Flight into Egypt
Phipps, Ball & Burnham (Conjecture) 1920 (before 1950)
64" × 26 3/4"
In Loving Memory of Capt. George H. Bocker Apr. 17, 1834 - Sept. 17, 1915 & Gertrude L. Bocker Apr. 20, 1854 - Dec. 18, 1918
DESCRIPTION: In this narrative stained glass window, Mary is seated on a donkey holding the Child, while Joseph leads the animal. The detail shows the Holy Mother dressed in white with a long blue cloak about her shoulders. Her headdress is draped in loose folds about her figure. She is holding the peacefully sleeping Child who is portrayed in a realistic manner.
SYMBOLISM: The nimbus surrounding Mary's head distinguishes her as a saint. The origin is of great antiquity. Rays of light or fire were ancient emblems of divine power. The Tri-Radiant surrounding the head of the Child is used entirely for the representation of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
MEMORIAL: Although the parents of George H. Bocker were from Germany, he was born in Belgium. He entered the United States at the age of 14 and became a naturalized citizen in 1872, the same year that he married Gertrude S. Davis. Their marriage on June 2, 1872, was performed by The Reverend Charles A. Fulwood at the Old Stone Methodist Church.
Gertrude was born in Florida. Her father was born in Ireland; her mother in the Bahamas. Gertrude and George were parents of a son born in 1878 and a daughter, Rosalie, born in 1884. The 1900 census lists GeorgeH. Bocker as a sea captain, a historically important profession in Key West at the time.
Source: The Golden Cockerel: The Art, Symbolism & History of the Stained Glass Windows, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Key West, Florida by Winifred Shine Fryzel.
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