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Dale Lott
Hatteberg's People
Reporter: Larry Hatteberg
October 24, 2004-On Hatteberg’s People – In one man’s life, high-tech doesn’t exist. Dale Lott is a Wichita craftsman who repairs some of the most famous ancient windows in Kansas.
“I’ve been doing this for 30 years and I guess it’s the only thing I know how to do.”
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Surrounded by images of the ages, Dale Lott works in a small shop in South Wichita recreating masterful works of stained glass that have been damaged by wind and time.
“This here was really a challenge and I enjoyed doing it. Particularly I guess because on this job is the mastery of the art work and how closely and tightly things fit together.”
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On the Western plains of Kansas in the tiny community of Victoria, is the church known as the Cathedral of the Plains or St.
Fidelis. A few months ago, winds clocked at 125 miles an hour blew out portions of the impressive stained glass windows. |
“Well, you have to go to the church in Victoria and see it. They are simply stunning. Being responsible for rebuilding these windows is a substantial undertaking.”
Dale Lott had done work here before and was chosen to restore the broken pieces.
“The only advantage I have over the people who did this in medieval times is I have an electric soldering iron.”
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It’s painstaking work, taking out the old lead, putting in new…repainting new glass to match the old.
The artwork on this stuff is simply fantastic. When you do restoration work on pieces like this I deem it my responsibility to give them a piece of glass back that is indistinguishable from the original. Literally! I even reproduce factory errors.”
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The glass was originally designed and built by the Munich Art Glass Company in Germany and installed in 1916.
“If you don’t know how to pick these things up properly you can do substantial
damage to them." |
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Last week Dale finished his work on the damaged portion and completed the reinstallation.
“I say that is a mighty attractive window…very nice.” |
| And once again the Cathedral of the Plains becomes whole….as craftsman from the future, make sure the work of the past lives on for a new generation. |
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