Update

October 14th
update

Kia Ora!
Welcome to all our new visitors from New Zealand!

A couple
of days ago there was a spike in traffic as measured by my statistics analyser.
It wasn't the biggest spike we have ever seen but it was nevertheless noticeable
and raised my curiousity. It seems that someone called Max Newman who edits
a weekly newsletter for xtra, which is part of the MSN Network had said some
kind words about the site and this was prompting people to look us over. Well,
I wish all our new guests a warm welcome and thankyou Max!

There is
not much other news to report. The Convent of St Elizabeth work is progressing
well and there will definitely be an exhibit of work at their Christmas Concert
on December 7th. I would urge anyone who can get to Morristown in New Jersey
to obtain a ticket and plan to attend. The setting is really beautiful, I am
sure that the music will be superb and there will be some fine photographs to
be viewed afterwards. Prints will be on sale as will cards, all featuring the
exquisite windows in the chapel of the Motherhouse, and a significant portion
of the proceeds will be used by the Sisters for charitable purposes. By way
of a preview, here
is a detail from one of the windows at St Elizabeth's Convent. The angel is
from an Annunciation window

Today I added
a "Help Us" page and installed links from this page (see above) and
from the home page. I thought that it was timely to remind our visitors that
what is offered as a 'free' resource actually costs money to provide and we
genuinely do need help and support from our visitors if we are to continue to
provide the facility.

Last but
not least can I urge any of you who are planning to order cards from us to please
place your order sooner rather than later. We do not carry large numbers of
these in stock and if there is a significant demand for them all at once then
I can foresee difficulties in getting them delivered in time. I realise that
it is only mid-October but the more orders which can be placed and fulfilled
between now and mid-November the happier I shall be.

September 2003 Update

September
1st update

The main
item of news is that I have recently been priviledged to have been asked to
photograph some windows in the Motherhouse of the convent of St Elizabeth at
Convent Station, near Morristown, in New Jersey. These include some of the most
exquisite windows I have ever seen. Probably 19thC and of German origins some
of them are very fine indeed and they are in a building which, of it's nature,
is relatively inaccessible to the public. At this time I am discussing using
the images for charitable purposes to raise money for the Sisters of Charity
but I hope that at some point I will be able to post some of these pictures
on the website because they really are beautiful.

I am beginning
to gear up for the holiday season and am hoping to show and sell work at several
events. The first is a street fair in Madison on October 4th which replaces
the June event cancelled due to bad weather. I am then hoping to do a small
exhibit at St John's in Somerville in early November, attend the NY Episcopal
Diocese convention later that month and then the Caldwell College fair after
Thanksgiving.

If anyone
who reads this is thinking of ordering some of our notecards with the Holidays
in mind, either as cards or as gifts, then I would urge you to place your order
early. We do not carry huge stocks of the cards and if we are inundated with
orders in December then there is a chance that we may have problems fulfilling
them all in time. Right now would be a great time to place your orders and that
way there will be no pressure and you will get your cards in ample time. Also,
please remember that the cost of postage and packing is the same whether you
buy one set, two sets or even ten sets.

September
11th 2003 update

I very much
regret to announce the sad loss, on September 10th, of Walter Douglas Leek (best
known as Doug), who was for 61 years the loving husband of Mary Elizabeth Leek,
father of my wife Eileen, her sister Kathleen and brother Dougie and doting
grandfather of my stepson, Michael. He was a pillar of a man - a sergeant in
the US Marine Corps in WW2 he led machine-gun crews on Iwo Jima and was decorated,
including the Purple Heart. After the war for many years he delivered literally
tons of large animal carcasses to butchers' shops around New York and in his
spare time built a house, single-handedly and with no modern power-tools. He
recovered from a major heart attack and enjoyed a long retirement in Otisville,
NY where he hand-built an extension to his home. For the last 17 years he has
spent as much time as possible with his grandson, Michael who was born with
CP, and has had a profound impact on Michael's development and determination
to overcome his physical limitations. At every possible opportunity Doug would
come to stay with us and spend time with Michael. Sometimes it would be ostensibly
to be there to pick Michael up from school but the reality was that he simply
took every possible opportunity to be with his "buddy" Mike. He also
had 2 other grandchildren of whom he was very proud - Kyle and Stephen - and
both of them, now in their late 20's, had spent many happy summers with "Poppa"
when they were young. Fiercely proud of his family's long tradition in the fire
service in his former home town, Flushing, New York, he recently donated his
great grandfather's silver ceremonial fireman's trumpet to the American Museum
of Firefighters in Hudson, New York. In retirement he was an avid collector
of many things, including antique sewing machines which he took great pleasure
in restoring. He was very active in the Marine Corps League as well as being
a volunteer worker in his local First Aid Rescue Squad. He had tremendous compassion,
a great sense of humour, a strong sense of duty and a strong work ethic. He
will be greatly missed by many and the world was a better place for his presence
and has suffered a loss through his absence.

September
28th 2003 update

In case you
had not noticed there have been a few new features added to the site. Firstly
we have entered into affiliate programmes with AllPosters and Amazon in order
to provide the opportunity for visitors to purchase prints, books and other
items while visiting us and at the same time contributing to the upkeep of the
site. Any goods purchased via one of these links will cost exactly the same
as if purchased by going to these sites direct but if you follow one of our
links and purchase something we receive a small commission. Eventually we may
put the links onto the home page but for the time being you will find them in
the Giftshop. We have tried to keep the items relevant to stained glass and
the artists featured here and it is all passive advertising - if you are not
interested simply ignore it.

The other
thing which we have been working on is a concept which I think we will call
'E-blessings' and which I may even trademark if no-one has beaten me to it.
Basically what we are setting up is a means whereby our visitors can send one
of our images via email with a message and/or scripture attached. This facility
is provided free to us by a company called Supertaf which uses the mechanism
for advertising purposes. We are hopeful that the means of sending free electronic
greetings will not detract from sales of our real cards, which are really a
different thing altogether, and we are very pleased to offer this free service
to our visitors. The first card was created and uploaded earlier today but I
am hopeful that before too long there will be a range of options available featuring
different designs and with different occasions in mind. Here is a link to our first card

August 2003 Update

August 8th
update

In case you
scrolled past it without noticing, at the top of this page is a link to the
page where you can purchase a set of our cards. These notecards really are beautiful
and they are perfect for framing - you just drop them straight into a 7"
by 5" standard photo frame. Whether you buy them to give or as a treat
for yourself we guarantee that you will not be disappointed. Also, by buying
something from us you will be supporting the site and contributing to the cost
of maintaining and adding to it.

July 2003 Update

July 30th
update

This is not
so much an update but more a request for help in tracking down a window which
was stolen last weekend. The window in question is a 12-panel rose window featuring
a landscape scene and was made by Lamb Studios in 1903. The window had been
undergoing repair and maintenance work and was scheduled to be reinstalled on
July 28th but unfortunately the van into which it had been loaded was stolen
from Secaucus in northern New Jersey. As there were no markings on the van it
can reasonably assumed that the van itself was the target of the theft but it
is quite possible that the thieves may try to sell the window to a dealer. Should
anyone who reads this hear of a window being offered for sale which might be
this one I would ask that they contact me via the details on the 'contact us'
page or call Don Samick, President of Lamb Studios on 1-877-700-LAMB.

If you are
a returning visitor to the site then you will probably have noticed the appearance
of some advertisements. I did originally hope to be able to maintain the site
without resort to advertising but, alas, economic necessity dictates otherwise.
The particular brand of advertising which is marketed by Google promises 'relevant'
advertising and it is entirely passive - if you are not interested then simply
do not click on it. I promise faithfully that I will not ever sign up for any
'pop-up' or 'pop-under' advertising which I personally find extremely irritating.
As for the Google ads the jury is still out and I will be closely monitoring
how they impact the aesthetic appeal of the site.

June 2003 Update

June 21st
update

The bad news
is that anything involving outdoor sales this summer has proven to be a washout,
literally, due to the weather pattern we have been experiencing here in New
Jersey. My two attempts at showing and selling prints were to have been the
Denville Fair and the Madison Art Fair and both were major flops. The Madison
one was even cancelled before starting as the rain was so bad.

The good
news is that we have launched a line of notecards and they are proving to be
a real winner. The cards are made of heavy, acid-free card-stock and are slightly
off-white. An actual, individual photograph is sealed behind a window in the
card which can act as a mat if the card is later framed. The cards are blank
inside and each one comes with a matching envelope and is individually packaged
in a clear, resealable, archival envelope. We are using actual photographs and
they look superb. The entire card measures about 7" x 5" so as to
fit straight into a standard frame and the actual 'mat opening' for the photograph
is about 4 3/4" x 3 1/4". So far the cards are being sold to a number
of book and card shops within northern New Jersey and to Epstein's, the highly
prestigious 100 year-old department store in Morristown. However, for those
who do not have easy access to northern New Jersey I am hoping to soon set up
the means of buying the cards via the website as well as greatly increasing
geographical coverage in terms of conventional stores.

One of the
big attractions with the cards is the wide range of potential uses to which
they can be put. Clearly the nativity scenes have potential to make nice Christmas
cards and similarly there are other designs which will match other important
times such as Easter. However there are also other possibilities such as giving
a card with St Luke to a doctor for whom St Luke is the Patron Saint. Similarly
an image of St Catherine of Alexandria is appropriate for a teacher. Some of
the Tiffany angels representing, say, Peace, Charity or Hope can also be used
to convey appropriate sentiments in certain situations. Overall these are bright,
colourful and beautiful images and when incorporated into a notecard they become
more like a gift than just a card. Several people have commented that these
are cards which people will buy for themselves as well as to give to others.

I only hope
that we can adequately convey to visitors to the website just how high the quality
of these cards really is. Whenever I show the actual cards to people who are
able to hold them and appreciate just how heavy the paper stock is and feel
the thick texture of the card and the envelope with its ragged edged flap they
take no convincing whatsoever. From that standpoint the cards actually sell
themselves. However, whether we will be able to convince people online is something
which remains to be seen but we will, of course, give our no-quibble, money-back,
guarantee if for any reason anyone is dissatisfied.

I am hoping
to get the online ordering mechanisms in place before the end of the month but
if anyone reading this is impatient then please email me via the 'contact' link.

May 2003 Update

May
16th update

The
website is due to be featured in the New Jersey 'Star Ledger' on May 22nd in
the 'Essex Towns' section. I was interviewed earlier in the week by Carmen Juri,
a reporter from the paper, and was then photographed by Tony Cho 'on location'
at St Luke's Episcopal Church in Montclair.

I
am continuing to find and photograph new windows. Last week I took pictures
of a very nice Tiffany window in St Peter's Church in Morristown. I will need
to obtain permission from the church before posting any of the pictures online
but I am hoping that they will be supportive. There are two churches in Ridgewood
whose windows I am planning to shoot just as soon as I have the right combination
of my availability and favourable weather conditions.

On
June 7th I will be exhibiting some work in the Art on Waverly show in Madison,
New jersey. This is an outdoor show with booths around Waverly Place and I understand
that it is usually very well-attended.

On
June 14th the Montclair Historical Society has arranged a guided tour of several
of Montclair's historic places of worship. The tour will end at St Luke's Episcopal
Church where a small reception will take place and I have agreed to show some
of my work to those attending, with particular emphasis on the local churches
in which I have photographed.

April
6th update

This is just
to mention that if you can get to northern New Jersey and are interested in
seeing some actual prints of this work there are a few retail outlets where
examples may be found and these are listed here

March 2003 Update

March
7th update

Today's
news is the addition of a new folder of work which features the windows of Calvary
Episcopal Church in Summit, New Jersey. This church has some fine windows by
the London firm, Powell, whose mark is a cloaked monk. There is a very colourful
and particularly fine set of windows to the left and right and above the altar
by an as-yet-unknown maker, possibly also Powell. For Tiffany-lovers the crowning
glory is undoubtedly the rose window which is above the west wall. It is a beautiful
work featuring 8 angels radiating from a centre-piece containing a dove and
each angel is carrying a scroll bearing one of the Beatitudes. This is an excellent
window for demonstrating what a camera and good film can see which the naked
eye can not. The window is fairly high up and even in the afternoon sun is still
somewhat dark. Though it is certainly possible to appreciate the overall beauty
of the window there is much fine detail which is lost to the average human eye
but which the camera can capture. There are 84 images of the windows in Calvary
Episcopal Church.

March
8th addendum: This morning I received notification that the east window set
and one of the windows in the baptistry in Calvary Episcopal Church are the
work of Henry Holiday, one of the most accomplished stained glass artists of
the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The window in the baptistry dates from
around 1902 and the east window set is said to date from 1919-20. I received
this confirmation from Peter Cormack of the William Morris museum in London,
who is a leading expert in stained glass of that period and who immediately
recognised these windows as the work of Holiday and was able to find references
to them in published works. For my part I knew that they were exceptional works
but I did not connect them with Holiday and could see no markings on them. Also,
because they are so colourful and in such excellent condition I found it difficult
to judge their age.

Henry Holiday undertook many commissions for clients in the US. Noteworthy examples
include the memorial window for Robert E. Lee in St Paul's Episcopal Church
in Richmond, windows in Harvard and Drew Universities and windows in The Church
of the Incarnation in New York City. The largest body of his work which I have
personally seen in one place is the set of windows in Trinity College Cambridge
which includes over 120 full length figure studies featuring prominent religious
and historic figures through the ages. A brief biography
will provide a little more information about him, including
his connections with Morris, Burne-Jones and ties to the English Lake District.

February
23rd update

This
week has been overshadowed by the sudden and unexpected passing of Eric's father,
Bernard Falk. In case you are unaware Eric is our webmaster without whose painstaking
efforts this website would still be a pipedream instead of the reality which
it has become.

Bernard
Falk was only 71 and his death came as a great shock to Eric, his brother and
to other close family and friends. I did not know him personally but, based
on the attendance at his funeral and the many great things which were said about
him there, he is someone who will be greatly missed by many and for a very long
time.

The
eulogy which was delivered by Rabbi Herman at the funeral was especially memorable
for it's sincerity and it was truly moving. It included a very poignant poem
which I think that it would be appropriate to share and it may be found via
this link

March
21st update

I
have just added a folder of pictures of the windows in Central Presbyterian
Church, Summit and to make these new folders easier to access I will leave links
to them at the top of this page. Eventually there will be links to these from
the home page but that is delayed pending other changes which are planned. These
four folders now add just under 200 new images to the site which include some
fine and hitherto unpublished works by Tiffany Studios, Henry Holiday and Connick
studios as well as many other works both old and modern.

February 2003 Update

February
15th update

Despite
any appearances to the contrary, things are still moving along.

I had hoped that I would have been able to report changes to the way images
are uploaded and stored on the site some time ago but sadly this has not been
possible. Even today there are some i's to be dotted and t's crossed before
this is completed, but I honestly believe that we are getting close.

For
some time there has been a folder of work from St Luke's Episcopal Church in

Montclair, NJ on the site. Because this is very much a prototype with the pictures
not properly labelled and with no logos we have not included any links to it.
However, today I decided that it had simply been too long since we last provided
an update and so here is a link
I would be interested to receive feedback in terms of how the images look and
whether the thumbnails are of good sizes but please ignore the inadequate labelling,
this is just an early prototype. Any input regarding the speed of loading of
the thumbnail page would also be helpful, especially from visitors who are using
dial-up internet connections.

In
December I was priviledged to be granted permission to take photographs of the
windows in Jesus College Cambridge. I was particularly interested in seeing
and photographing these because they include some early uses of some of my favourite
Morris, Burne-Jones and Madox Brown designs. The permission was granted for
'personal use only' and on condition that I provide a copy of the pictures to
the college and I will therefore require permission before posting any of that
work online but in the meantime you can see some of the college's own pictures
at their
website In addition to the many examples of Morris glass they also
have some fine reproductions of the windows at Chartres which were made by Pugin
in the 19th century and a wooden ceiling by Morris Company in the medieval style.

More
recently I have begun work on 4 churches in New Jersey:

1.

Central Presbyterian Church in Summit which has 3 Tiffany windows amongst a
range of other works.

2.
St John's Episcopal Church in Somerville which has 4 Tiffany works, including
one landscape work which has been on loan to a museum in Brooklyn and is now
being restored.

3.
Calvary Episcopal Church in Summit which has an impressive collection of windows
by Powell of Whitechapel as well as a Tiffany rose window.

4.
Trinity Episcopal Church in Woodbridge which has, amongst others, two fine 19th
century windows by an as-yet-unidentified maker.

I
already have some results from two of these. Some of the ones from St John's
may be viewed here
. I would hope to have them all photographed by the end of
this month, weather and other time-commitments permitting.

Lastly,
this is a reminder that until we are able to resume uploading to this site we
will continue to post work temporarily on photo.net