Judson Studios - Operations of The Studios

Operations of The Studios

When Walter H. Judson died in 1934, Horace T. Judson (grandson of William Lees) took over the day-to-day management of the business. Trained as a lawyer, Horace Judson retired from the active practice of law to continue the family’s stained glass tradition. The studios were described in 1940 as “a medieval guild secluded from a hectic modern world by the vine-covered building.” At the time, Horace Judson told the Highland Park News-Herald: “Here there is no rush. We work slowly and for perfection as they did six centuries ago.”

As Southern California's population grew rapidly after World War II, there was a tremendous demand for church construction. This in turn led to a boom in business for Judson Studios. At the peak in the 1950s, Judson employed 30 craftsmen. Walter W. Judson later recalled, “It got so it almost became counterproductive. It was difficult to keep track of what was going on.” As a result, Horace Judson established a rule that the studio would never again employ more than 15 craftsmen at once. Walter Judson, who took over the business from Horace (his father) in the 1970s, continued that rule, noting, “If you go over 15, you’ll make more money. But you can lose your reputation too.”

In 1973, Walter Judson noted that they preferred to train their own craftsmen and that it was difficult to find people fully interested in the craft: "They just want to play with it and then go off." By 1981, Judson Studios was still using “the old methods that have yet to be improved.” Walter Judson noted, "We do use a lot more electricity and glass costs a lot more but that’s about all that’s changed." At the time, Judson was using glass from all over the world in more than 600 colors.

When the Los Angeles Times did a profile on the studios in 1986, there were nine artisans employed in the business, "employing techniques that have not changed much since the craft began to flourish in the 12th Century." In 1991, Walter Judson offered his opinion that contemporary stained-glass craftsmanship surpassed even the heyday of the art in the 11th and 12th centuries. He later added, "It’s a unique business, because you’re producing something that is a joy and a beauty to other people and it will be for centuries."

Though principally known for stained glass, Judson Studios also creates works in marble carving, mosaic, carved and etched glass, furniture and other specialty items.

As of 2008, Judson Studios remained a family-owned and operated business, with David Judson, the great-great-grandson of William Lee Judson serving as the director of the business. In 2000, David Judson reported that 85% of the company’s work was for religious institutions "of all different creeds, from Jewish to Christian to Islamic."