The Stained Glass Museum Friends Newsletter: Autumn 2024

FRIENDS

OUR VISION

The national centre for enjoying and understanding stained glass through storytelling, creativity and research.

OUR MISSION

To share with everyone the cultural and artistic importance of stained glass.

PATRON

His Majesty King Charles III

TRUSTEES

Dr Jeffrey West FSA (Chairman)

Dr Loyd de Beer

Prof. Sarah Brown FSA

Lara Clements

Mark Hosea

Malcolm Leith

Adrian Murphy

Suzanne Phillips Galloway

Michael Sheppard

DIRECTOR and CURATOR

Dr Jasmine Allen

The Stained Glass Museum

South Triforium, Ely Cathedral, Ely, CB7 4DL

(+44)1353 660347

www.stainedglassmuseum.com

Registered Charity: 1169842

Accredited Museum: 574

OUR DIRECTOR WRITES

As I write we are preparing a grant application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a major conservation project to clean and conserve glass in our stored collections. The museum’s collections have been a strategic focus of late and in the last six months, it has been a very busy and active time for acquisitions, with a number of significant new collections and objects entering the collections (see pp. 4-7). Some of these acquisitions were many months in the making, whilst others were opportunities that arose at short notice. Trustees are currently preparing to establish a Collections Fund to sustain the development of the museum’s collection and ensure its ongoing maintenance and care and I look forward to sharing more news about this in the coming year.

A major piece of work in recent months has been the planning of a partial redisplay of the museum’s 20th century stained glass collection in the main gallery. This work will take place in November and will see new acquisitions from the last decade placed on permanent display. Much of this work has been aided with the support of Emily Allen, who I’m delighted to say is now employed full-time by the museum in the new role of Deputy Curator. With two full-time staff members (for the first time ever!) the museum’s capacity has grown significantly and we are already seeing the benefits of this just one month in.

I’m pleased to say that the museum recently, in collaboration with the British Corpus Vitrearum, organised a workshop for owners and managers of stained glass databases with a view to exploring the possibilities for ensuring these invaluable resources are available to

RECENT HONOURS

future generations. You can read more about this event, and ongoing developments on p. 19.

Earlier this summer, we were delighted to see two Friends of the museum recognised on the King’s Birthday Honours List and would like to send our hearty congratulations to:

Helen Whittaker MBE

Helen Whittaker MA FMGP is a stained glass artist and is the creative director at Barley Studio in York. She receives her MBE award for services to the creation and conservation of stained and architectural glass art.

David Stazicker BEM

David has long been a supporter of the museum and an advocate for historic buildings, serving as the Honorary Secretary of Cambridgeshire Historic Churches between 2009 and 2021. He has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the community in Ely, Cambridgeshire. This Dr Jasmine Allen, Director August 2024

STUDY DAY

There is still time to book and join us for our Northamptonshire Study Day on Monday 9 September.

Meet at Peterborough and join us for the day via coach to see stained glass windows created by a series of remarkable artists and craftspeople, including Louis Comfort Tiffany, John Piper, Patrick Reyntiens, Evie Hone, Mark Angus and more.

Our day will begin at the 17th century church at Apethorpe before heading to the highlight of our day - Oundle School Chapel, a treasure house of modern stained glass to which we have been granted exclusive access.

After lunch we will visit Kimbolton to see the Tiffany window there, and to round off the day, visit the contrasting windows of modernist Evie Hone and gothic revivalist Ninian Comper at churches in Wellingborough. For more information please visit our website or

Book your place online

ACQUISITION NEWS

During the early part of 2024, the museum was delighted to acquire a significant number of new works for the collection, some of which have been many months or years in the making. These acquisitions have allowed us to fill in gaps within our collection and acquire a signficant archive. Our collections team have been busy cataloguing these works, many of which are already live on our online collections search. Find out more below.

One of these new additions is a 17th century armorial panel we believe to be by Henry Gyles of York (1640-1709). The shield is a marriage coat of arms showing the Knightley family line (of Fawsley Hall) impaling those of Courteen and may have been produced for the widowed Anne Courteen (d.1703), who married Sir Richard Knightley (d.1661) in 1647. This panel may have originated from Fawsley Hall, Northamptonshire, home to the Knightley family. The panel is largely intact with only a few modern infills. It was purchased at auction in January 2024.

ACQUISITION NEWS

Museum Curator, Jasmine and researcher Max, examine the new acquisitions.

In February the museum received an exciting delivery of six modern stained glass panels by German masters from the DerixKaiserswerth studio near Dusseldorf in Germany. Dating to the post-war period these works demonstrate the pioneering approach to stained glass by leading German artists of the time.

The works include examples by Georg Meistermann, Hubert Spierling, Joachim Klos, Maria Katzgrau and Herman Gottfried. Research into these panels is currently being undertaken with the assistance of colleagues in Germany including Max Berkel, who visited the museum in August.

These panels are a major acquisition which significantly enhances the international dimension of the museum’s collection and reveal interesting parallels and points of departure from modern British stained glass. We are currently in the early stages of planning for an exhibition of these works.

ACQUISITION NEWS

In the spring, the museum acquired one of its largest artist’s archives to date, that of Christopher Webb (1886-1966). After attending the Slade School of Art, Webb became a student of Sir Ninian Comper in 1909. After his war service, Webb set up his own studio in St. Albans and created windows for churches and cathedrals across the country.

The archive was kindly donated to the museum by John Edwards, who has for many years been researching Webb’s work and acted as careful custodian of this archive which includes over 200 preparatory designs, working cartoons related to more than 80 commissions and hundreds of photographs and slides.

This summer we began documenting the cartoons, which require a big working space, with a student on placement with Art UK. Highlights found so far within this archive include Webb’s projects for Sheffield Cathedral, St Lawrence Jewry and Southwark Cathedral, London.

Work experience student, Bear, measures a cartoon from the Christopher Webb archive

ACQUISITION NEWS

Douglas Strachan panel prior to conservation

Earlier this summer, the rare opportunity to purchase a panel by the Scottish Arts & Crafts designer, Douglas Strachan (1875-1950) at auction arose. Thanks to funding from the ACE/V&A Purchase Grant Scheme and generous donations from museum Friends and supporters, we were able to acquire a panel depicting David being anointed as King for our permanent collection. This panel originally formed the predella panel of the central light (now missing) of the window, which was made for Heatherlie Parish Church, Selkirk (demolished in 2003).

Four other panels from this window were also sold at auction reaching more than the estimates. The window was placed in memory of George Roberts, former Provost of the church.

A small piece of the inscription marking this dedication was missing and is currently being conserved by York Glaziers Trust and we look forward to seeing it on display in the museum later this year, as it is one of the more recent acquisitions we have made provision for in our planned redisplays.

LAYERS: Explorations of

Screen- Printing on Glass

1 June - 28 September

James Cockerill is a First Prize winner of the prestigious Stevens Architectural Glass Artist of the Year Award, and founder of HALT Glass.

James specialises in combining traditional techniques with modern innovations to create striking, graphic works on glass. James’ art practice is constantly evolving through experimentation, with photography and silkscreen printing providing the foundation for his creative exploration. Layers of often ephemeral images from life and from media are printed onto glass then kiln fired to make them permanent.

In September James is visiting the museum to lead a Screen-Printing Masterclass at the museum. Visit our website to find out more.

Book online to attend James’ screen-printing masterclass

SCHOOLS & OUTREACH

We have had a steady stream of school visits during the summer term. King’s Ely came to complete their Arts Award. It is always a very busy day with 58 children sketching, designing and making their own fused glass panel. I recently presented their well-deserved certificates in a special assembly.

We also welcomed Papworth Hall School, a newly established autism school near Cambridge. We ran four sessions with different classes in May. The students and teachers have been a joy to work with.

Thanks to funding from Art Friends Cambridgeshire and the expert skills of glass painter Jamal Rafay, we have some fantastic new stained glass teaching resources that clearly show the stages of painting on glass. These samples are based on one of our earliest and most popular stained glass panels - The Hadzor Annunciation, c. 1340.

Artist, Jamal Rafay shows his recreation of the Annunication (c. 1340) panel

SCHOOLS & OUTREACH

We have received a growing number of home education group visits from Norwich, Cambridge and the Fens. An Ely group recently spent the morning studying our portrait panels followed by time in the studio to create their own fabulous mixed media self portraits.

Our summer holiday programme is proving very popular, with the glass lantern drop-in session attracting more than 120 visitors! As well as our free Wednesday drop-in sessions we have offered a range of activities including a Cyril the Squirrel nature trail, glass fusing, acrylic painting and stained glass inspired printing workshops.

Louise Hawksley, Learning Officer

FUTURE OF DATABASES

Great Britain is home to many thousands of stained-glass windows located in a variety of architectural contexts, not only places of worship, but also civic, educational, recreational and domestic buildings. In comparison with other major forms of public art, these large quantities of stained glass (and in particular post-medieval stained glass) are little known, poorly documented and under researched. Yet many of these windows have enormous cultural, historical, and artistic value for their local communities and for the national public at large, as well as for academic researchers.

This is why the recording of stained glass is so important. On 29 May th h ld i t hip with the Corpus Vitrearum ase owners and managers t and maintenance of stained glass databases in the UK. The event was kindly funded by the Paul Mellon Centre for British Art and the Worshipful Company of Glaziers.

Delegates at the event earlier this summer

Representatives from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland attended this event, which was held at the Bishop’s Palace, Ely.

FUTURE OF DATABASES

The morning session discussed the present state of the stained glass databases in the British Isles. Many of these sites held data gathered from the 1970s onwards covering glass from early medieval to modern times. 50% of the databases are owned by individuals and 50% by institutions. All the databases have worldwide audiences. However, there were a number of concerns for the future: half of sites have no plans for the future, funding is an issue for many sites and the long term future of virtually all the sites is uncertain at best. The morning discussion groups arrived at a number of positive suggestions for how things might be improved in the short term.

The afternoon sessions looked to the future and discussions were stimulated by presentations from international representatives of the Corpus Vitrearum Digital Unit on work in progress to define a set of standards for database sites to become more interactive and exchange information and images. The results of this work are due to be presented later in the year and, if agreed, could form the basis of a new international standard for sharing stained glass resources.

The workshop did a good job of making attendees aware of the current state of stained glass databases and the urgent need for giving sites some security and funding. Should the standards for data exchange become accepted there will be a lot of work (time and money!) needed to implement them and allow all the collective data on stained glass to be shared in the UK and internationally. A collaborative working group has been established to take some of these proposals forward.

DUBLIN 2024

In April, we enjoyed a fantastic Study Tour to Dublin. We were joined by 56 delegates, students and speakers, making it one of our most well-attended tours to date. During our three days in Dublin, we enjoyed seeing a huge variety of glass across more than 25 sites.

We must extend our huge thanks again to our Irish colleagues Dr David Caron and Stephen Huws for their excellent planning, and creating such an exciting and jam-packed itinerary for us, as well as to each of our brilliant guides! For those not able to join us in Dublin, we hope you enjoy seeing a few pictures and reading the reports of the Study Tour compiled by our student bursary recipients, Toby Britton-Watts, Sarah Lear and Maeve O’Dolan.

DUBLIN 2024 Day 1 highlights

DUBLIN 2024 Day 2 highlights

DUBLIN 2024 Day 3 highlights

24-27 April or 27-30 April 2025

Please save the dates for our 2025 Study Tour which will visit the beautiful county of Leicestershire.

We hope to be able to share more information, the final date selection, and how to book, with you later this autumn.

From the vibrant county towns to picturesque villages dotted across the county, there is much to be enjoyed by stained glass fans in Leicestershire.

To register your interest, please email; events@stainedglassmuseum.com

AUTUMN TALKS

Join us on Zoom this autumn for an illuminating series of online talks. Tickets are priced at £5 for Friends of the museum or £6.50 for non-Friends. Tickets can now be booked online

From Heaven to Earth - The Stained Glass of Christopher Webb with John Edwards

Wednesday 9 October, 7pm

Christopher Webb produced over 400 windows with a distinctive character and style. Now his archive is at the museum, this talk reassess his work and its contribution to English stained glass in the 20th century.

Douglas Strachan: His Life and Legacy with Juliette Macdonald

Wednesday 16 October, 7pm

Douglas Strachan produced over 350 windows throughout Britain and beyond. His work continues to inspire and influence designers. This talk explores Strachan’s approach to, and innovative use, of glass.

Drawn to Light with Grace Ayson

Wednesday 23 October, 7pm

A stained glass artist, designer and conservator based on the Kent coast, Ayson’s work combines striking modern draughtsmanship with traditional craft and techniques. This talk explores the techniques and approaches used.

EXHIBITIONS

Inspired by William Morris BSMGP Exhibition

28 August - 31 October

William Morris described the two leading passions of his life as the desire to create ‘beautiful things’ and a ‘hatred of modern civilisation’.

As well as being an artist and designer Morris was also a writer, activist and poet. He was in every way a radical of his time, in both thought and action.

Members of the British Society of Master Glass Painters (BSMGP), were invited to make a 30 cm square glass panel in response to the theme ‘Inspired by William Morris’ for an online and touring exhibition. Open to professionals, enthusiasts and novices alike, more than 90 submissions were received.

The touring exhibition opens in Stourbridge at the International Festival of Glass from 23-26 August.

It is then on display at The Stained Glass Museum from 28 August - 31 October, before being displayed at Rochdale Town Hall until the end of 2024.

With the second half of our workshop season about to commence, now is the perfect chance to grab yourself a place on one of our practical workshops. Limited spaces are available on our remaining dates. Please check our website for more information.

Glass Fusing - 6 September

Screen-Printing Masterclass - 27 & 28 September

Glass Fusing - 2 November

HERITAGE OPEN DAYS

Join us for special opening hours, spotlight tours and children’s crafts during Heritage Open Days.

Museum Late: Saturday 14 September, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Open Day: Sunday 15 September, 12:00 - 4:00 pm

THE GIFT SHO

In addition to James Cockerill’s exhibition at the museum we are also stocking a selection of his work for sale in our shop. This is a great opportunity to owned a unique piece of screen-printed glass.

New Terry Chance vases are now in stock. Check out our website for latest designs.

Show your Friends card to claim a 10% discount when shopping in person or use the code “Friends10%” to claim your discount when making purchases online.