Grace Episcopal Church, Lockport....................J&R Lamb Studios Windows in Western New York................Stained Glass - Table of Contents

Margreta Overbeck, J&R Lamb Studios Artist
J&R Lamb Studios, Inc. - Official Website

Photo courtesy of Donald Samick, owner J&R Lamb Studios.
Larger size below

1948 newpaper photo courtesy of Gregory Witul.
Larger size below

Detail - Ascension -
Grace Episcopal Church, Lockport, NY

Detail - Baptism
Margreta Overbeck signture on 1976 Altar and Baptism Windows in Grace Episcopal Church, Lockport, NY

Detail - St. Simon -
St. John's Grace Episcopal Church

Detail - St. Simon.
Circled M at right: Designer Margreta Overbeck.
Fabricator:
J&R Lamb Studios

"[Overbeck designed] six windows at St. John's Grace Church on Colonial Circle, Buffalo. This is the church where Gordon Guthrie executed windows."

- Donald Samick, owner J&R Lamb Studios

Telephone Interview with Margreta Overbeck, Age 96 ÷ March 6, 2006

Miss Overbeck was born in Colorado and had her early schooling in the Denver area.  She was attracted to art because her mother was very involved with art.  Margreta went to Buffalo, NY for art schooling and lived with relatives, as that was where her mother was from originally.  She was at the Albright Art Museum, and trained to become an art teacher.  She became aware of stained glass artist J. Gordon Guthrie, as there were some churches with his work in Buffalo.
 
She went to the Guthrie studio in NYC (34th Street near 3rd Ave.) and asked to work with him.  To the best of her recollection, he gave her a little space to do her own work.  The only requirement was she had to be quiet.  She didn't actually do any work on Guthrie commissions.
 
At some point she heard about J&R Lamb Studios and there may be an opening for a designer.  So on a Saturday she took a bus to the studio and found it closed, except that Colonel Lamb was there, looked at her portfolio and asked her to come to work on Monday.  According to current owner Donald Samick, Margreta worked at Lamb Studio from 1937 until 1977.
 
Her job was to do the painting on work designed by Katharine Lamb Tait, as Katherine only did the cartooning, not the actual painting.  The previous painter was a Miss Hall.
 
Katharine also had not done any glass selection, so Margreta taught her how to select the glass and then paint on glass.  They became friends rather than competitors, although the salesmen did try and pit them against each other when out getting work.
 
She did one job for Rambusch Studio in NYC, and worked with/for Bud Haley whom she had known back in Buffalo.  She tried to see many of the churches where her stained glass was installed, and does remember visiting St. James Episcopal Church in Birmingham, MI where she designed and painted the big triangular window.
 
When asked how she ended up in Santa Fe, NY, Miss Overbeck replied she had always loved the desert and Santa Fe had such a strong art community, she knew she would like it there.  Her portfolio will go to a very good friend whom she considers a ãdaughterä.

- Barbara Krueger


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