A stained-glass window dedicated to Confederate soldiers from the University of Alabama
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- Legacies Classification
- Memorial Type
- Memorial Context
- Memorialized Subject
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- Background and Context
- Physical Description
- Memorial Inscription
- Creator/Participating Person(s)
- Date created, installed or dedicated
- Date Modified
- Historical Period
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- Location: Institution, City, State
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Memorial Object
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Object
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Confederate cadets from the University of Alabama
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A stained-glass window dedicated to Confederate soldiers from the University of Alabama
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“A Stained-Glass Tiffany Knight” is a window that was created by Louis C. Tiffany in 1925 and commissioned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy (U.D.C.) for placement on The University of Alabama campus. The man pictured in the window was symbolic of the U.D.C’s image of an ideal Christian knight, and the goal of the window was to act as a memorial for student cadets served in the Confederate Army. The University of Alabama held an internal ceremony to unveil the window, and attendees included students, Tuscaloosa natives, the university glee club, members of the U.D.C., and eight Confederate veterans, one being Governor B.B. Comer. The window was accepted by President George Denny on behalf of the University of Alabama. The ceremony included various speeches, including Dr. Denny. He described how proud he was of the Confederate veterans and congratulated them on their achievements. The glee club sang old war songs of the Confederacy including “Dixie!” The ceremony took place at the original Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library (present day Carmichael Hall). In 1939, it was moved to the newly built, and current, Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library. In 1993, it was moved to Hoole Special Collections, where is resides today. The stained-glass window is not associated with any current occasions observed by the University, but it does receive constant interaction from its placement in Hoole. It is on clear display upon entry.
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In the center of the stained-glass window stands a knight. The top circle of the left pane displays the Alabama state and Confederate battle flags. Within the bottom circle is a tuft of cotton, with the words “Live, Pray, Think, Dare, Love.” The top circle of the right pane shows the Alabama state and Confederate States of America (CSA) flags again. The bottom circle contains the United Daughters of the Confederacy emblem and a CSA flag. The window is made of opalescent glass—a combination of white milk glass and colorful metal glass. Tiffany’s original technique, called drapery glass, created the pink and purple color of the Knight’s robe by kneading hot glass together. The plating technique with different colored glass created the knight’s chainmail. Mottled and confetti glass gave the window the effect that light was shining through. Lastly, the knight’s face was hand painted to portray a realistic look.
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The inscription on the bottom, center pane reads: “As crusaders of old they fought their heritage to save / To the cadets of April 3, 1865 and all confederate soldier-students of the University 1860–1865 / Placed by the Alabama division, United Daughters of the Confederacy, A.D. 1925 / con amore [with love].” The inscription on the bottom left pane reads “suaviter in modo fortiter in re” (translation “gentle in manner, resolute in deed”). The inscription on the bottom right panel reads “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” (translation “it is sweet and noble to die for one’s country”).
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Tiffany Co. Studios
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Tiffany, Louis C.
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22 October 1925
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1993
Position: 395 (16 views)