So This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas is such an infectious feeling I like to feel that way all year around.

So if you are visiting just before Christmas, just after Christmas or even here on Christmas day I am sure you will find something of interest for you and in the spirit of Christmas.

It may be said that Christmas is no longer a celebration but this must be spoken by people that have never had trouble closing their eyes on Christmas Eve in an expectation of what maybe left for them on the carpet under the tree.

I continue to look forward to the surprise on my Grandchild's faces to this day at Christmas events.

Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

Friday, April 20, 2012

Sash Windows Are Historical And Romantic

By Bradley James


Georgian or Victorian style homes are not complete without sash windows. Historians cannot agree on an exact date, but most of them think they were first used in the middle of the 17th century. Robert Hooke, an English scientist and inventor, has received credit for their design, although some people claim they originated in Holland.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, glass windows were a luxury for the wealthy. The glass was heavy and thick. It was encased in a frame that hung from the side of an opening and was difficult to open and close. The sash was designed when the builder set the casement inside a frame, which quickly replaced the other style.

They have movable panels that frame individual panes of glass and are opened either vertically or horizontally. There is a standard width of four feet that is seen in many late Victorian and Edwardian houses; however, any size can be custom built, as was in older homes with handmade units.

One of the first places they were installed was at the Chatsworth estate between 1676 and 1680. In 1685, they were used in the design at the Banqueting house at Whitehall. Movable frames were eventually invented which allowed them to be installed instead of becoming part of the structure.

Before the English Building Act of 1894, they had to be flush against the opening in the wall. The new regulation changed the architectural design, which led to the sashes becoming more decorative. Some Victorian era homes have sashes with multiple panes of glass with leaded lights installed in window openings.

Sashes designed during the Georgian era were generally made of two movable pieces. Those were both divided into six panels with glazing bars. The humid and damp climate will eventually damage anything made of wood. There seemed to be less damage to this style of window than in others.

They last longer because the sash protects the encasement that holds the glass panes. The ability to open and close vertically or horizontally provides another advantage; air ventilation is more easily controlled.

The Queen Anne style of painting them white was popular. The bays that are seen in homes today originated during the Edwardian period. During that time, many larger sized homes had double bays.

Many romantic scenes from popular novels and films would not be the same without the sash windows. The 17th century Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer, included one in his painting of a milkmaid in the early morning light. The estimated date of this is 1658.




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