Sash Windows Capture The History Of Romance

| Tuesday, May 24, 2011
By Peter Thompson


Sash windows are part of the architectural design of Victorian-style homes. History suggests they were invented in the mid-17th century by an English scientist and inventor, Robert Hooke. Some historians think they could have originated in Holland before their use in England. They are also mentioned in a book dating back to 1519; however, it is just a description of a window with similarities.

Openings in homes and other structures were designed to allow air and light through. Only people with considerable wealth could afford to cover those openings with framed glass. Because the glass was very thick, it was very heavy, making it difficult to open and close them. As soon as the sash was invented, it replaced the earlier style.

The usual size of a sash is four feet wide; however, there were custom designed units that were made. The movable panels that frame individual panes of glass can be opened up and down or sideways. The standard size was used in most late Victorian and Edwardian houses.

Sometime between 1676 and 1680, Chatsworth estate in England was one of the first places to have them. A few years later, in 1685, they were included in the design for the building where banquets were to be held at Whitehall. They used to be built in, becoming part of the structure until movable frames were invented.

Houses and other buildings built during the Victorian era always had this style of windows. The sash started getting a more decorative design, though. They sometimes included many panes of glass with leaded lights. After the building regulation changed in 1894, they did not have to be flush with the building.

Georgian sashes were usually two movable units, each of them divided into six panes with narrow glazing bars. They are still operational in buildings from these eras. Even in a climate with high humidity and damp weather, they seemed to resist rotting better than other types.

One of the reasons they lasted a long time, even in the humidity and dampness, is because they were set in a frame. Besides being protected from the elements, this also allowed them to be opened as little or as much as wanted. Even when it was raining heavily outside, air could flow throughout the room because they could be opened slightly.

During the Edwardian period, they were presented in bays. Medium and larger homes often had double bays or bow styles. These would typically be painted in the Queen Anne style of white.

Sash windows have long been a part of romantic scenes in films and stories. They are seen in famous paintings, such as The Milkmaid, by Johannes Vermeer. Vermeer was able to take the darkest of environments and create light with his paint. In this particular painting, the light that shines across the room is coming from a sash window.




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