Video: Restoring Centre Block’s Memorial Chamber stained glass windows

The stained glass windows from the Memorial Chamber are being restored as part of the Centre Block rehabilitation project. The windows were carefully removed and sent to conservation specialists to perform important restoration work. This included cleaning, fixing broken pieces of glass, replacing the edge leads and re-cementing the windows.

Transcript of Restoring Centre Block’s Memorial Chamber stained glass windows

Start of video

[Music plays]

(Text on screen: Public Services and Procurement Canada)

[Close-up shot of stained glass windows in the Memorial Chamber.]

[Wide-angle shot from below of stain glass windows, vaulted ceiling and chandelier in the Memorial Chamber.]

[Close-up shot of a stained glass piece laying on a table.]

[Pan shot of stained glass windows and chandelier in the Memorial Chamber.]

The beautiful stained glass windows, installed in the late 1920s in the Memorial Chamber, were designed and hand-painted by Canadian artist Frank S.J. Hollister to honour those who sacrificed their lives in the Great War.

[Wide angled shot of large excavation pit in front of the Centre Block.]

[Shot of workers standing on scaffolding wearing personal protective equipment including white suits, safety helmets, harnesses and masks. Workers carefully remove a stained glass panel from a window frame.]

[Close-up shot of a worker carefully removing a stained glass panel from a window frame.]

[Shot of a worker placing a stained glass panel between Styrofoam pieces.]

As part of the Centre Block Rehabilitation Project, the windows have been temporarily removed in order to safeguard them during construction and to conduct important conservation work.

[Shot of a woman speaking on camera with a sample of stained glass behind her.]

(Text on screen: Kate Westbury, PSPC Heritage Lead, Centre Block Rehabilitation Project)

[Shot of two workers carefully wrapping stain glass panels in brown paper.]

[Close-up shot of a heating tool melting lead on a stained glass panel.]

[Shot of a worker taking a photograph of a stained glass panel laying on a table top. Worker is wearing personal protective equipment including a white suit, gloves, safety helmet, face mask and glasses. ]

[Shot of a woman working on a stained glass panel with other workers in the background.]

[Close-up shot of hands holding a utility knife and working on a stained glass panel.]

[Shot of a man examining a stained glass panel on a table.]

The aim for the Centre Block Rehabilitation is to take the unique opportunity that we have, while we are mobilized, to carry out all of the conservation treatments that are required in order to hand over a building that will not require significant intervention or treatment for many years to come.

[Shot of a worker kneeling on scaffolding working on a stained glass panel. The worker is wearing personal protective equipment including a white suit, safety helmet, glasses, face mask and harness.]

[Shot of two workers cutting templates of stained glass panels. Both are wearing personal protective equipment including white suits, safety helmets and face masks.]

[Shot of the Centre Block on Parliament Hill.]

A team of expert conservators has been preserving and restoring stained glass windows from the Centre Block during the rehabilitation project.

[Shot of a man speaking on camera with a sample of stained glass behind him.]

(Text on screen: Mark Thompson, Senior Heritage Glass Conservator, Traditional Glassworks)

The Memorial Chamber stained glass windows were restored in 2002 and very well done. So the work we needed to do to them was quite minimal.

[Shot of a person cleaning a stained glass panel with a bristled brush.]

[Close-up shot of hands working on a stained glass panel with a utility knife.]

[Shot of a man holding a stained glass panel and inspecting it.]

General maintenance, minimal impact conservation work.

[Shot of stained glass windows, vaulted ceiling and chandelier in the Memorial Chamber.]

[Shot of stained glass windows through decorative plaster opening.]

In the Memorial Chamber, there are three large windows, each with 50 to 60 panels and the same conservation process was applied to each one.

[Shot of a man wiping and cleaning a stained glass panel.]

Upon arrival, conservators documented each panel and gave them a good cleaning using distilled water and a mild soap.

[Shot of a man fixing a stained glass panel.]

[Close-up shot of a hand with a pair of pliers fixing a stained glass panel.]

[Close-up shot of a heating tool melting lead on a stained glass panel.]

Then all the edge leads, which had become corroded over the years, were removed and replaced with new ones.

[Shot of a man using a pair of pliers on a stained glass panel.]

The team also carefully worked to repair or replace any broken pieces of glass.

[Shot of two people repairing pieces of stained glass windows.]

[Shot of a woman wiping a small piece of stained glass.]

[Shot of a man fixing a piece of stained glass with a pair of pliers.]

As conservators our main job is to hold on to as much of the original fabric as possible. So we have kind of an established hierarchy of responses that we have for broken glass and glass conservators everywhere follow the same approach.

[Shot of a man holding up a stained glass panel and placing it on a ledge in front of the window.]

The ideal thing is when you can have all the fragments and you can glue them back together with a special glass epoxy. It’s optically clear and very strong.

[Close-up shot of a hand scouring a stained glass panel.]

[Close-up shot of a hand cleaning dried out putty from a stained glass panel.]

The final step was to re-cement the windows. This process included removing and replacing any dried out putty.

[Close-up shot of a hand with a small brush cleaning the lead finish on a stained glass panel.]

They were given a final clean and linseed oil was applied to help protect the lead from oxidizing.

[Shot of a stained glass panel that has been labelled with a man working in the background.]

[Shot of a worker drilling screws into a crate with the words FRAGILE on it.]

[Shots of crates and shelves inside storage warehouse.]

[Shot of stained glass windows in the Memorial Chamber.]

The windows were documented once again, then crated and shipped to an offsite facility where they will be stored until they are ready to be reinstalled in the Memorial Chamber.

[Shot of a man speaking on camera with a sample of stained glass behind him.]

[Close-up shot of brushstroke details of a stained glass window.]

For me the best part of restoring the Memorial Chamber windows has been seeing the work of Frank Hollister up close, the glass painting. To see the way his hand moved, to see the quality of it up close, to learn from what he’s done, for me has been the best part.

[Shot of four stained glass windows in the Memorial Chamber.]

[Close-up shot of details of a stained glass window.]

[Close-up shot of brushstroke details of stained glass window.]

[Close-up shot of brushstrokes of a stained glass window.]

My favourite part of this project specifically has been just being given the opportunity to get up close and personal with something that you typically view and appreciate from a distance. There’s nothing quite like being able to see the brush strokes of an artist.

[Shot of workers wearing personal protective equipment removing portions of a stained glass window.]

[Shot of a worker in personal protective equipment working on a stained glass through a sculptured opening.]

[Shot of a stained glass window in the Memorial Chamber.]

[Shot of the Centre Block.]

[Shot of a Canadian flag waving in the wind in front of the Peace Tower.]

The ongoing work within this iconic building ensures the Centre Block will continue to serve Canada and Canadians for generations to come.

(Text on screen: Check us out: facebook.com/PSPC.SPAC, instagram.com/pspc_spac, twitter.com/pspc_spac, youtube.com/PWGSCanada)

[Music stops]

(Public Services and Procurement Canada signature)

(Canada Wordmark)

End of video

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