The Hatching Cat of Gotham

Alphonse and Ernest Friedrich were both trained in stained glass making. They established a successful business in the rear of a family-owned building at 16-18 Hoyt Street, specializing in stained glass masterpieces for wealthy New Yorkers and many churches across America. One of their first projects was St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue at 53rd Street, shown here around 1883. This church, which was designed by Richard Upton and constructed from 1865 to 1870, was destroyed in a horrific fire in 1905. By that time, Ernest had passed away and Alphonse had moved to San Diego with his wife, Mary Ann Walker.