By Robin GOLDSWORTHY

In this age it’s uncommon to find true artisans, those who not only take pride in their work but also understand that they are making more than a utilitarian piece of equipment – they’re establishing a legacy.

At R.D. Gibbs & Co., president Tim Gibbs knows the work he and his family does will last a lifetime – probably longer than their own – and he’s fine with that.

Gibbs is a second-generation glass man specializing in stained and painted glass. His dad, Reginald Douglas Gibbs, learned the trade in England before WWII. As a teen, he apprenticed with masters who worked on the renowned Canterbury Cathedral, one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. During the war, in an effort to protect some of the priceless windows, Gibbs was among those who scrambled to remove some from the church, which was in the flight pattern of German’s deadly bombers, and buried the windows not far away. The plan worked.

“After the war it was a matter of bringing back the windows and doing some restoration work,” Gibbs said of the early days in his father’s career.

In 1956, R.D. and his wife were invited to do glasswork in America – and the couple decided to relocate to the United States, Pasadena specifically. Over the years, they moved from Pasadena to Altadena before finally settling in Glendale.

Finding quality glass craftsmen on the west coast was challenging, which was relatively a young part of the country when compared to the east coast that boasted early development. R.D. had plenty of work.

As a young man, Gibbs said he “dabbled in Dad’s basement or garage” making his own little panels. He learned a lot through this experimentation including that he enjoyed the work. He went to work with his father when he was a little older and was at his father’s side when the Montrose studio R.D. Gibbs & Co. was opened over 40 years ago.

Over the years, Gibbs said he’s seen changes in the industry.

“Early on there were a lot of church projects,” he recalled, “but then we started picking up residential work and commercial work.”

Local businessman and resident Todd Thornbury discovered the work of R.D. Gibbs & Co., which can be seen at the La Crescenta Library and Crescenta Valley High School, and contacted the company with an idea for his own home. He wanted to install a window in a strategic part of the house that would provide light and privacy.

Gibbs said that typically a customer will approach him with a general idea that he will sketch out, using hand skills and not a computer. He added that this is part of a process that is valued by customers.

“When something is specifically designed, rather than purchased from a mass producer, something is translated from the designer to the product,” he said. “People are drawn to that uniqueness.”

Thornbury shared his respect for the quality found in an R.D. Gibbs & Co. product.

“They brought this old school talent, something you can’t find anywhere,” Thornbury said of the project the company undertook for him. “Guys like these are few and far between; they provide a true artisan talent.”

Gibbs added that it’s not just the responsibility of the company to make pretty glass. Depending on its use, there are certain technical elements that their products must withstand. For example, when R.D. Gibbs & Co. installs a skylight or dome, the demands are much different than those of a window.

“We also have to take into consideration different types of light – morning light versus evening light, for example,” Gibbs said. “You never know how the glass is going to react.” However, he added, experience helps guide their customers through the process.

That experience of working with all types of glass in all types of situations has served the company well – especially when it undertook a large-scale church job in Plano, Texas.

The company was hired to create one large window – 12’ x 22’ – and two smaller windows – 4’ x 12’.

“It was a depiction of the ascension of Christ,” Gibbs said. “It was challenging. We built the windows here in Montrose then moved them to Plano.”

As far as he knows the windows are still on display in Plano, reminding Gibbs of the legacy attached to such a project.

“They’ll last long past those who made it,” he said.

Now his own son is working in the shop and though Gibbs’ father died in 2018, his mother, who is 90 and lives locally, walks regularly to the shop to check in on things.

“At the core it’s us,” Gibbs said, “three generations.” He added that it’s “really gratifying” when his company is invited back to do another job.

Thornbury understands that desire; he hired R.D. Gibbs & Co. to install another window in his house. This one will incorporate Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon.

“It’s not just a window,” Thornbury said. “It’s a piece of art.”