Transom windows are typically rectangular, but can be arched.
Transom windows (rectangular or arched panes of glass over a door) first were used in Victorian rowhouses. They added a decorative touch to those stately and ornate homes, as well as a practical element. Victorians used them to bring cool breezes and natural light into their residences. Some of these windows were fashioned of colorful stained glass.
Features
Victorians used transom windows for cool breezes and sunlight.
The transom window takes its name from the horizontal crossbeam over a door. The window is attached to this transom beam. The window can be fixed in place, if used strictly to provide architectural interest, or hinged to open and close.Victorians opened these high windows by standing on a chair.
History
Transom windows were used in 1930s office buildings.
Decades later, the transom window was widely used in 1930s office buildings. The look was sleek Art Deco, as opposed to the ornate Victorian-rowhouse style. The of this era were opened and closed with long rods, eliminating the need to stand on a chair. They, too, provided a means of ventilation and light.
Terminology
''Over the transom'' work is unsolicited and slipped over an office door..
The 1930s over-the-door office windows were the source of the American term ''over the transom'' work. Aspiring writers and musicians often slipped copies of their unpublished, unsolicited work ''over the transom'' and into the locked office of an editor or other business official. This practice was widespread in the publishing world.
Ventilation
Modern heating and cooling systems made transom windows unnecessary.
Transom windows went out of fashion with the advent of modern home heating and cooling systems, eliminating the need for their cross-ventilation. Also, the soaring ceilings of the Victorian and Art Deco architecture were replaced with the lower ceilings of the post-World-War-II housing boom, making the over-the-door window unsightly and out of place.
New Uses
Some traditionally styled new homes often have transom windows.
Transom windows again are popular over front doors in modern residential construction. These transoms rarely open and close and are used for decorative purposes and natural light. They are associated with a more formal, traditional style of architecture. As in Victorian times, these high windows bring in sunlight while maintaining the privacy provided by a closed door.
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