The sky at sunrise as seen from my window on Monday May 1st.

The atrium of the Cantor Arts Center

The Cantor Arts Center boasts a proud and venerable history, as it was conceived of in tandem with the founding of Stanford University itself. The Stanford family, including Leland Jr., traveled the world collecting objects of art and cultural interest. The museum was originally created to make this collection available to students and the public.

https://museum.stanford.edu/explore/museum_history.html

At The Cantor Arts Center

Plaster Death Mask of Leland Stanford Jr. 1884
After Leland Jr.’s death from typhoid fever in 1884 in Florence, Italy, the boy’s grieving parents requested this last remembrance of their son, a death mask cast in plaster from a wax facial mold made at the time of the body’s preparation for burial.

Stanford University was founded by Leland Stanford, a railroad magnate, U.S. senator, and former California governor, together with his wife, Jane Lathrop Stanford. It is named in honor of their only child, Leland Stanford, Jr., who died in 1884 just before his 16th birthday. His parents decided to dedicate a university to their only son, and Leland Stanford told his wife, "The children of California shall be our children."

The plaque on the wall to the right of the boy's death mask.

The Stanfords chose their country estate, Palo Alto Stock Farm, in northern Santa Clara County as the site of the university, so that the University is often called "the Farm" to this day.
The campus master plan (1886-1914) was designed Frederick Law Olmsted and later his sons. The Main Quad was designed by Charles Allerton Coolidge and his colleagues, and by Leland Stanford himself. The cornerstone was laid on May 14, 1887, which would have been Leland Stanford Junior's nineteenth birthday.

The Stanford Memorial Church appears in the distance at the end of this road.

Stanford Memorial Church is located at the end of the mile-long axis of Stanford University, visible from a distance; the main vista begins at the main entrance, continues to Palm Drive, traverses "the Oval" (a large oval lawn), enters the Main Quad (the core of the university), and finally crosses Memorial Court and the Inner Quad courtyard.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_Memorial_Church

The Stanford Memorial Church is located at the center of the Stanford University campus. 
Stanford Memorial Church was the earliest and has been "among the most prominent" non-denominational churches on the West Coast of the United States. Since its dedication in 1903, the church's goal has been to serve the spiritual needs of the university in a non-sectarian way.

A view of the Hoover Tower seen from the Memorial Court

The Hoover Tower at Leland Stanford Jr. University in Palo Alto.
Leland Stanford Junior University, or more commonly Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. It is one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

The church is located at the center of the Stanford University campus. 
Stanford Memorial Church has been called "the University's architectural crown jewel". Designs for the church were submitted to Jane Stanford and the university trustees in 1898, and it was dedicated in 1903. The building is Romanesque in form and Byzantine in its details, inspired by churches in the region of Venice, especially, Ravenna.

Detail of the exterior mosaic

Detail of the facade mosaic, to the left of the windows

Detail of the facade mosaic, to the right of the windows

The church was commissioned by Jane Stanford (1828–1905) as a memorial to her husband, Leland Standford (1824–93). The Stanfords had intended that a church should become "the centerpiece of the university complex". They were deeply religious, and for their day and social standing, "open-minded ecumenicalists", so they included in the university's original charter that a church built on campus should be a "nondenominational—if essentially Protestant—house of worship".

The Stanfords had traveled Europe for many years, visiting churches, museums, and notable buildings and finding inspiration for the architecture of both the university and church. They received their greatest inspiration from the Piazza San Marco in Venice.

The mosaic project began in 1900 and took five years to complete. Jane Stanford chose mosaics to decorate her church because of the similar weather in Italy and Northern California, where the moderate climates and rainy seasons in both settings protect the images from erosion and clear the pollution that accumulates on many buildings in large cities. As Hall states, the "mosaics on the facade are always clear and brilliant." Their "shimmering quality" was created by different tones of green and gold; the artists that installed the mosaics had over 20,000 shades of colors to choose from. The images cost US $97,000, and were based upon original watercolors created by artist Antonio Paoletti.Jane Stanford worked closely with Paoletti, planning a combination of Old Testament and New Testament scenes that represented men and women equally. After Stanford approved Paoletti's designs, full-sized images were created as patterns, and then divided into two-foot-square sections, which were made into glass by other artists. The mosaics were made in Venice, shipped by boat in pieces to New York and then by railroad to California, where they were placed on the church's walls.

Detail of the foliate carvings around the doors

Nowhere else in America can such an extensive
use of this form of decoration be seen. The facade, however, is
only an introduction to a more lavish use of this artistic work. Pass-
ing through the entrance and by the bronze scroll doors the visitor
enters a mosaic decorated vestibule. Pursuing one's way into the nave
one looks forward to the chancel, where the blendings of stained glass
window lights on mosaics at first dazzle with their brilliance. On
either side of the nave, both on walls rising from the forward sloping
floor and in the clearstory, the splendors of stained glass reproductions
of masterpieces of the old world are presented in colorful beauty.
Looking skyward under the dome in front of the chancel the visitor
sees four adoring angels, done in mosaic, apparently rising from
clouds, in the spandrels over the four large pilasters.

https://archive.org/stream/stanfordmemorial00hallrich/stanfordmemorial00hallrich_djvu.txt

A view of the Memorial Court as seen from the front steps at the entrance to Stanford Memorial Church.

The Stanford Memorial Church's stained glass windows and extensive mosaics are based on religious paintings the Stanfords admired in Europe. The church has five pipe organs, which allow musicians to produce many styles of organ music. Stanford Memorial Church has withstood two major earthquakes, in 1906 and 1989, and was extensively renovated after each.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_Memorial_Church

A view from the Vestibule looking towards the East Transept

"The Annunciation" inspired by Frederic Shields, located in the East Nave

"The Home at Nazareth" inspired by Heinrich Hofmann, located in the East Nave

"The Flight into Egypt" inspired by Bernhard Plockhorst in the East Nave

The East Arcade seen from the West Arcade

The Chancel viewed from the Crossing under the dome

Three stained glass windows in the apse depict the nativity,crucifixion and ascension of Christ. The mosaics between them show angels, those on the left carrying a cross, those on the right carrying a crown. On the longer sections of the chancel wall, on either side of the windows, are mosaics depicting a choir of angels. Above them is a tier of mosaics with representations of the prophets and kings of Israel. Other mosaics abound in the transepts, clerestory, and the choir loft at the northern end of the church. A series of mosaics in the upper transepts depict Old Testament figures on the east side and Christian saints on the west side. On Jane Stanford's direction, they alternate male and female.

The view looking towards the West Transept as seen from the East Arcade

The organ at Stanford Memorial Church

The balcony in the East Transept

Adaptations of several styles of architecture have been used in the Memorial Church.
Surrounding it the modified mission predominates, while the church is more Romanesque,
especially in the interior. The buff sandstone readily lends itself for the lacy carving in the arches over the entrance and windows. It also conveys the impression of solidity when seen in the mass, either smooth or rough. Its neutral tone serves well to bring out by contrast the bright colors in the mosaics and windows.

https://archive.org/stream/stanfordmemorial00hallrich/stanfordmemorial00hallrich_djvu.txt

The arches, balcony rails, and pillars throughout the church have relief carvings created by a team of 10 men who worked for two years from scaffolding. A large double pillar before the entrance of the west transept have inscriptions dedicated to members of the Stanford family. After the 1989 earthquake, a third of the west transept was converted into a small chapel. The altar and chairs in this chapel were designed by Bay Area artist Gail Fredell who decorated the chapel's altar by using Salvatti's original mosaics, which had been stored since the church's reconstruction following the 1906 earthquake.

One of the four archangels emerging from clouds.

The ceiling of the dome is decorated in mosaic, a notable feature being a frieze containing a large number of medallions.

On the spandrels of the pendentives are mosaics of four angels measuring 42 feet (13 m) from wing tip to wing tip, rising from clouds. The angels survived the 1906 earthquake, but the angel looking downward was severely damaged during the 1989 earthquake because an 8-foot section of its left wing fell 70 feet.

The mosaic adorning the church's chancel is a reproduction of Roselli's fresco of the Last Supperfrom theSistine Chapel in the Vatican. Camerino obtained permission from Pope Leo XIII to reproduce it at Stanford Memorial Church. Unlike other works, which were reproduced frequently, it was the only reproduction of Roselli's fresco at the time.

Directly above the crossing is a dome supported on pendentives. Around the base of the dome are decorative gilt bands, the lower depicting a scrolling vine. Jane Stanford intended the dome's decoration of to be of mosaic tiles showing a variety of symbols, but the church's builders thought it would make the dome too heavy, so the decorations were painted. On the spandrels of the pendentives are mosaics of four angels measuring 42 feet (13 m) from wing tip to wing tip, rising from clouds. The angels survived the 1906 earthquake, but the angel looking downward was severely damaged during the 1989 earthquake because an 8-foot section of its left wing fell 70 feet.

Mosaics are "virtually everywhere" inside the church and have been described as "a perfect complement to Frederick Lamb's stained-glass windows".

To speak of the church's history, it was built primarily by Mrs. Stanford as a memorial to her husband and to fulfill one of the objects of the university's establishment. The founders' deed of gift provided that non-sectarian religious study should be a part of the work undertaken. In 1898 Mrs. Stanford and the trustees asked San Francisco architects to submit designs. Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge in making the original sketch followed the motif of Trinity Church, Boston. Clinton E. Day of San Francisco prepared the plans and Charles E. Hodges was the supervising architect. Mrs. Stanford made a special tour of Europe to select designs and methods of decoration. It was on January 25, 1903, that the church was sufficiently advanced in construction for dedication. At the ceremony were clergymen of all denominations. By their participation they demonstrated a friendliness non-sectarian in nature that has been fostered and has grown under the guidance of Dr. D. Charles Gardner, pastor of the church and chaplain of the university. From 1906 to 1913 the building was not in use, as during that time work was in progress repairing the damage suffered in the earthquake. Since then it has been in constant use. It is open every day for visitors.

https://archive.org/stream/stanfordmemorial00hallrich/stanfordmemorial00hallrich_djvu.txt

A view looking towards the East Transept as viewed from the middle of the Crossing

During one of the Stanfords' European trips they befriended Maurizio Camerino, an artist with a reputation for producing high-quality mosaics, who was managing theAntonio Salviati studios in Venice. Jane Stanford visited Camerino, who had taken over the ownership of Salvati and Company in 1890, and commissioned him to produce mosaics for the church. Stanford spent two months in Venice, working closely with Camerino and selecting the watercolors he created that were eventually developed into the mosaics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_Memorial_Church 

One of four columns supporting the dome with the balcony and moasic of the West Transept on the left of the photo

"The Nativity" in the Chancel

Inspired by Edward Fellowes-Prynne

" The Crucifixion" in the Chancel

Inspired by Ernst Deger

"Christ in Gethsemane" in the West Transept

Inspired by Hofmann

"Christ in the Home at Bethany" in the West Transept

Inspired by Hofmann

"The Good Shepherd" in the West Transept

Inspired by "The Doorof the Fold" by Sibyl C. Parker

"The Miracle of the Loaves and the Fishes" in the West Transept

Inspired by"Pan y Peces" by Bartolome Esteban Murillo

Jane Stanford once remarked: "While my whole heart is in the university, my soul is in that church".

On either side of the nave, both on walls rising from the forward sloping floor and in the clearstory, the splendors of stained glass reproductions of masterpieces of the old world are presented in colorful beauty. Looking skyward under the dome in front of the chancel the visitor sees four adoring angels, done in mosaic, apparently rising from clouds, in the spandrels over the four large pilasters. A closer view of the chancel reveals artistic work of a kind seldom seen anywhere. In the center is a white marble communion table.

The art contained in the church "greatly occupied" Jane Stanford; as former chaplain Robert Gregg put it, "The structure was to be without flaw". Stanford was determined that the quality of the church's workmanship would equal the medieval churches she had admired in Europe.

You can find a 360° view of Memorial Church’s interior here. You can also download the Memorial Church Self-Guided Tour Brochure.

Stanford Memorial Church houses five organs, a "situation only a few places in the nation can boast", since most churches only have one. The presence of multiple and high-quality organs makes Stanford an ideal location for accomplished musicians, and the sanctuary one of California's best settings for instrumental and choral performance. The church's organist is Robert Huw Morgan.

The largest organ is the Fisk-Nanney organ, built in 1985 by the C.B.Fisk Company and described by Morgan as "a desperately famous instrument". It is named after its designer, Charles Fisk, and for Herbert Nanney, who was the church's organist for 39 years. The Fisk-Nanney organ was commissioned in 1973, when the church received a special endowment. Its completion was delayed for over 25 years due to logistical and financial problems. In order to accommodate the organ's weight, the choir loft had to be rebuilt and reinforced.

"The Nativity" in the Chancel

Inspired by Edward Fellowes-Prynne

This brass lectern was acquired in Europe by Jane Stanford. She dedicated it to her dead husband on the 78th anniversary of his birth in 1902, the date on which she planned to open the church.

The Chancel as seen from the center of the Crossing

Looking up to the dome as seen from the center of the Crossing

The Adam and Eve mosaic on the wall of the East Arcade

The Stanford Memorial Church was originally constructed in 1905, destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and completely rebuilt in 1913. Hathaway Dinwiddie performed a complete seismic upgrade and full restoration of the Church. This project included extensive coring and doweling into the existing masonry, extensive plaster patching and restoration of the historic mosaic artwork.

The ceiling in the Nave

Looking towards the West Transept

Stanford Memorial Church stands at the center of the campus, and is the University’s architectural crown jewel. It was one of the earliest, and is still among the most prominent, interdenominational churches in the West. Jane Stanford built the church as a memorial to her husband, Leland. Together, Senator and Mrs. Stanford had constructed the University as a memorial to their son, Leland, Jr.

The Stanfords, who were religious, but not committed to any denomination, decreed that the church was to be open to all. Adopting such a philosophy, they felt, would permit the church to serve the broadest spiritual needs of the university community.

The Stanfords also saw spiritual and moral values as essential to a young person’s education and future citizenship. The first chaplain of Memorial Church, the Rev. Charles Gardner, said on its dedication day in 1903: “We begin anew today no less an experiment than this: to test whether a non-sectarian church can minister to the spiritual needs of a great university. it has been built in love; not to teach a theological system, not to develop a sectarian principle, but to minister to the higher life.” The church construction was completed in 1903. Today, regular multi-faith services are held in the church, in addition to denominational and nondenominational Christian services. 

http://web.stanford.edu/group/religiouslife/cgi-bin/wordpress/memorial-church/history/

You can find a 360° view of Memorial Church’s interior here. You can also download the Memorial Church Self-Guided Tour Brochure.

Mosaics originated in Greece, but have been developed to their highest beauty and excellence in Venice. The ancients knew the advantage of color and prominence that should be given to it in architectural decoration. Having used marbles of different colors and painted substances without having been able to obtain the desired effect, they perceived the necessity of using some new materials for the purpose of making mosaics in order to obtain those varieties of tints and shades which were not provided in natural substances. They hit upon colored glass as this substitute. First it was transparent, then opaque — that is, enamel — and this was found to be the fittest material with which to obtain the desired effect. Its suitability was also determined by its power of resistance to atmospheric injury. Colored enamels are made from the same raw materials, siliceous, etc., as glass, but to these ingredients are added other mineral substances, which, when properly fused together, impart to the enamel its durability, density, extreme hardness and also its color. Gold and silver enamels are the result of different processes. On a ground of thick glass is laid a sheet of gold or silver leaf, then a film of the purest glass is spread over it and these three layers are subjected to intense heat, with the result that they are fixed in one solid body, the metallic leaf being buried between two strata of glass.

https://archive.org/stream/stanfordmemorial00hallrich/stanfordmemorial00hallrich_djvu.txt

The mosaic with the alternating medallions represents the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the Alpha and Omega. The other medallion is the Chi Rho, Christ's monogram combining the first two letters for Christ in the Greek alphabet. This mosaic design covers the wall of the Vestibule at the enterance into the church.

the Vestibule