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Apertures with rebates corresponding to the dimensions of each framed stained glass panel are cut into the false wall. The framed panels are placed into their apertures from behind the false wall and held in place with wooden beading.įigure 2.
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Ideally a false wall will be built far enough out from the existing gallery wall to allow the stained glass to be installed from behind it. For irregularly-shaped panels, thin black aluminium infills are fitted under the flanges of the perimeter leads to fill the spaces between the stained glass and the rectangular frame.įalse walls are often constructed for displaying stained glass in temporary exhibitions and permanent galleries. The construction of the frame also allows for an additional piece of Perspex/Makrolon to be placed in front of the panel, which is necessary when it is displayed at a low level without a physical barrier. The stained glass panel and its backing sheet are held in place with L-section brackets and screws so the frames can be removed easily without causing any stress or damage to the objects. False wall display in the Whiteley Sacred Silver & Stained Glass Galleries (Photography by V&A Photographic Studio) (click image for larger version)Īfter a stained glass panel has been placed in its frame, a piece of clear Perspex ® or Makrolon ® is placed directly behind it to provide added support. Their use also provides consistency for gallery and exhibition designers and enables appropriately trained technicians and curators to handle the panels safely and confidently without always requiring the presence of a stained glass conservator.įigure 1. The Stained Glass Conservation Studio devised these frames to protect and support the panels during installation, display, storage and transport. Since the mid-1980s, the V&A's stained glass objects have been mounted in handmade L-section frames constructed from light aluminium alloy and painted black using a low-gloss polyester powder coating before going on display at the Museum or in external venues. Artificially lighting stained glass at a suitable level provides a further challenge for designers because stained glass was designed to be illuminated by natural light, which changes throughout the day as well as the seasons. It is not unusual for one object to consist of multiple panels that need to be supported individually. The majority of the stained glass panels in the V&A's collection were originally part of a building's architecture and as such they can be large and heavy. Stained glass is considered to be one of the more difficult objects to display in a museum, not because it needs strict environmental conditions but because it involves far more than placing it inside a case, hanging it on a wall or moving it into the correct position on the floor.