Stanford Memorial Church

Jane Stanford built this church as a memorial to her husband Leland Stanford on the campus of the university that they had founded. The Romanesque building was designed by architect Charles A. Coolige in 1898 and dedicated in 1903.

The original church facade in 1903 before the earthquake.

The Stanfords traveled extensively in Europe and they brought their love of art and architecture back to California, where Mrs. Stanford incorporated a Byzantine style into the decorations of the church. Antonio Paoletti created original watercolor paintings upon which Salviati - under the direction of Maurizio Camerino - made the mosaic decorations for both the interior and exterior. Paoletti previously designed the scenes for the Stations of the Cross at the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola in New York, which Salviati also made into mosaics.

The mosaic work on the Stanford Memorial Church began in 1900, took five years to complete, and cost $97,000. Jane Stanford was heavily involved in approving the designs and Salviati mosaicist Lorenzo Zampato supervised the in-studio manufacture in Venice, as well as the installation in California.

Unfortunately, the church was subsequently damaged in two earthquakes - first in 1906 and then later in 1989.

Exterior damage caused by the 1906 earthquake.

Interior damage caused by the 1906 earthquake.

Camerino had the Salviati firm restore the mosaics between 1913 and 1917. Because the original designs were kept, some were reproduced in their original form, while others were modified.

The north facade today.

The mosaic of The Last Supper in the chancel is a reproduction Roselli's fresco in the Sistine Chapel.

Sources:
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008.
Sinai and Sons
Wikipedia
National Parks Service on Wikimedia Commons
Frank Davey on Wikimedia Commons
The Bankcroft Library
Eric Chan (Maveric2003) on Flickr
Ed Bierman on Flickr
Typeaux on Panoramio

St. Stephen's Church, Philadelphia

Built 1822-23, this Episcopal church was designed by architect William Strickland in the emerging Gothic revival style.

The original reredos in 1860.

The church underwent extensive renovations in 1878 under the direction of Frank Furness and it was at this time that it was decorated in the high Victorian style.

Henry Holiday designed the cartoon for the altar reredos that was completed in July 1888 and unveiled in January 1889. Measuring twelve by five feet, it was executed mostly by Salviati's mosaicists, although all of the heads were personally done by Holiday and his wife. It contains over 180,000 tesserae depicting The Last Supper and it is very similar to Holiday's reredos in St. Chad's Church in Kirkby, England.

Incidentally, the church was built on the site where Benjamin Franklin famously flew his kite.

Sources:
Wright, John. Some notable altars in the Church of England and the American Episcopal Church. New York: The MacMillan Company, 1908. 277.
St. Stephen's Church History 
Philly Church Project
Wikipedia

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

This Romanesque style church in Milwaukee was designed by architect Edward Townsend Mix and built in 1884.

The marble and mosaic Salviati reredos of 1890-91 was originally located under the apse mural of three stylized angels.

The altar reredos was dismantled after a December 1950 fire, which seriously damaged the chancel and its furnishings.

The mosaic panels from the dismantled reredos were relocated in 1953 to niches on the liturgical west wall of the nave. 

Following renovations in 2012, the worship space was restored to more closely resemble the design before the fire. That included the installation of a new organ in the apse using much of the old Hook and Hastings pipes, the removal of transept walls added after the fire, the closing of the apse that replaced the altar and reredos of the original church, and moving the cross and altar into the area formerly the choir stalls.

The church will be celebrating its 175th Anniversary later this year.

Sources:
Wikipedia
Barr, Sheldon. Venetian Glass Mosaics: 1860-1917. London: Antique Collectors' Club, 2008. 126.
Historical American Building Survey: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1969
Pipe Organ Database
Paul McClure DC's flickr Photostream
Ship of Fools
Beyer Construction
A special thanks to Steve Teague, Rector at St. Paul's Episcopal Church Milwaukee for personally providing both additional information about the reredos, as well as the photographs of the mosaics themselves.

Church of the Ascension, Chicago

The church building has been standing in its present location since 1867. St. Faith's Chapel was added in 1874 by John Addison and it included a new sacristy with a marble altar and reredos.

Salviati made the mosaics on the tabernacle door and the panels on the 1893 altar that was designed by Edward J.N. Stent.

Agnus Dei or Lamb of God in the middle, surrounded by the four Evangelists.

The Crucifixion in mosaic on the Tabernacle door.

 

Sources:
Wright, John. Some notable altars in the Church of England and the American Episcopal Church. New York: The MacMillan Company, 1908. 355.
Giles, George C. History of the Church of the Ascension, Chicago, Illinois 1857-1982.
Church of the Ascension's flickr Photostream
S. Smith Photography
Inner Light Radiant Life

Old South Church, Boston

Heavily influenced by British architectural critic John Ruskin, this church was built 1873-75 by Charles Amos Cummings and Willard T. Sears in the Venetian Gothic style, including a campanile (or tall tower), interior designs borrowed from the Doge's Palace, and a dome reminiscent of those of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice.

In addition to Salviati mosaics, the interior contains stained glass by both Louis Comfort Tiffany, as well as Clayton and Bell.

The east chancel wall has two doors that are crowned by Salviati mosaics featuring the tree of life and other floral motifs. They were already in place by 1875.

The third Salviati mosaic originally was located on the exterior of the church, above the main entrance. It was relocated to its current position in the vestibule when the tower was rebuilt 1922-37.

Sources:
Wikipedia
Old South Church
Sanctuary Virtual Tour