Triton Window: A Flash From the Past
Ilan-Lael Studios has been restoring a large and impressive Triton Mermaid/Albatross window, a James Hubbell original that was a feature at the Triton Restaurant in Cardiff for more than 40 years.
Left: The Triton window with diners in 1974. Photo by Bill Porter.
Right: Shortly before Ilan-Lael studio artists removed the window before the building was demolished in 2014.
James Hubbell designed and built a restaurant named The Triton in 1974. Hubbell created the whimsical, immersive beachside dining experience that became a unique San Diegan treasure, loved by locals and tourists alike for 40 years. Filled with his hand-built art creating an underwater world, The Triton left a lasting impression. After the Cardiff location closed in 2014, community action, alerted by a local, saved nearly all the art for the Ilan-Lael Art Center, funding future art education—a fitting San Diego connection between past and present.
The stained glass window was returned to ILF by the restaurant’s co-owner Steve Blumkin back in 2014. Last year generous gifts from board members John Howard, Esq., and Michael Pinto (board emeritus) allowed work to begin. Nine stained glass panels, damaged by years of oceanfront conditions, have been restored. A metal frame was devised to hold the glass panes together. This art and engineering feat was designed and fabricated by our talented studio artists Cindy Shriver, Rick Accurso, and Ben Gadbois, with additional support from Dylan Hubbell and Connor Hubbell. This magnificent window can be viewed at Ilan-Lael throughout the year. Book a visit and witness the art of James Hubbell given a new life by his talented apprentices.
Triton window displayed in the Big Studio at Ilan-Lael in Julian, California. Photo by Rhi Burmeister
“James was such a prolific artist, with many hundreds of works spread around San Diego. We are very fortunate that pieces sometimes make their way back home to us. Such is the case with the Triton Window, a magnificent 9-foot round stained-glass window that we received from the owners of the former Triton Restaurant back in 2014. The window has been in storage for 10 years. With financial support of two ILF board members, we’ve been able to restore the glass and redesign the window to be free-standing work of art. It is currently on display in the Big Studio at Ilan-Lael. Another large piece of Triton stained-glass which once spanned the men’s and women’s washrooms is being reconfigured into several free hanging stained glass works that are for sale.”
—Excerpt from a conversation with Mariane Gerdes in a San Diego Union Tribune article by Pam Kragen, June 3, 2025
Top photo: Ilan-Lael studio artists in the process of restoring James Hubbell’s Triton Window.