The Stained Glass Museum

The Autumnal Equinox of 2024 took place today at 1:43pm today, the 22nd September

It traditionally marks the beginning of autumn though many will already be noticing the shorter days and leaves changing colour! 🍁🍂🍁

This panel, 'Studies of a Leaf' depicts the autumn leaves in colours very synonymous with this time of year!

Made between 1850-1860 by James Powell & Sons and was originally located in Hall, a large country house in Bishop's Tawton, near Barnstaple, Devon. You can read more about the house here: http://www.hallestate.co.uk/

This panel is a 'quarry' panel, from the French 'carré' meaning 'square', and are often used in multiples to make up whole windows or as decorative backgrounds.

Stamped quarries were made in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by pressing or rolling soft glass into patterned moulds, producing designs of stylised flowers or leaves, or copies of medieval bird quarries. Glass-painting pigment and yellow stain were then applied to the indented pattern, and the glass was fired in the conventional manner. Once very common, this type of glazing is becoming rare

Today is the feast day of St Matthew. Matthew the Apostle, as he is also known, was, according to the Bible, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, to the Christian tradition is one of the four Evangelists. This panel was made c.1830 and is attributed to Thomas Wright of Leeds. It was originally located in St Matthews Church in Holbeck, Yorkshire before becoming part of the collection at Stained Glass Museum in the 1980s.

This window demonstrates how the 18th Century technique of painting in enamel pigments on large rectangles of white glass continued well into the 19th Century. The panel was created using a combination of both enamel painted and pot metal coloured glass. The placement of the figure of St Matthew under a Gothic style architectural canopy reveals the impact of the early Gothic Revival.

The gospel of Matthew is found in the New Testament of the Bible and is said to be a creative reinterpretation of Mark, stressing Jesus' teachings as much as his acts, and making subtle changes to reveal his divine nature – Mark's "young man" who appears at Jesus' tomb, for example, becomes a radiant angel in Matthew. The gospel of Mark recounts prior revelations in Jesus' lifetime on earth, at his baptism and transfiguration, but Matthew goes back further still, showing Jesus as the Son of God from his birth, the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy.

St Matthew is the patron saint of bankers, tax collectors, civil servants and accountants!

You can find out more about this panel, and others in our collection online here: https://stainedglassmuseum.com/object/ELYGM:1981.5

Ticket's for our upcoming autumn talks are proving popular, so don't miss out!

We've got three excellent talks taking place, so join us for;

Autumn Talks 2024: Douglas Strachan: his Life and Legacy with Juliette Macdonald on Wednesday 16 October at 7pm and learn more about one of the most important figures in the Scottish revival of stained-glass design, the Aberdonian, Douglas Strachan who produced over 350 windows throughout Britain and beyond. His work, which spanned the first half of the twentieth century, continues to inspire and influence designers.

Our next talk is given by Grace Ayson Art and Glass, a stained glass artist, designer and conservator based on the Kent coast in the UK. At Autumn Talks 2024: 'Drawn to Light' with Grace Ayson, Grace will take you on a journey charting her career so far, from her starting point as a sculptor, through her work as a conservator, to her work as a stained glass artist. Using past projects and commissions, she will explore the techniques and approaches she has used, her influences and inspirations, and ideas about the tradition and craft of stained glass. This talk takes place at 7pm (GMT) on Wednesday 23 October

Finally, join us for Autumn Talks 2024: From Heaven to Earth - The Stained Glass of Christopher Webb with John Edwards. Webb's reputation as a stained glass designer and artist was at its height in the decades immediately before and after the Second World War; and during his active career from 1920 to 1964 he produced over 400 windows with a distinctive character and style, as well as designing a wide selection of other church art. Now that his work has been comprehensively listed, and a large collection of design sketches, full-size cartoons and other material given to the Stained Glass Museum, it is timely to reassess his work and its contribution to English stained glass in the 20th century. This talk takes place at 7pm (GMT) on Wednesday 30 October

Tickets for each of the talks are available online here https://the-stained-glass-museum.myshopify.com/collections/tours-lectures

Tickets are £5 for Friends of The Stained Glass Museum or £6.50 otherwise

We’re enjoying having some VIP visitors today as part of Heritage Open Days at The Stained Glass Museum!

Snoopy is definitely a very important pup indeed!

Join us for Heritage Open Days at The Stained Glass Museum today from 12-4pm (last admission at 3:30pm)!

Enjoy exploring our beautiful gallery, spotlight tours throughout the day, our two temporary exhibitions and make your own stained glass inspired bookmark to take home

Admission is free today on this special open Sunday due to Heritage Open Days!

It’s a glorious evening to come out and enjoy Heritage Open Days at The Stained Glass Museum tonight from 6:30 to 8:30pm!

Admisission is free & there’ll be children’s activities to enjoy and spotlight tours throughout the evening. Do pop by & our last admission is at 8pm

Remember, well behaved dogs are welcome at The Stained Glass Museum with their owners too!

Ely Cathedral is open until 9pm so do come and explore

We're delighted to be hosting our popular online autumn talks series again this October! Join us for;

Autumn Talks 2024: Douglas Strachan: his Life and Legacy with Juliette Macdonald and learn more about one of the most important figures in the Scottish revival of stained-glass design, the Aberdonian, Douglas Strachan who produced over 350 windows throughout Britain and beyond. His work, which spanned the first half of the twentieth century, continues to inspire and influence designers. This talk takes place at 7pm (GMT) on Wednesday 16 October

Grace Ayson Art and Glass is a stained glass artist, designer and conservator based on the Kent coast in the UK. Join us for Autumn Talks 2024: 'Drawn to Light' with Grace Ayson where Grace will take you on a journey charting her career so far, from her starting point as a sculptor, through her work as a conservator, to her work as a stained glass artist. Using past projects and commissions, she will explore the techniques and approaches she has used, her influences and inspirations, and ideas about the tradition and craft of stained glass. This talk takes place at 7pm (GMT) on Wednesday 23 October

Finally, join us for Autumn Talks 2024: From Heaven to Earth - The Stained Glass of Christopher Webb with John Edwards. Webb's reputation as a stained glass designer and artist was at its height in the decades immediately before and after the Second World War; and during his active career from 1920 to 1964 he produced over 400 windows with a distinctive character and style, as well as designing a wide selection of other church art. Now that his work has been comprehensively listed, and a large collection of design sketches, full-size cartoons and other material given to the Stained Glass Museum, it is timely to reassess his work and its contribution to English stained glass in the 20th century. This talk takes place at 7pm (GMT) on Wednesday 30 October

Tickets for each of the talks are available online here https://the-stained-glass-museum.myshopify.com/collections/tours-lectures Tickets are £5 for Friends of The Stained Glass Museum or £6.50 otherwise

Remember you can join us for some fantastic, free events this weekend as part of the national Heritage Open Days weekend!

Join us after hours on Saturday evening from 6:30-8:30pm to enjoy a special and see our beautifully illuminated windows as the sun sets during Heritage Open Days at The Stained Glass Museum

Then, join us on Sunday from 12-4pm for our free Open Day as part of Heritage Open Days at The Stained Glass Museum - we'll be hosting spotlight tours throughout the day as well as offering fun children's crafts too!

There's no need to book, just pop by & last admission is 30 mins before we close.

Ely Cathedral is also open as part of Heritage Open Days so join them for their free extended opening hours on Saturday evening between 6.30pm-9pm and experience the Cathedral in the evening light. In the day on Saturday, they're also hosting a number of free activities including a tour of the Physick Garden, and during the evening you can enjoy a Cathedral highlights tour

Yesterday, The Stained Glass Museum enjoyed a fantastic trip to Northamptonshire, where we saw some beautiful stained glass in Apethorpe, at Oundle School, Kimbolton and in Wellingborough.

We had a fantastic day seeing some beautiful glass by a great range of artists - be sure to follow our page as we share some more photos soon

📸 Our group in the Oundle School chapel

Next weekend, on Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th September, join us for Heritage Open Days at The Stained Glass Museum and enjoy a FREE open evening on Saturday + a FREE open afternoon on Sunday!

This is the perfect opportunity to stop by and explore our beautiful collection of stained glass, with over 130 examples on display from medieval to modern.

Throughout both events there will be spotlight tours taking place and free children's craft activities to enjoy.

There is no need to book, just drop by between 6:30-8:30pm on Saturday or from 12-4 on Sunday.

Remember to check out all the other Heritage Open Days fun taking place at Ely Cathedral too and make a day, or evening of it!

Heritage Open Days is an annual event taking place across the county with many venues and locations opening specially for this weekend. Find out more on their website https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk

This 15th century roundel is from one of the museum's 'Labours of the Month' series. Designed to depict typical jobs and tasks for the months, these series are often made in glass or ceramic too.

This panel for the month of September depicts corn harvesting, a typical agricultural task and a common sight for this time of year! This job is now normally done using a combine harvester, but the figure in this panel is using a traditional scythe to do the job.

The panels originally decorated the clock tower of Matfield House in Kent and date from the 15th Century.

Following a later sale of the house, the panels were donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum who have loaned them to The Stained Glass Museum , where they are on display alongside another from this series, November.

Join us for a day exploring some wonderful in Northamptonshire on Monday 9 September.

On this guided coach tour we will visit four churches in Northamptonshire to see remarkable modern stained glass windows in situ by artists and craftsmen including Louis Comfort Tiffany, John Piper, Patrick Reyntiens, Evie Hone, Mark Angus and more.

Open to all, this visit is one not to miss! The British Society of Master Glass Painters, Friends of Friendless Churches, National Churches Trust, The Churches Conservation Trust, The Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass, Contemporary Glass Society, The Arts Society

https://stained-glass-museum.arttickets.org.uk/stained-glass-museum/northamptonshire-churches-study-day-664b5e3a99bac

Today, the 29 August is a feast day commemorating the beheading of John the Baptist, major figure in many religions including Christianity and Islam.

John is known for the unique practice of baptism for the forgiveness of sins, with most scholars agreeing that John baptised Jesus. Scholars also generally believe Jesus was a follower or disciple of John.

The liturgical commemoration of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist is almost as old as that commemorating his birth, which is one of the oldest feasts, if not the oldest, introduced into both the Eastern and Western liturgies to honour a saint
In the New Testament Salome was the dissolute young woman who persuaded King Herod to execute St John the Baptist. This lively panel is from a large four-light window depicting his life and martyrdom.

This beautiful panel, made in 1856, comes from and depicts the life and death of Saint John the Baptist. The panel was made by Antoine Lusson, an important figure in the French Gothic Revival style. In 1847 his Le Mans workshop was involved in the restoration of the 13th-century glass of the Sainte-Chapelle de Paris, the most important and prestigious project of its day. The Ely window, one of his very few works in England, is painted in an early 14th-century style and makes extensive use of acid etching of flashed ruby and blue glass.

From today, until the 31 October, we are delighted to have a brand new temporary exhibition on display in Ely Cathedral's South West Transept, 'Inspired by William Morris'.

Organised by The British Society of Master Glass Painters, this exhibition invited members to make a 30cm 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.

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.

This exhibition displays 24 panels (on rotation) made by individuals ‘Inspired by William Morris’ using traditional stained glass techniques as well as contemporary and experimental methods. It is hoped that the exhibition will inspire a new generation of people to work with stained glass and commission it for public buildings and homes as William Morris succeed in doing.

An online gallery with all submissions for the exhibition can be found here: https://www.bsmgp.org.uk/news-events/events/exhibition-inspired-by-william-morris/

The touring exhibition began in Stourbridge at the International Festival of Glass earlier this month before coming to the museum. Later this autumn it heads to Rochdale Town Hall until the end of the year.

After viewing the exhibition downstairs, do make sure to come The Stained Glass Museum to see pieces made by Morris in our displays too!

With the new school year beginning soon, we are so pleased to be welcoming our mini's back to The Stained Glass Museum too!

Join us every month for our SGMinis: Fun For Under 5s at The Stained Glass Museum sessions in the gallery from 10 - 11:30 - our first session is on Wednesday 4 September

Come and join us for fun in our beautiful gallery and enjoy crafts, rhymes and stories linked to the theme - our theme in September is shapes galore!

Explore our light box and interactive toys and meet new friends, all whilst relaxing with a drink and a biscuit. Story time will be under one of our beautiful stained glass windows!

The session is suitable for babies and children up to 5 years old, but tickets must be pre-booked online here: https://the-stained-glass-museum.myshopify.com/products/sg-minis-10-00-11-30

Today is International Dog Day & we are sharing just two dogs from our collection here at The Stained Glass Museum 🐶

The first panel depicting a lap dog seated on a red cushion & surrounded by a rococo border in the museum's main gallery.

Designed and made by William Peckitt of York in March 1756, the panel originally came from Gisburne Park in Lancashire, then owned by Thomas Lister. Once a Grade 1 listed home, the house is now run as a hospital and the large estate is enjoyed as a country park, an equestrian facility and as a holiday destination!

William Peckitt was the most significant glass painter of his time, and was known across the country for his skilled enamel painting. He also painted another version of this subject for the daughter of John Bourchier of Benningborough Hall in Yorkshire. The panel was purchased by the museum in 2010

The second piece is a small panel from our newer acquisitions at the museum which features numerous animals. This late 18th century panel is arranged against a coloured background of purple and yellow glass & was kindly donated by some Friends of the museum.

Today on bank holiday Monday, we'll be open as usual from 10am - 5pm!

This bank holiday is the perfect opportunity to explore our beautiful gallery and enjoy the chance to see over 130 illuminated stained glass windows at eye level. Our collection spans over 800 years, from the medieval to the modern!

There is lots to enjoy for all ages too, with fun activities throughout the gallery for families, including dressing up, being creative at the light box and lots of stories to enjoy! Download our free digital guide which includes videos, an audio guide and much more available via our Bloomberg Connects app or via our website here: https://bit.ly/3xZYs2P

Queen Margaret of Anjou and wife of King Henry VI of England died , the 25th August 1482, aged 52.

This panel depicts the heraldic shields of Queen Margaret and shows a large crown surmounting shield of arms with quartered fleur-de-lys and lions, supported with two yales. The right light depicts a crown surmounting eight quarterings; on the left are the arms of England and France, on the right are fleur-de-lys, fish and cross pattern. These heraldic shields are supported by eagles and a mythical beast - the yale - with the head of an antelope and the body of a lion

Queen Margaret was one of the principal figures in the series of dynastic civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses and at times personally led the Lancastrian faction. Owing to her husband's frequent bouts of insanity, Margaret ruled the kingdom in his place. It was she who called for a Great Council in May 1455 that excluded the Yorkist faction headed by Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York, and thus provided the spark that ignited a civil conflict that lasted for over thirty years, decimated the old nobility of England, and caused the deaths of thousands of men, including her only son Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471.

These panels were made c.1843 by the stained glass artist William Miller. Miller trained as a plumber and glazier but had developed his business, which was based in Soho, London, to produce stained glass by the 1840s

The panel is originally from Crockerton Church in Wiltshire, however once this church was no longer in use, the panels were cleaned and repaired the workshop of Salisbury Cathedral before coming to The Stained Glass Museum .

The panel is also a faithful copy of a 15th-century armorial in the Great Hall at Ockwells in Berkshire. This window combines traditional glass-painting techniques with those of enamel painting, used here to decorate the crown.

Today is the Feast Day of St Bartholomew. Born in the 1st century, Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is said to have been martyred for having converted Polymius, King of Armenia, to Christianity. He was martyred by being flayed alive and is always identified by the tanner's knife that he holds in his hand. Appropriately, he is the patron saint of shoemakers and bookbinders.

This window, which is on loan to The Stained Glass Museum by the Victoria & Albert Museum, depicts St Bartholomew holding a knife and a book. He is nimbed and has yellow curly hair and beard & is also wearing white robes whilst standing underneath a canopy.

He was one of a series of prophets and apostles originally located in the nave clerestory of Wi******er Cathedral and was made between 1404 and 1422. The windows were funded by a bequest from the will of Bishop William of Wykeham (died 1404), Chancellor of England to King Edward III and King Richard II and one of the most important patrons of stained glass in England during the Middle Ages. In his lifetime, William of Wykeham founded both Wi******er College & New College, Oxford and paid for their sumptuous glazing, much of which survives.

The original east window of Wi******er College Chapel not only showed Wykeham as donor with his royal masters, but also the craftsmen who had worked for him. These included the glazier Thomas of Oxford, a telling tribute to the regard in which such craftsmen could be held. The present panel is in a style similar to Thomas's work elsewhere. It was removed from the cathedral during the restoration of 1852.

Create your own bespoke glass artwork at our Screen Printing on Glass Masterclass this September at The Stained Glass Museum!

This Masterclass is an opportunity to explore the screen-printing on glass technique with award winning artist James Cockerill of HALTglass as he guides you through making a beautiful, personal artwork. Layers of digital photographs will be used to create unique collages that can then be printed on glass, allowing coloured light to animate the images. Tuition is in a small group, meaning James is able to welcome absolute beginners alongside those who wish to develop their art, print or stained glass practice.

The Masterclass includes:

👉 Design - James will work with you to select four of your own digital images which will form the basis of your glass artwork

👉 Personalised screen - James will use your digital images to prepare a screen

👉 Printing - Using your bespoke screen, specialist glass paints and enamels, you will learn to compose and print your images, overlaying them on both sides of float glass. You will also have access to James’s large selection of screens prepared with his own stock images.

👉 Kiln firing - Your printed glass will be kiln-fired to make permanent its collaged images

👉 Photoshop tutorial - James will demonstrate the ways in which he uses Photoshop to prepare images for screen printing and explain the process of photo sensitive transfer, used to create stencils of images on a screen

👉 Consultancy - drawing on his own diverse art practice, James will offer advice on integrating screen printing into your creative work

👉 Museum admission - the Masterclass takes place in the museum’s beautiful workshop space, with views onto Ely Cathedral’s stunning Victorian glass. From there you will have free access to stained glass inspiration in the museum’s permanent collection and in our current exhibition of James’s work, ‘Layers.’

If you would like to learn more about this Masterclass, and to book your place, please visit our website https://stainedglassmuseum.com/screenprinting or give us a call on 01353 660347

That's a wrap on our drop in activities this summer holiday here at The Stained Glass Museum!

We've welcomed hundreds and hundreds of children and their grown ups to the gallery this summer and loved seeing all of your fantastic creations too

Your designs have been brightening up the gallery and have been much admired by our visitors. The dragon from yesterdays "Knights and Dragons" drop in morning, filled with stained glass inspired scales is another great addition as well!

Although our remaining pre-booked craft workshops are fully booked, there is still lots to enjoy in the gallery. Come and help to come and help Cyril the squirrel find the plants and animals hidden in the window and collect a reward for designing your own nature inspired window 🐿️

Once school has begun, so do our monthly SGMinis: Fun For Under 5s at The Stained Glass Museum sessions. Our first one takes place Wednesday 4th September 10:00-11:30. You can find out more and book online at https://the-stained-glass-museum.myshopify.com/products/sg-minis-10-00-11-30

Until the end of the summer, we're delighted to have 'Paradise Place' by the artist Catherine Lee on display - do pop in to see this fantastic piece!

This diptych, which is on display in our shop area, is part of a series that delights in the voyeurism of daily life. Cathy says "This tower block is home to me, to you? and our neighbours but we know little of each other. But here, at Paradise Place, you can peek through the windows and find hiding inside, places of love, fear, laughter, loneliness, anger, s*x and television. Familiar, sad, amusing and odd. Stained glass is an unusual but perfect medium to show domesticity: it is a window to our lives. You are invited to look through this window of windows and find out what's happening behind them"

Cathy’s work in stained glass is inspired by her ongoing experience working with people who have complex lives. Her artistic background comes from working in traditional crafts of all types and she is an art historian.

This is the second time Cathy's work has been on display here at The Stained Glass Museum, her panel 'Warp and Weft' was the first prize winner of global architectural stained glass Stevens competition in 2023 hosted by the The Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass and on display here in the summer last year.

Today is & did you know that The Stained Glass Museum has a panel featuring a lizard too? Can you spot it? 🦎🦎🦎

This panel, which was made in 1890 also depicts an angel with an oil lamp and a woman with a book & is dedicated to the late Lady Kaye.

This pieces forms part of a three light window depicting Christ resurrected as the Good Shepherd in it's central light. The outer lights, including this one, depict the three Maries at the tomb

It was made by the studio of Heaton, Butler and Bayne, a company formed in 1862 and had an enormous output of stained glass windows across the world until they closed in 1953