Volume 2, Issue 2, Spring 2000

Restoration of Printers' Mark Panels

Since it was built in 1926, one of the most unusual and beautiful features of the Main Library building has been the display of its Printers' Mark panels. These beautifully colored glass designs recently have been restored and preserved for the benefit of all Library users.

Twenty-seven stained glass panels adorn windows in the Reference Room and above the grand staircases. Each 8-by-16-foot design recreates the mark or emblem of a prominent Renaissance printer, and its corners contain a reproduction of a watermark commonly used by paper manufacturers at that time. Selected primarily for their historical significance, the marks represent printers from Italy, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, France, England, and Scotland.

Last fall the Printers' Mark panels were removed from the Library's windows for cleaning and restoration. A local business, Glass FX, repaired moisture damage and enclosed each panel in a protective glass case. The project was completed in March, and the panels were returned to their windows in all the glory of their original magnificence.