Editorial

Welcome to July’s edition of Vidimus. In this issue, we bring you a timely and fascinating examination of an early sixteenth-century plague image, an exploration of a new research initiative into twentieth-century stained glass and an interesting reconsideration of the fourteenth-century Becket Window of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.

We are delighted to include reviews of the excellent anthology Investigations in Medieval Stained Glass, the companion publication to Judith Schachter’s stunning retrospective exhibition, and Adrian Barlow’s two biographical volumes on C.E. Kempe.

As we prepared to go to press, Vidimus heard the sad news of the death of stained glass researcher and author Paul Sharpling. An appreciation will be included in our next issue. There is also news of a recent fire at Nantes Cathedral, which we hope to report on in more detail later in the year. We also welcome some positive stories, including the reopening of the Stained Glass Museum next month, recent new appointments to the Corpus Vitrearum and the publication by Historic England of a new guidance note for custodians of stained glass.

In our own news, this issue marks the end of an era for Vidimus, as it is the first issue produced without the assistance of Laura Tempest since 2011. Laura, a skilled and knowledgeable stained glass conservator and researcher, has spent almost a decade supporting Vidimus behind the scenes. Having decided upon a career change earlier this year, Laura generously stayed on to ensure continuity as we changed editorial team and publication cycle. Members of the Vidimus team past and present would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Laura for her tireless dedication to the preparation and publication of issues to an incredibly high standard. We wish Laura all the best as she embarks on a new chapter.

We would also like to draw readers’ attention to our new donation page. Vidimus is committed to remaining a free magazine, available to everyone interested in stained glass. We are very grateful for the support we have received from the Worshipful Company of Glaziers, the Stained Glass Museum, Ely, and the British Archaeological Association, as well as individuals. It is the generosity of our donors that makes Vidimus possible and keeps it free. We are aware that many people will not be in a position to offer support right now, but if you would like to contribute, please visit our Subscription page, where you can securely donate as little or as much as you are able, to ensure Vidimus can continue to be free to all.

Finally, as restrictions continue, we have all come to appreciate online resources and the virtual network as a means of keeping our community together. In Lockdown Online we have included a few of our favourite online resources, exhibitions and events, and welcome suggestions from readers. We hope that these resources, and this issue, raise your spirits.

The Vidimus team wishes our readers a happy and healthy summer!

Katie Harrison, Editor

July 2020