Alfred Godwin

Alfred Godwin (1850 - 1934) was one of Philadelphia's most prolific stained-glass artisans.

Career

Godwin emigrated to the United States from England in 1874 where he received training for the art of stained-and-leaded glass making. In 1891 his shop was listed in an advertisement as the address of 1325 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA. Godwin started the company "Alfred Godwin & Co." and is known to have been the creator and designer of many of the works that his studio and company executed.

His studio produced many beautiful embellishments, mostly in the form of church windows. His style was similar to John LaFarge and Louis Comfort Tiffany whom he did work under and studied under. A grouping created in 1893, that disbanded in 1895 was started by his company and several others called the "Association of Art Workers." It was a coalition similar to Tiffany's "Associated Artists" back in 1879.

From a periodical of January, 1905 called "The Architectural Record, Vol. 17," his company and his name appear as having designed all of the stained-and-leaded glass embellishments for the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, George Boldt's brain-child and masterpiece which still stands, albeit under a different name on 200 South Broad Street in Center City, Philadelphia. Much of the work he did for the Hotel was sold during liquidations and during the 40's and 50's when decorations like stained-and-leaded-glass and gilt plaster-work and wrought-iron and frosted-glass marquees were seen as anachronistic and offensive to the period. Twelve of his original transoms that graced the First/Main-Floor of the Hotel can still be seen along the building's Broad Street face. Several or so sky-lights, and a Venetian window also are extant. One of the Venetian windows (of a nymph dancing) which graced the former North/Main Staircase (both the North and South stairs are fire-exits now) disappeared during the renovations of the 1980s. One of the sky-lights is located in the wall-paneling of Starbucks Coffee which sits directly on the right-side as you enter the former Main Foyer/Lobby of the Hotel.

Godwin also designed most of the decorations of stained-glass for the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. As stated on the Pennsylvania Capitol Preservation Committee's website;

The Capitol's green and gold hemispheric opalescent glass dome in the Supreme Court Chamber was created by Alfred Godwin of Philadelphia. Godwin emigrated from England in 1874 where he had received his training in stained glass. In 1891 he ran an advertisement in the directory listing his shop address at 1325 Market Street, Philadelphia. He also produced windows for several churches including the former Presbyterian Church on Market Square in Philadelphia. It is surmised that Godwin also created the ochre stained glass windows in the rotunda's upper dome, the light court skylights, the light court lunette openings on the Capitol's fifth floor, and the decorative ceiling glass in the House and Senate galleries. All of the glasswork in these areas, along with the leaded glass skylights on the fourth floor are indicative of Godwin's style of work.

Legacy

At the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, are also collected works of his designs, and sketches, photographs and the like. Another commission he worked on was at the Henry Clay Frick Residence in Pittsburgh called "Homewood," during 1883 and designed eighteen pieces for the mansion. Of special note are the "Harvest" window and the Library windows.

Style

In style, he was like Tiffany and LaFarge. He used brilliant colors and also gemstones for added flare. Tiffany was known to use this technique in his designs and execution. Godwin used moon-stone and other semi-precious gemstones to decorate his work. Examples of this can be seen in the windows at Homewood, and twelve transoms, and a Venetian window at the Hotel Bellevue-Stratford. Godwin died in 1934, in Philadelphia. Though his studio and shop on 1325 Market Street no longer exists, much has been saved for the public to look over and enjoy of this unique artisan's life and legacy.

References

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