Judson Studios facts for kids
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Judson Studios
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Judson Studios, May 2008
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 200 S. Avenue 66, Highland Park, Los Angeles, California |
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| Built | 1911 |
| Architect | Train & Williams |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style American Craftsman—Bungalow |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000370 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | March 25, 1999 |
Judson Studios is a special art studio in Los Angeles. It is famous for making beautiful stained glass artwork. The studio started in the mid-1890s in downtown Los Angeles. It was founded by an English artist named William Lees Judson and his three sons.
In 1920, the studio moved to its current spot. It is still run by the Judson family today! The building where Judson Studios is located became a special historic landmark in Los Angeles in 1969. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. This means it's a very important and protected place.
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Who Was William Lees Judson?
William Lees Judson was born in 1842 in Manchester, England. He moved to the United States with his family when he was ten years old. After serving in the American Civil War, Judson studied art in New York and Paris.
He became a successful portrait painter and art teacher in Canada. In 1893, he moved to Los Angeles because he was not feeling well. He settled near the Arroyo Seco river. He loved the area right away, and it became his home for the rest of his life.
Judson joined a group of artists, sculptors, and architects called the Arroyo Guild of Craftsmen. They were a big part of the Arts and Crafts Movement in Southern California. The beautiful scenery made Judson want to paint landscapes instead of portraits. His landscape paintings were so good that he became an art professor at the University of Southern California in 1896. He even started the Los Angeles College of Fine Arts at his home. William Lees Judson passed away in 1928 in the studio building.
How Judson Studios Began
After moving to Los Angeles, William Lees Judson realized that the city needed a local studio to make stained glass. So, in 1895, he convinced his three sons—Walter H., Lionel, and Paul—to join him. They started a stained glass business together.
Their first studio was called Colonial Art Glass Co. It was located in Mott Alley, near the Old Plaza in downtown Los Angeles. In the early days, Judson Studios made stained glass for both churches and regular buildings. They even worked with famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright on his Ennis and Barnsdall Houses. Besides stained glass, the Judsons also created art using tiles and mosaics. Their work was so well-known that they even attracted talented artists from other famous studios.
The Art College and the Fire
William Lees Judson started as a professor at another art school. Later, his own art college became the USC College of Fine Arts. Judson moved the college to a building near his home in the Arroyo area in 1901. He became the Dean of the USC College of Fine Arts in 1913 and retired in 1922.
The original college building was a three-story building with an Islamic design. Sadly, in December 1910, a fire destroyed the building. Many of Judson's artworks were lost. He had to escape through a window! But he still held his classes that day under the pepper trees on the property.
A New Studio Building
After the fire, a new two-story building was built in 1911. It was designed by architects Robert Train and Robert Edmund Williams. This new building was home to the USC College of Fine Arts until 1920. When USC moved the art school to its main campus, Judson Studios moved into the building.
This new building also served as a meeting place for the Arroyo Craftsmen. This group made furniture and art for beautiful homes until World War I. They even created pieces for famous Arts and Crafts Movement architects like Greene and Greene. Well-known artists and architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright and Ernest A. Batchelder, often visited the building.
How the Studios Work
When Walter H. Judson passed away in 1934, his son Horace T. Judson took over the business. Horace was a lawyer, but he decided to continue the family's stained glass tradition. In 1940, the studios were described as a "medieval guild." This means they worked slowly and carefully, just like artists did centuries ago. Horace Judson said, "Here there is no rush. We work slowly and for perfection."
After World War II, many new churches were built in Southern California. This meant a lot of work for Judson Studios! In the 1950s, they had 30 skilled artists working there. But Horace Judson decided to limit the number of craftsmen to 15. This was to make sure they could keep their high quality. Walter Judson, Horace's son, took over in the 1970s and kept this rule. He believed that having fewer artists helped them maintain their excellent reputation.
In 1973, Walter Judson mentioned that they preferred to train their own artists. It was hard to find people who were truly dedicated to the craft. By 1981, Judson Studios was still using "the old methods." Walter Judson noted that not much had changed, except for using more electricity and higher glass costs. At that time, they used glass from all over the world, in more than 600 colors!
In 1986, the Los Angeles Times reported that nine artists worked at the studio. They used techniques that hadn't changed much since the 12th century. Walter Judson believed that modern stained-glass art was even better than the art from the 11th and 12th centuries. He said it's a unique business because they create something beautiful that will last for centuries.
While Judson Studios is mostly known for stained glass, they also create other amazing artworks. These include marble carvings, mosaics, etched glass, furniture, and other special items. As of 2017, David Judson, the great-great-grandson of William Lee Judson, is the director. He said that most of their work (85%) is for religious buildings of all kinds.
Saving a Historic Place
From 1920 to 1969, Judson Studios operated in a residential area. This meant it didn't quite fit the neighborhood rules. As a special permit was ending in 1969, the Judson family worried the city might ask them to tear down the studios.
To save the studios, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Board stepped in. With the family's help, they declared the building a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in August 1969. This meant the building was officially recognized as important to the city's history and culture. The declaration said that Judson Studios had created amazing stained glass windows for many places. It also noted that the studio had stayed in the family and greatly helped Los Angeles's art and culture. The building was later added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Amazing Judson Stained Glass Art
Over its first 100 years, Judson Studios made more than 10,000 stained-glass artworks! You can find their beautiful creations all over Southern California and the United States. Here are some examples:
- Hollyhock House and Ennis House: Judson Studios made leaded and stained glass, plus tiles, for these famous Frank Lloyd Wright homes.
- The rotunda skylight at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles.
- The "Congressional Prayer Room" at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.
- The United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
- Chapel One at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
- The Alumni Memorial Window at the Memorial Branch Library in Los Angeles. It honors high school alumni who died in World War I.
- A huge dome (107 by 35 feet) at the Tropicana Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
- The 30-foot Jewel Court Dome at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California.
- The Caesars Palace Palace Court dome in Las Vegas.
- Sun City Ginza in Tokyo, Japan.
- Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine in Orlando, Florida, which has 94 Judson stained-glass windows.
- Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles.
- St. James' Episcopal Church in South Pasadena.
- All Saints Church in Pasadena.
- First Congregational Church in Los Angeles.
- Calvary Presbyterian Church in South Pasadena (you can see it at night!).
- Westminster Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles.
- "The Life of Christ" window series at St. Barnabas Church in Eagle Rock.
- The Stanford Court Hotel in San Francisco.
- A special design with white lions and tigers for Las Vegas magicians Siegfried & Roy.
- Toluca Lake United Methodist Church in North Hollywood. Judson started making windows there in 1958 and was still installing them in 1992.
- The 36-foot high Great Window at Glendale Presbyterian Church in Glendale, California (finished in 1974). It shows a Pentecost theme with a large figure of Christ.
- The tree of life window in the Lopaty Chapel at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California. It's made from 20,000 pieces of glass!
- The Arbor of Light Radiance Corridor at the Mountain View Mausoleum in Altadena, California.
- The Diamond Head Mortuary in Honolulu, Hawaii.
- The Goldman Estate in Honolulu.
- Honolulu International Country Club.
- All Saints Episcopal Church, San Diego, where work was done between 1957 and 1967.
Church of the Resurrection
This newer artwork is Judson Studio's biggest and most challenging project. They had to invent new ways to use fused glass. They even built a new facility in South Pasadena just to complete this amazing work.
Visiting Judson Studios
The Judson Gallery often has different art exhibits that you can visit. The Studios also offer one-hour tours of their workshops and galleries. These tours cost $20 per person and happen every second Thursday of the month.
See also
