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Apr 25, 2008 5:07 pm US/Pacific
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One Tank Trip: Tiffany Tour
VALLEJO (CBS13) ―
If you appreciate fine art glass, there's a little church in Vallejo that will make your eyes dance with color. I say the artist is someone you probably already know.
Saint Peter's Chapel isn't the largest or most elegant church around but it does have something no other can best.
Inside you are treated to the vision of 29 magnificent stained glass windows, truly works of art. Joyce Giles is the chapel's historian and tour guide.
"The big round one in 1930 was $2,000, the one with the purple wings in 1907," explains Joyce.
But equal to their beauty is their modern value. If you are guessing these might be Tiffany's, you are right. Many were designed and crafted by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Of 29 windows here, 16 are signed.
"The largest collection of Tiffany windows under one roof west of the Mississippi," says Joyce.
For stained glass artists, this chapel is well known all over the world and they come here to study it.
Tiffany had a way with hues and shading and windows like this made by another studio even with Tiffany trained artists can't equal the master.
"It was very much a Tiffany influenced window, but they couldn't match his color," Joyce said.
The navy department spend $5,000 building this inter denominational church on Mare Island in 1901. Most of the windows were paid for by donations to commemorate famous sailors.
Today, the chapel is open by appointment for tourists like Jim and Elizabeth Anderson.
"Oh, it's incredible; we've been to churches all over the world haven't we Jim? It's kind of our thing," says Elizabeth.
On a sunny day, the colors infuse the interior of the chapel in a magical glow. The windows are protected outside by bulletproof plastic but no artificial lighting is used. So plan your visit when the sun is vibrant and these windows are dancing with color.
And as you might guess, the most popular use today for the chapel is for weddings.
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