Five (5) watercolor designs for ecclesiastical stained glass church windows, attr. Munich Studios, Chicago, possibly by Max Guler. All windows portray Biblical imagery including one (1) depicting Jesus engaged in carpentry work with his earthly father Joseph; one (1) large tripartite window showing Christ preaching to a crowd (the Sermon on the Mount, with beatitude banner); one (1) double window design of a man being struck and Christ comforting a person; one (1) titled "The Espousal of the Blessed Virgin"; and one (1) of an angel offering a cup to a saint. The double window is housed in a mat stamped THE MUNICH STUDIO CHICAGO, with remnant of a Munich Studios red foil seal upper left. The other mats all have their studio stamps rubbed out and residue from foil seals upper left (one stamp is overprinted with "Ideal Art Glass, N. Western Ave., Chicago" and it and another have the Ideal Art Glass studio stamp en verso. The large tripartite window design has "Munich Studios 300 W. So. Water St. Chicago" written en verso in pencil. Ranging in size from 11 1/2" H x 11 1/4" W to 18 3/4" H x 10 1/2" W. Circa 1913-1923. Note: An influx of Middle European immigrant craftsmen and the rush to rebuild Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871 resulted in the establishment of many stained glass studios in the city - so much so that it became known as the Art Glass Capital of the Midwest. Max Guler emigrated to Chicago in 1896 from Munich, Germany and by 1903, the Munich Studio was listed in the Chicago Directory with Guler as president. The company specialized in church windows. Their 1915 catalog stated the company used "only imported antique glass on which is put the very best efforts of very competent artists" in the production of their "ecclesiastical figure windows". Munich Studios thrived up until the Great Depression, producing windows for churches throughout Chicago and the Midwest. After the studio closed in 1932, Goler and several of his employees went to work for the Drehobl Art Glass company, which remains in business to this day in Chicago. It is not known which, if any, churches ultimately ordered or installed these designs.

Most actual window images in very good condition with varying degrees of toning; a few with possible light fading. "Espousal of the Blessed Virgin" has a full vertical separation to lower quarter. Most studio stamps and foil seals rubbed/removed. Wear and losses to tape joining mats to backings. A few mat fronts have scratches, stains and small losses.