Gold Transom Address: Mastering the Art of Gilding

Gold Transom Address: Gilded Glass Numbers in Washington, DC

Gold Transom Address in Washington, DC

We gilded this 308 gold transom address in the District of Columbia, and it shows how gilding on glass makes a house number stand out. Designs & Signs works from Edgewater, Maryland, and we gild numbers on every kind of transom glass in the area.

How We Gild a Transom Address

We start by cleaning the glass thoroughly, because debris on the surface can ruin the gilding once it begins. Next, we place the outline of the address on the glass. We center it horizontally, because anyone looking from the street will notice if it is off. We also place the address slightly above the vertical center. People view it from a lower height than the transom, so this keeps it looking balanced. Then we lay the gold leaf onto the glass using traditional gilding. After that, we cover it with black backup paint and wipe away the excess gold around the design. The result is a finished gold transom address.

History of Verre Églomisé

The term verre églomisé comes from the name of Jean-Baptiste Glomy, an 18th-century French decorator and art dealer who lived from 1711 to 1786. At first, gilding on glass was a fairly simple process. Glomy’s technique combined plain color and gilding to decorate glass picture frames. Over the past few centuries, people have used his name for nearly any process involving back-painted and gilded glass.

Craftsmen have back-painted glass since pre-Roman times. One of the key periods of this art came in Italy between the 13th and 16th centuries. In addition, artisans across Europe used it beginning in the 15th century. It often appears on decorative mirror panels and clock faces. More recently, it shows up in window signs, such as addresses and advertising mirrors.