Notre Dame Cathedral
Paris, France
The goal of every stained glass restoration is to preserve the integrity of the original work. Every window is unique, and the lead used to restore it should respect the original craftsmanship, age naturally, and stand the test of time.
At Cascade, we manufacture our lead came entirely in-house, giving us complete control over every alloy and profile we produce. By carefully blending pure lead with tin, antimony, copper, and other elements, we can develop traditional and custom alloys tailored to the unique requirements of each restoration project. Chosen by restoration studios around the world, Cascade's lead has earned the trust of restoration professionals working to preserve some of the world's most iconic stained glass.
Working alongside conservators, restoration studios, and heritage specialists around the world, we've developed custom lead came for projects ranging from Notre-Dame Cathedral to Canada's House of Commons. Whether replicating the feel of historic lead or engineering a profile for a unique application, our goal is to create lead came that performs reliably today while aging naturally alongside the historic window.
Paris, France
Ottawa, Canada
Milan, Italy
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Paris, France
Following the devastating 2019 fire, the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral became one of the world's most significant heritage conservation projects. Vitrail France was entrusted with restoring the cathedral's 13th-century clerestory stained glass windows, carefully removing each panel for cleaning, conservation, releading, and the installation of protective exterior glazing to preserve these remarkable works for generations to come.
As part of this restoration, Vitrail France selected Cascade Lead's traditional 1/2 soft lead came for the releading of the historic windows. We are proud to have collaborated on a project dedicated to preserving one of the world's most celebrated examples of Gothic stained glass.
“All of our stained glass creations and restoration projects are carried out using the lead came machined today by Cascade Metals. The quality of the lead is perfect for our restoration work on 13th-century stained glass panels, thanks to its flexibility, allowing for proper leading in accordance with traditional craftsmanship standards. For our creative projects, for example, Bayeux Cathedral, France with artist Véronique Joumard, the complexity of the project required special glass made specifically for this project, as well as special H-profile lead came. We were able to complete this technically complex project thanks to the skill and adaptability of the Cascade team in producing special lead cames.
Throughout our history we have used Belgian Stillemans lead, and Cascade Metals. We recommend them for maintaining the continuity of quality and service.”
Peintre Verrier/Directeur
Ottawa, Canada
Over two years, architectural art-glass conservator Mark Thompson of Traditional Glassworks led the conservation of the west-facing stained glass windows in Canada's House of Commons. In addition to restoring and re-leading the historic windows, his team implemented and installed digitally printed kiln-fired ceramic-frit glass facsimiles, allowing the Chamber to maintain its historic appearance while the original panels were conserved in the studio.
Working closely with Mark throughout the project, Cascade developed several custom lead came profiles, including offset and steel-reinforced extrusions designed specifically for the project; Cascade’s #2 and 4% conservation lead alloys were approved by Public Works conservators for the stained glass restoration and facsimile installation respectively.
Traditional Glassworks, Mark Thompson Visual Arts
Ontario, Canada
https://traditionalglassworks.ca/"As an architectural art-glass conservator, I have relied on Cascade Metals to supply specialty lead for all my projects over the past 30 years. Projects have included St Mary’s Cathedral in Kingston and the Canadian Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. In addition to their extensive line of stock extrusions, they can supply custom dies needed to duplicate any heritage profile and, calibrate the alloy to the project’s requirements. Their superior product, responsive service and willingness to problem solve/collaborate make them a pleasure to work with".
Milan, Italy
Master stained glass conservator Laura Morandotti specializes in the restoration of historic stained glass, including projects at the Duomo di Milano and the Certosa di Pavia. When the lead traditionally available in Italy became too stiff and difficult to work with, she sought a softer alternative better suited to the delicate requirements of conservation.
Working in collaboration with Laura, Cascade developed an extra-soft lead came using our European profile line specifically for the restoration of the Duomo di Milano. The custom profile delivered the flexibility and workability required while maintaining the traditional appearance of the cathedral's historic stained glass.
“I have been working for years and years in stained glass. I specialize in restoring very ancient stained glass projects: Certosa di Pavia, Duomo di Milano, all of them very very ancient: X, XIII, XIV, XV centuries. Sometimes I had to substitute the lead. For years and years I never had problems with Italian lead. Three or four years ago, I started having great problems with Italian lead: too stiff and too hard to cut. Then I tried Cascade’s European lead, which was a perfectly pure lead. You can see the results!”
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Atelier Domstad specializes in the conservation and restoration of historic stained glass, including work at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Combining traditional craftsmanship with modern conservation techniques, the studio is dedicated to preserving historic windows for future generations while respecting the integrity of the original work.
Since the studio was founded, Atelier Domstad has relied on Cascade's European lead profiles for its restoration work.
"We have been using Stillemans and now Cascade for as long as Atelier Domstad has existed, because of both its strength and flexibility.
Delicate patterns require lead that is both bendable without folding but also withstands the elements for at least one hundred years"
Every restoration represents years of craftsmanship, research, and dedication. We are grateful to the talented conservators and studios who allowed us to share their stories and for the trust they place in Cascade Lead. It is an honor to see our materials become a small part of preserving some of the world's most treasured stained glass.
CASCADE METALS | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED