NSA Lecture: A Grave Discovery: Surveying 1,000 Windows at Woodlawn Cemetery

Lectures are held in Kaufman Theater at 11 a.m., with refreshments served in Huber Court at 10:30 a.m.

Through the generous support of our members, the Norfolk Society of Arts offered world-class lectures to the vibrant Hampton Roads community that are free and open to the public. The NSA’s free lecture series was established in the 1950s and continues to bring notable curators, historians, architects, journalists, professors, and others to the Chrysler Museum of Art. Consider becoming a member today.

Founded in 1863, Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, New York, is recognized as one of the United States of America’s most historically significant properties. Woodlawn is also home to one of the country’s most comprehensive stained glass collections, containing over 1,200 windows spanning more than 150 years by such renowned artists as Louis Comfort Tiffany, John La Farge, and Edward Sperry. The collection is (mostly) original and unique, illustrating changing tastes in stained glass and burial traditions during the 19th and 20th centuries. The diverse conditions, timeline, and variety of known and unknown artists create the perfect backdrop for the most extensive stained glass survey ever undertaken in the US.‌

This lecture will describe the art historical and conservation approach to this enormous project.

Brianne Van Vorst is the principal of the consulting firm, Liberty Stained Glass Conservation. She worked as part of one of Britain’s oldest stained glass firms; the York Glaziers Trust where she worked as part of the team conserving York Minster’s Great East Window (1405-1408). Brianne holds professional memberships with the Corpus Vitrearum Medi Aevi: International Committee for the Care of Stained Glass, Association for Preservation Technology, New York Landmarks Conservancy, Partners for Sacred Spaces, the American Glass Guild, and the Stained Glass Association of America. She received an MA in Stained Glass Conservation and Cultural Heritage Management (Historic Preservation) at the University of New York.