Liquid Sand and Light: A Story of Stained Glass - 7/26

A Luncheon Talk by Anthony Anadio, followed by a Guided Tour of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Albany

For centuries, stained-glass windows in churches have brought together art, nature, science, spirituality, and people. With St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Albany as an example, Anthony Anadio will explain the evolution of glassmaking and the use of stained glass in churches at a luncheon on Thursday, July 26 at the National Register-listed University Club of Albany, 141 Washington Avenue at Dove Street. The buffet lunch will begin at 12:00 noon, with the presentation followed by a guided tour of the historic church at 107 State Street at 1:00 p.m.

In the 12th century, Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis wrote, “The loveliness of the many-colored gems has called me away from external cares, and worthy meditations have induced me to reflect...” According to Anadio, “Stained-glass windows are quite literally windows to the past that allow us to see a shared American and European sense of beauty and purpose.”

The distinguished history of St. Peter’s Church begins in 1704 when England’s Queen Ann founded a “Chapel of the Onondagas” to bring missionaries to North America and granted land in Albany to build an Anglican Church. The current church was built by Richard Upjohn of New York City, well-known for his Gothic Revival Style, in 1860. His son, Richard M. Upjohn added the impressive bell tower in 1876. The richly decorated interiors include work by leading artists and designers, including windows designed by the English artist Edward C. Burne-Jones and fabricated by the William Morris Company of London in 1880; the chancel windows made by Clayton and Bell of London in 1885; and the rose window over the State Street entrance made by the Tiffany Company in 1892.

Anthony Anadio is a Ph.D. candidate at the University at Albany under the direction of Warren Roberts. He is an adjunct at the University and a faculty member of Empire State College, where he teaches all periods of American and European History. Although much of his work focuses on the arts, Mr. Anadio has a deep interest in the sciences and philosophy, and is very slowly pursuing a career as a documentary filmmaker.

The cost for the luncheon and lecture is $25. Reservations are required and may be made by calling the University Club at 518-463-1151. The University Club Foundation, a 501c3 corporation, is presenting this event, which the public is invited to attend. The Foundation was formed to recognize and maintain the unique historic and architectural significance of the University Club building and property, its historic neighborhood and the city of Albany, where it has been located since its inception in 1901.