Acid flashed glass window.

The window comprises eight rectangular similarly sized pieces each composed of laminated ruby, blue and neutral flashed glass, the colours acided out where necessary to depict St. John the Baptist standing in the act of blessing. He holds the cross in the angle formed by his left elbow and blessing left hand. In his right he has the emblem of the Lamb and Flag. Over his nimbus are some stylised clouds.

Given by Francis Spear.

Made for the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society show for 1938. The colour on the flashed glass was removed with hydrofluoric acid by John Barker.
79/2051
Notes in RP: Spear rang on 18 January 1978 and offered this window to the Museum.
(date?) Letter from Francis Spear to Pinkham: Thank you for your letter of 29 May 1979. The Arts Council have been in touch with me about the St. John the Baptist window and the loan of this window to them has been arranged...The business of this loan is in the hands of Andrew Dempsey, Assistant-Director/London Exhibitions....Returning to window of Saint John the Baptist made by the acid method. I made the sketch and full sizes, but I was assisted in the actual hydro-flouric work by John Barker. This part of the work was far from pleasant job. I feel that John Barker should be given a credit for this part of the work. I have not hear of him for years; he may not be still with us but if he is it would be best to make some reference to him as craftsman.
(date?) Letter from Francis Spear to Pinkham: ...The description of the method of making this panel of Saint John the Baptist is that each section consists of 3 sheets of flash sheet glass - Ruby sheet, Flash Blue sheet and Flash Neutral sheet. This latter is very helpful as the Neutral is a valuable foil to the Ruby and Blue. These flash glasses have the colour acided off to make a pattern rather like cutting a wood block or lino. The actual acid work was done by John Baker [sic]....The section of the Lamb of God has a fourth sheet - one of yellow....

C.33-1980