News

Appeal for Help

Fig. 1. Detail of the quarry design with unknown iconography.

Fig. 1. Detail of the quarry design with unknown iconography.

Brianne Kozlowski, a graduate from the University of York MA (2013) now consulting in the US, and Drew Anderson of the Metropolitan Museum of Art are appealing for information regarding the design of the 19th c. window from Trinity Church, Wall Street in Manhattan. The windows were fabricated by Abner Stephenson. Little is known about Abner or his training. Abner left England and arrived in New York in 1836 with his Irish bride. The ship manifest lists his profession as ‘Herald Painter.’

The quarries in the 16 aisle windows (c. 1845) at Trinity Church all reflect the same screen-printed design. The iconography of the design is unknown. Can anyone identify the iconography within the quarries? Is anyone aware of any Victorian or Medieval precedents for this design or other examples appearing in the UK or elsewhere?

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Fig. 2. Typical aisle window, Trinity Church, Wall Street, Manhattan.

Fig. 2. Typical aisle window, Trinity Church, Wall Street, Manhattan.

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The technique, design, and use of materials within the windows at Trinity Church are the work of a well-trained glazier. We are hoping to locate Abner Stephenson in history and find where he was trained. If Vidimus readers are able to offer any information about the above quarry design or Abner Stephenson’s training, please contact Brianne Kozlowski directly at brianne@libertysgc.com. Thank you!

Inspired by Burne-Jones, a Unique Exhibition of Contemporary Glass

4th – 16th June, 2019 The Grange Art Gallery, Rottingdean, East Sussex

Fig. 1. Panel by Jonathan Cooke, Inspired by Burne-Jones.

Fig. 1. Panel by Jonathan Cooke, Inspired by Burne-Jones.

Among the glitterati attracted to the seaside village of Rottingdean at the end of the 19th century was Edward Burne-Jones, who from 1880 called Aubrey House, on the other side of The Green from The Grange, his home for almost twenty years. St Margaret’s’ church in Rottingdean still houses outstanding examples of Burne-Jones’ stained glass: http://www.stmargaret.org.uk/history/4-history-the-windows.php

Supported by The Rottingdean Preservation Society and The Worshipful Company of Glaziers, Inspired by Burne-Jones celebrates Rottingdean’s connection with the artist and designer, and highlights Burne-Jones’s work as a continuing source of inspiration. The exhibition will see the Grange Gallery transformed, with panels of stained glass suspended in the tall Georgian windows and an array of light-boxes illuminating further glass paintings.

More than 20 specialist glass practitioners have contributed to the exhibition, from studios across the UK (and one in US), and including some of the best known names in stained glass in Britain today. Several members of The Worshipful Company of Glaziers and the British Society of Master Glass painters (including Caroline Swash, Pippa Stacey, Jonathan Cooke, Lynette Wrigley, Pippa Martin, Emma Blount, Frans Wesselman and Nicola Kantorowicz) are keen to pay homage to Burne-Jones’ work and legacy.

The exhibited pieces reveal in-depth exploration of Burne-Jones’ works, drawing inspiration from his paintings, stained glass and tapestry, the artists’ sources including The Briar Rose and Perseus cycles, The Beguiling of Merlin, The Golden Stairs and The Adoration of the Magi tapestry.

Fig. 2. Detail of panel by Pippa Martin, Inspired by Burne-Jones.

Fig. 2. Detail of panel by Pippa Martin, Inspired by Burne-Jones.

Fig. 3. Detail of Wings by Pippa Stacey, Inspired by Burne-Jones.

Fig. 3. Detail of Wings by Pippa Stacey, Inspired by Burne-Jones.

The theme has inspired a fascinating and diverse collection of highly-individual responses: narrative pieces and abstracts, a dynamic spiral of tiny details from stained glass windows, exquisite studies of jewel-like flora, serene angels, portraits and evocations of the Rottingdean Burne-Jones knew. One panel has at its heart an actual piece of Burne-Jones’ stained glass.

For further details about the exhibition, please contact:

Anne-Sara Odor, Grange Gallery Manager, Rottingdean: annesara.odor@gmail.com

Elizabeth Lamont, Exhibition Co-ordinator: elizabethlamontglass@gmail.com

The Grange Gallery, The Grange, The Green, Rottingdean, BH2 7HA

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Tuesdays – Saturdays 10.30am – 4.00pm , Sundays 2.00pm – 4.00pm, Closed Mondays.

Canterbury Cathedral: Stained Glass Studio Tour

Fig. 4. Typolgical window from the choir aisle at Canterbury Cathedral, just one of the priceless historic windows under the care of the Canterbury Stained Glass Studio.

Fig. 1. Typolgical window from the choir aisle at Canterbury Cathedral, just one of the priceless historic windows under the care of the Canterbury Stained Glass Studio.

Friday, 17th May, 2019

Canterbury Cathedral houses one of the country’s most important collections of early medieval stained glass. The Cathedral’s Stained Glass Studio employs a team of expert conservators to restore this historic body of material, as well as to create new glazing as required.

Visitors taking part in the tour will learn all about the design, production and conservation of stained glass windows, and see some of the Cathedral’s precious stained glass close up as it is cleaned and restored. Places on the tour cost £25 per person, to a maximum of 15 people. To book, contact the visits office on 01227 762862 or visits@canterbury-cathedral.org. For further information, please see the Cathedral website.

Normal Precincts charges apply in addition to the studio tour cost. These can be found here.

Canterbury Cathedral Lecture Series: See-through Stories: Windows on the World

Fig. 1. Joseph, from the genealogical sequence in the choir clerestory of Canterbury Cathedral. By kind permission of the Chapter of Canterbury.

Fig. 1. Joseph, from the genealogical sequence in the choir clerestory of Canterbury Cathedral. By kind permission of the Chapter of Canterbury.

Starting on May 1st, Canterbury Cathedral Stained Glass Studio will host a series of six presentations by leading public speakers looking through and at Canterbury Cathedral’s stained glass windows, the biblical figures they illustrate and their relevance for today. The lectures will include:

1 May: Rabbi Dr. Deborah Kahn-Harris (Principal, Leo Baeck College) ‘Who Do You Think You Are?: The Use of Genealogies in the Construction of Identity from the Bible to the BBC’

8 May: Professor Vincent Lloyd (Villanova University USA) ‘Ambivalence of Charisma: Moses from Hollywood to Canterbury’

15 May: Professor Ben Quash and Dr Michelle Fletcher (King’s College London) ‘Where Do I Turn? Genesis 19 on When Things Fall Apart’

18 September: Professor Tod Linafelt (Georgetown University, USA) ‘What Does it Mean to be Human?: Adam (and Eve) Inside and Outside the Garden’

25 September: Neil McGregor (Founding Director Humboldt Forum, Berlin; former Director of the British Museum) ‘The Shepherds, the Magi and the Presentation in the Temple’

2 October: Paula Gooder (British theologian, Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral) ‘On Veiling and Unveiling: Church and Synagogue in Stained Glass and the Writings of Paul’

The talks are supported by The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral in association with the University of Kent, and will take place in the Canterbury Cathedral Stained Glass Studio. Arrive at 6.30pm in the Cathedral for a guided tour of the windows (or at 5.30pm for Choral Evensong beforehand). Each talk will begin at 7.00pm. Tickets cost £8 per talk or £35 for the full series. Entrance is free for school students and teachers. Booking is required. For further details and to book tickets, see the Cathedral website.

Vacancy at Cologne

Cathedral’s Stained Glass Studio Cologne Cathedral is inviting applications for a permanent position as a stained glass restorer, working in the cathedral studio. International applicants are welcome. Fluency in the German language is not expected, and applications may be made in English, but a basic knowledge of German, and an eagerness to improve upon that, would be appreciated. As such, the details of the position are provided below in German.

Die Dombauhütte Köln sucht ab Sommer 2019 eine/n

Restaurator / Restauratorin für historische Glasmalereien

Der Kölner Dom hat einen umfangreichen Bestand historischer Glasmalereien, deren Entstehungszeit eine Spanne von über 700 Jahren umfasst. Für die Restaurierung, Konservierung und Wartung ist die Glasrestaurierungswerkstatt der Dombauhütte zuständig.

Die Aufgabenbereiche der Glaswerkstatt sind vielfältig:

• Planung und Durchführung von Konservierungs- und Restaurierungskonzepten

• Bearbeitung von historischen Verglasungen aller Epochen

• Dokumentation der Restaurierungsarbeiten (schriftlich, grafisch, fotografisch)

• Montage und Demontage von historischen Glasfenstern

• Planung und Einbau der fensterbezogenen Schutzverglasung

• Klimamonitoring

• Wartungsarbeiten an den Fenstern

• Archivierung

• Neuanfertigung / Rekonstruktion

• Zusammenarbeit mit den anderen Gewerken der Dombauhütte

• Kooperation mit nationalen und internationalen Organisationen und Forschungseinrichtungen

Zur Verstärkung des vorhandenen Teams aus Glasmalereirestauratoren, Glasmalern und Kunstglasern suchen wir eine vielseitige, engagierte Person mit restauratorischen, handwerklichen und organisatorischen Fähigkeiten.

Ihr Profil

• Erfolgreich abgeschlossenes Hochschulstudium (Master, Magister, Diplom) im Bereich Glasmalereirestaurierung

• Einschlägige Berufserfahrung • Erfahrung in der Anfertigung von Vorzustandsuntersuchungen und Maßnahmendokumentation

• Routine im Umgang mit Grafikprogrammen

• Sichere Ausdrucksfähigkeit, mündlich wie schriftlich

• Englische Fremdsprachenkenntnisse

• Fähigkeiten in den traditionellen Handwerkstechniken (Glaszuschnitt, Bemalung, Verbleiung etc.)

• Gerüsttauglichkeit

• Identifikation mit den Aufgaben, Zielen und Werten der katholischen Kirche

Wir bieten Ihnen

• Vollzeitstelle mit derzeit 39 Wochenstunden

• Flexible Arbeitszeiten / Gleitzeit

• Möglichkeiten zur Fort- und Weiterbildung

• Vergütung zusätzliche Altersversorgung und sonstige Sozialleistungen nach der „Kirchliche Arbeits- und Vergütungsordnung für die Dombauhütte Köln (KAVO-Dombau)“

• Verkehrsgünstige Lage Nähe Hauptbahnhof Köln Menschen mit Schwerbehinderung und Frauen werden bei gleicher Eignung bevorzugt berücksichtigt.

Ihre Bewerbung in deutscher oder englischer Sprache richten Sie bitte bis zum 3. Juni 2019 an folgende Postadresse:

Dombaumeister Peter Füssenich Dombauhütte Köln
Roncalliplatz 2
D-50667 Köln

oder an folgende E-Mail-Adresse: info@dombau-koeln.de

BSMGP Touring Conference 2019: Bath and the Levels

Wednesday, 28th – Saturday, 31st August, 2019

Fig. 2. Detail from a series of panels showing the Joys of the Virgin, dating to the early 16th-century, Winchester Cathedral, presbytery aisle, SVIII E1 and E2 (Photograph: Gordon Plumb)

Fig. 2. Detail from a series of panels showing the Joys of the Virgin, dating to the early 16th-century, Winchester Cathedral, presbytery aisle, SVIII E1 and E2 (Photograph: Gordon Plumb)

The British Society of Master Glass Painters’ annual three-day autumn conference, exploring the British Isles’ stained glass heritage, attracts stained glass artists, conservators, restorers, historians, researchers and other enthusiasts alike. The conferences are planned and led by expert guides in collaboration with members whose local knowledge and connections lead to a fascinating and rewarding programme of events.

This year’s conference will be based at Bath University’s campus in the historic city of Bath, and will tour various churches and historic buildings at locations in north Somerset. Highlights will include a visit to the city of Wells, taking in both the Cathedral, where those involved in the recent conservation of the magnificent fourteenth-century ‘Tree of Jesse’ window will discuss their work, and also the leading conservation studio, Holy Well Glass. On the evening of the first day, there will be a keynote lecture about the conservation of the superb glass commissioned by Bishop Fox at Winchester Cathedral in the early sixteenth century, with contributions from the conservators and art historians involved.

The tour will offer opportunities to examine stained glass from a broad spectrum of time periods, from the high medieval, through the Gothic Revival, to contemporary work, including examples by the late Keith New FMGP.

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Fig. 3. ‘Tree of Jesse’ in the chancel east window at Wells Cathedral, dating to the fourteenth century.

Fig. 3. ‘Tree of Jesse’ in the chancel east window at Wells Cathedral, dating to the fourteenth century.

The cost of the conference is £460 per person, and includes dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation, lunch and all donations, entry fees and coach journeys. Members receive a 15% discount, and membership can be taken up before booking. For further information, and to book a place at the conference, please see the Society’s website.

BSMGP Summer Lecture 2019

Friday, 14th June 2019 at 6.15pm

Fig. 1. Detail from Martin Donlin’s commission for Belfast City Hall, centred on the Cattle Raid of Cooley from the Ulster myth cycle.

Fig. 1. Detail from Martin Donlin’s commission for Belfast City Hall, centred on the Cattle Raid of Cooley from the Ulster myth cycle.

The British Society of Master Glass Painters’ (BSMGP) Summer lecture will be given this year by the award-winning architectural glass art specialist, Martin Donlin, who will share his Reflections on 30 years of Glass. These three decades have seen Martin take on projects large and small, sacred and secular, intended for busy public spaces as well as intimate, private settings. His works are characterised by the combination of bold images for impact as well as smaller, more intricate detailing, always aiming to enhance the spaces they inhabit.

The lecture will be held at The Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Square, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 3AR, and a buffet supper is available for those who wish to stay on after the lecture. Tickets for the lecture cost £17 and the buffet is £16. For further information and to book tickets, please visit the Society’s website.

BSMGP Discussion Day 2019: ‘Splendid yet Intimate - Stained Glass for House and Home’

Friday, 31st May, 2019 from 10.00am to 4.30pm

Each year the BSMGP holds a discussion day aimed at students and stained glass artists in the early stages of their career, although established artists and interested amateurs are also welcome. This May, the day will take as its theme, ‘Splendid yet Intimate – Stained Glass for House and Home’, acknowledging the historical and on-going significance of stained glass in a domestic context. Guest speakers Neil Ireson, Flora Jamieson, Rachel Mulligan AMGP and John Reyntiens, all of whom have worked extensively in producing stained glass for homes, will address the problems and joys of working to commission in a client’s home. Caroline Swash FMGP will chair the day, and there will be plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions.

The Discussion Day will be held in the Court Room, Glaziers’ Hall, 9 Montague Close, London SE1 9DD. Tickets cost £30 and include tea and coffee, but not lunch. For further details and to purchase tickets, see the Society’s website.

Lecture: The Stained Glass of Charles Eamer Kempe (1837-1907)

Friday, 12th April, 2019, 2.30pm – 4.30pm

Kempe’s influence on Victorian and 20th-century church art and decoration was immense, and his work attracted the patronage of Royalty, senior clergy, the aristocracy and friends. Adrian Barlow, an experienced writer, lecturer and recognised expert on Kempe and his work, will present some of his thoughts about Kempe’s work in this lecture organised by the Lincolnshire Churches Trust.

The lecture will take place in St Wulfram’s Church, Church Street, Grantham (which houses good examples of Kempe’s work). Tickets cost £10 per head and include light refreshments in the church after the lecture. There will be a chance to talk to the author who will have copies of his recently published book ‘Espying Heaven’ available for purchase. Please book tickets in advance from Graham Cook, Honorary Secretary at Lincolnshire Churches Trust. Please telephone on 07940 715687 for further details and bookings.