Katharine Lamb Tait

Katharine Lamb Tait (3 June 1895 – 11 August 1981) was an American stained glass and mosaics designer, painter, muralist, and illustrator. She was the head designer at J&R Lamb Studios for more than four decades, and created notable commissions for the Tuskegee Institute Chapel and for chapels at the United States Marine Corps’ Camp Lejeune, among others.

Early life Katharine Lamb was born on June 3, 1895, to Charles Rollinson Lamb and Ella Condie Lamb in Alpine, New Jersey. Charles was an architect and designer, and was president of J&R Lamb Studios and the Stained Glass Association of America. Ella was an award-winning artist and stained glass designer. Her first commercial work as an artist was for the Fleishman Company in New York City, where she was employed in the advertising department.

Career Design drawing for the Froelich Memorial Window in the Newark Museum by Katherine Lamb Tait, J&R Lamb Studios, c. 1927.

In 1921, Tait joined her family's company, J&R Lamb Studios. She designed stained glass windows, mosaics, and other ecclesiastical art, including altar crosses, candlesticks, stone lettering, and woodwork for choir stalls and pulpits. Tait designed both sets of windows over the course of almost two years.

She continued to work full-time as the head designer until 1979, and was the last member of the Lamb family to work at the firm. She designed more than 1,000 commissions over the course of her career.

Selected works Arts Education, Hugo B. Froelich Memorial Window, donated by the Manual Training Teachers of Newark to the Newark Museum, Newark, New Jersey, 1927. Singing Window, Tuskegee Institute Chapel, Tuskegee, Alabama, 1932 United States Marine Corps' Protestant and Catholic Chapels at Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, North Carolina, 1948 (Protestant chapel: all nave, rose & entry windows; Catholic chapel: all nave) First Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia, 1949 (all nave) Presbyterian Church, Lapeer, Michigan, 1951 and 1970 (12 windows) Mariners Church, Detroit, Michigan, c. 1955 (all) St. James Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia, 1961 (3 nave) St. Paul Episcopal Cathedral, Buffalo, New York, 1961-1962 (clerestory) Calvary Methodist Church, Dumont, New Jersey, c. 1970 (20+ windows) St. John's Episcopal Church, Hollywood, Florida (11 windows) All Saints Episcopal Church, Detroit, Michigan (all) Christ Church, Roanoke, Virginia (12+ windows) All Saints Episcopal Church, Birmingham, Alabama (24 windows)