Like Lucy R. Woods, mentioned in a prior post, Sarah Wyman Whitman (1842-1904) taught Bible class at Trinity Church in Boston for over thirty years. She was also an accomplished artist working in multiple media, from painting to glasswork to book cover design.
She was friends with Phillips Brooks, the rector of Trinity Church. Upon his passing, she and her Sunday Bible class gifted the church with a window in his memory.
It was begun in 1895 and installed Easter, March 1896. In a letter dated March 12, 1896, Whitman writes:
“The little memorial to Mr Brooks which my Bible Class has long dreamed of, is now finished and waiting to be put up at Easter. Someday I will show you this, and meantime send a little rough sketch. The three windows are in the Parish Room where the Class meets, and as it is also used for many practical purposes, 
the windows (three giving on the cloister to the south) are kept in clear glass with jewelled flowers at the intersecting of the little frames …and then the middle one with a single device.
In the glass of course there is a depth and richness that this paper sketch little conveys.”
The window is located in the parish library, and is another hidden gem of an architectural masterpiece. If you would like to learn more about Sarah Wyman Whitman, there are some great resources available online including her letters. The Boston Public Library has put together a gallery of her book cover designs. Learn more about Trinity Church architectural tours here.
Words + Images 