Morse's Stained Glass Windows at the Larchmont Yacht Club - 1897



Slowly but steadily, more information about Alice C. Morse's career as a stained-glass designer is being revealed. Browsing through the Metropolitan Museum of Art's online resources I found mention of windows I had never heard of before -- this article about a suite of stained-glass windows that Morse designed for the Larchmont Yacht Club's Women's Room, in 1897. A query has been made to determine if the windows still exist and I have been told that they do, so hopefully you will soon see actual photographs of the windows.

From the picture below, you can form an idea of what Morse's garland design windows might look like. Since the type is so small, I've transcribed the part of the article that describes the windows below.  

New-York Tribune, June 5, 1897, pg. 5

Windows Designed by a Woman. Some Gifts to the Larchmont Yacht Club- New Decorations in the Women’s Room

The women’s room in the Larchmont Yacht Club, through the generosity of one of its members, is being transformed into one of the most charming rooms of this artistic clubhouse. … The same club member has also put in four opalescent glass windows to add to the decoration of the room. These lights consist of three transoms over the main window and a transom over the door. They are the work of Miss Alice Morse, who has added to her distinction in the book-cover field a reputation for thoroughly artistic work in several lines of decoration-notably stained glass, embroideries and zinc etching.

Miss Morse spent four years designing for stained glass in the Tiffany Glass Company, and as a result has a thorough grasp of the practical necessities as well as the artistic possibilities of this art. There are several examples of her work in and about New-York. She not only makes the preliminary sketch herself, but she also executes the working, drawing and choosing every piece of glass.

The general color scheme of the above-mentioned window is a warm one, the background being of a purplish hue, with green opal tints. The jewels in the garlands are amber and are what tare technically known as “broken” jewels, as are also the green jewels in the border.

There is a touch here and there of strong blue, to accent the opalescent effect of the whole. Miss Morse’s color sense is sure and her work graceful in line, and well thought out. We give illustrations of the mantel and three of the windows-two of the group of three window transoms-and the door transom.