Guide to the Records of the Rudy Brothers Company, 1894-1979

Arrangement

Repository
Heinz History Center
Title
Records of the Rudy Brothers Company
Creator
Rudy Brothers Studio (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Collection Number
MSS#278
Extent
.5 cubic feet (1 box)
Date
1894-1979
Abstract
Well-known in Western and Central Pennsylvania in the early 20th century for their stained glass, the Rudy Brothers originally came to Pittsburgh in 1893 at the behest of H. J. Heinz, who commissioned stained glass windows for his factory and Point Breeze neighborhood residence. These records primarily include photographic materials, however, scant examples of correspondence, newspaper clippings, industry catalogs, trade journals and other sundry items such as blue prints, invoice sheets and cartoons exist.
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
Author
This guide to the collection was originally prepared by Vincent Brooks on January 13, 1998. Revisions occurred to the finding aid as a part of the encoding process in Summer, 2001.
Sponsor
This finding aid has been encoded as a part of the Historic Pittsburgh project a joint effort of the University of Pittsburgh and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Funding for this portion of the project has been donated by the Hillman Foundation.
Publisher
Heinz History Center
Address
1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org

History of Rudy Brothers Company (1894-1962)

Well-known in Western and Central Pennsylvania in the early 20th century for their stained glass, the Rudy Brothers originally came to Pittsburgh in 1893 at the behest of H. J. Heinz, who commissioned stained glass windows for his factory and Point Breeze neighborhood residence. In 1894, the brothers, Frank, J. Horace, Jesse and Isaiah opened a shop in the city's East Liberty section. Their first location on Penn Avenue operated under a partnership between the Rudy's and Valdemar F. Reich. By 1895, Reich left the stained glass business, and the brothers moved their studio to the corner of Centre and Highland Avenues.

The Rudy Brothers experienced substantial success designing windows for churches, mausoleums and private homes. They created windows for Peabody High School, the Sarah Heinz House, Allegheny General Hospital and various churches and mausoleums, the most noteworthy of the latter being the H. J. Heinz and Bishop Canevin. In response to this demand for their work, the Rudy Brothers opened a second prosperous shop in York, Pennsylvania around 1900. The Rudy Brothers Company incorporated in 1904, and continued successfully until the Great Depression of the 1930s. The brothers took an active interest in both Pittsburgh and York's civic lives. They encouraged artists and art clubs, as well as supported concerts and the YMCA. Horace never quite recovered from the shame of bankruptcy, and died in York in 1940. Isaiah, the youngest and only surviving brother, continued the business, which had withered into a small East Liberty repair shop, until his death in 1962. Shortly thereafter, the shop was lost to urban renewal. However, the studio not only created beautiful windows, but trained accomplished apprentices, such as Charles Connick and Lawrence Saint. Using their Pittsburgh training, both went on to work nationally in the medium of ecclesiastical stained glass.

Scope and Content Notes

These records primarily include photographic materials, however, scant examples of correspondence, newspaper clippings, industry catalogs, trade journals and other sundry items such as blue prints, invoice sheets and cartoons exist. This collection, kept from 1894-1979, is sparse and lacking in many important details of the day-to-day operations of the Rudy Brothers Company.

Arrangement

The Rudy Brothers Company records are arranged in three series. Series have been designated for business and personal correspondence, photographs and sketches, and publications, including miscellaneous materials.

The Rudy Brothers Company records are housed in one archival box.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

These materials were received in two accessions and were combined into one collection in 1998.

Acc# 1997.0269 Gift of the estate of Lorraine C. Rudy c/o Corestates Bank, N.A., Executor

Acc# 1998.0012 Gift of The James A Michener Museum of Art

Preferred Citation

Records of the Rudy Brothers Company, 1894-1979, MSS #278, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Vincent Brooks on January 13, 2001.

Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Doug MacGregor on August 21, 2001.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights reside with the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or publish, please contact the curator of the Archives.

Subjects

    Corporate Names

    • Rudy Brothers Studio (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    • Rudio Studio (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

    Personal Names

    • Rudy Family

    Other Subjects

    • Glass painting and staining -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh

Container List