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The Journal of Stained Glass
Since 1924, The Journal of Stained Glass has been produced annually by the British Society of Master Glass Painters to publish and promote research in stained glass.
With its interdisciplinary approach, The Journal of Stained Glass covers all aspects and periods of stained glass, making it an invaluable resource for historians, students and anyone with an interest in the medium, as well as for designers, craftworkers and conservators. Featuring wide-ranging articles by recognised experts in the field, each issue includes a provocative guest editorial and sections on: the History of stained glass; Research & Methodology; Contemporary Practice; and Technical Inquiry; along with a New Work Portfolio, reports on recent prizes and awards, exhibitions and obituaries, and a comprehensive book review section. The Journal of Stained Glass is the only English-language publication to cover all of these subjects in depth.
The scope is strongly international, with articles on stained glass in the Ukraine, Iceland, Australia, Canada, Poland, Ireland, Australia and the United States, as well as from the United Kingdom! Themed issues include: the Medievalism Special Issue; The Glass House Special Issue; Burne-Jones Special Issue; America Issue; Scotland Issue, and The Stained Glass Collection of Sir John Soane’s Museum.
Each volume usually includes a minimum of 200 pages with well over 100 colour illustrations.
Sandra Coley Hon FMGP is Editor, for enquiries about submissions contact journaled@bsmgp.org.uk
Journal search
Search the table of contents and indexes for The Journal of Stained Glass from 1924-2018 for information on stained glass artists, commissions, obituaries, etc.
Article reprints
If you wish to order copies of articles for research purposes please contact the Librarian directly. Our pricing is tiered: 1-5 pages (£5); 6-25 pages (£10); and 26+ pages (£15).
XLVII (2023) The Journal of Stained Glass
ISBN-13 978 1 9169040 3 3 160 pages, 174 illustrations, most in colour and many large-scaleThe conservation of the magnificent Edward Burne-Jones and Morris & Co. windows at St Philip’s Cathedral in Birmingham is the cover story of the year. With superb illustrations and detailed technical analysis, Peter Cormack reveals new research on the history of the commission and Morris & Co.’s craft techniques. Steve Clare describes the many complex roles undertaken by Holy Well Glass to complete the Cathedral’s ‘Divine Beauty Project’ and its impact on both stakeholders and the city.
Representing critical events and achievements in 2023, this issue has a focus on the UK, where traditional stained glass was added by Heritage Crafts to their Red List of Endangered Crafts. Reaction and future strategy were of utmost importance. The guest editorial – ‘A Craft in Peril’ – by HC Executive Director Daniel Carpenter, addresses key issues while BSMGP Chairman Steve Clare presents the Society’s action plan, alongside articles examining the roles of both Higher Education and traditional workshop-training over past decades and introducing the newly-launched Stained Glass Craftsperson Apprenticeship.
A very rich Contemporary Practice section provides hope for the future development of the craft, with full coverage of the most important international stained glass exhibition of the year, 'Brian Clarke: A Great Light'. A study of the innovatory career of stained glass artist Surinder Warboys highlights her experimental glass-painting techniques and Benjamin Finn describes working with local community on a commission for a church window themed around ‘Caring and the Pandemic’. Prizes and Awards from the Glaziers’ Company for upcoming talent is accompanied by a 26-page Portfolio of wide-ranging stained and architectural glass commissions and works for exhibition by BSMGP Fellows and Associates.
We were delighted to publish the distinguished accolade given to our Vice-President Alfred Fisher MBE, FRSA, FMGP, who received the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award from Heritage Crafts and the Marsh Charitable Trust. In-depth reviews of international publications complete the issue.
£20.00 Table of contentsXLVI (2022) The Journal of Stained Glass, Stained Glass at War
ISBN-13 978 1 9169040 2 6 144 pages, 135 illustrations, most in colour and many large-scaleThe additional title on the cover, Stained Glass at War, expresses deep concerns about the destruction of precious heritage in Ukraine. The lead article by Oksana Kondratyeva gives a comprehensive account of wartime damage, attempts to secure stained glass at risk, and her clear-eyed anticipation of the ‘herculean task ahead’. We are pleased to publish, for the first time in English, research by Dr Irena Gahk of the Lviv National Academy of Arts on the important 20th-century Ukrainian artist, Modest Sosenko.
The international dimension is further explored in articles on Canadian artist Christopher Wallis’s late 20th-century scheme of stained glass windows for St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Ontario and in Peter Cormack’s research on the origins of slab glass invented by E. S. Prior in England and its transatlantic continuation/production by William Blenko in America.
Contemporary Practice includes a ten-year collaboration with Rachel Phillips resulting in new stained glass for three Welsh castles, along with 2022 commissions by BSMGP Fellows and Associates. Technical Inquiry introduces the BSMGP’s new Conservation Working Group and there is an account of Lambert’s extraordinary century-long production of mouth-blown glass in Germany. Reviews of new books in the field are accompanied by a report on the AGBI Charity and obituaries for our Vice-President Michael Archer OBE, our Librarian Leslie Smith FSA, our Scottish contributor Dr Iain Galbraith and our Honorary Fellow and regular contributor Dr Michael Kerney FSA.
£20.00 Table of contentsVol. XLV (2021) BSMGP Centenary Issue
ISBN-13 978 1 9169040 1 9 240 pages, 300 illustrations, most in colour and many large-scaleCelebrating the Centenary of the British Society of Master Glass Painters, this Special Issue features original research into the Society’s foundation and mandates and the history of its first fifty years, with fascinating biographies of its eminent Council members and Fellows and Associates. The period and context are richly brought to life by American artist Charles J. Connick’s insightful review of international stained glass in 1924, with new photographs of work by the key artists whom he discussed, many of them British and Irish.
The history of stained glass is explored in three international articles which trace: the remarkable diaspora of English and Continental medieval glass in an Australian collection; the complex reasons behind a key Munich-made commission for the windows of Peterhouse Chapel in Cambridge; and an illustrated account of Australia’s emerging heraldic tradition.
An extensive Contemporary Practice section celebrates the very successful BSMGP Centenary Exhibition which toured ten top UK sites, and illustrates 100 of the vibrant new panels made for it. Articles on recent stained glass commissions include botanical-themed panels for the Hall of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, the wide range of domestic, ecclesiastical and exhibition work by BSMGP Fellows and Associates, and the Worshipful Company of Glaziers’ annual Prizes & Awards.
Leading the Obituaries section is a heartfelt appreciation of the life and work of our Chairman of over twenty years, Caroline Benyon FMGP, with a celebration of her long career in stained glass and her distinguished work in cathedrals and churches. Tributes to Jo Bossányi and Patrick Reyntiens are also featured. Our Library report emphasises the campaign to save the Learned Societies at Burlington House and is accompanied by six in-depth reviews of recent publications.
£20.00 Table of contents Buy nowVol. XLIV (2020)
ISBN 13 978 1 9169040 0 2 208 pages, 200+ illustrations, most in colour and large scaleOur 2020 issue reflects stained glass in the Pandemic, beginning with the poignant front cover and guest editorial by American artist Judith Schaechter FMGP. Articles are international in scope, even to the moon and back! These juxtapose the work and experiences of two early Royal College of Art stained glass graduates Harold Rhodes and Charles Sidney Groves, who respectively practised and taught in the north of England and in South Africa. A rare example of German Expressionism in stained glass is explored at a Camphill community in northern Scotland, and the discovery of the original East window by William Warrington for a village church in Smeeth, Kent is examined in the context of the commissioning process for its 1960s replacement. New research documents the complex changes over a century to a Munich-made iconostasis in Ukraine. More recent history is rounded off by the remarkable Nebula stained glass scheme by Stephen Wilson at the ‘church of the Astronauts’ in Houston, Texas. The recent exciting discovery and reinstallation of significant medieval stained glass canopies at Wilton House is amplified by conservation and art historical analysis.
Contemporary Practice covers Prizes & Awards given by the Glaziers Company during 2020, and the impressive range of commissions completed by BSMGP Fellows and Associates, despite the Pandemic. Eleven in-depth reviews of new publications are followed by detailed obituaries for Rosalind Grimshaw FMGP and for Burne-Jones scholar and National Gallery of Canada Curator Emeritus Dr Douglas Schoenherr (whose expert contributions have graced former JSG issues), and by tributes to long-time BSMGP members George Wigley and Paul Sharpling.
£20.00 Table of contents Buy nowVol. XLIII (2019) Medievalism Special Issue
ISBN 13 978 0 9568762 9 4 268 pages, 238 illustrations, most in colour and many large scaleMartin Harrison FSA is the Guest Editor of this richly illustrated and expanded Special Issue devoted to a ground-breaking overview of Medievalism Studies. With an extensive range of stained glass from the Middle Ages to the Gothic Revival, new research explores the history of – and evolving approaches to – the medieval tradition. Harrison introduces articles on the early evidence of silver stain at York Minster; a pioneering survey of Saffron Walden’s glaziers active in the fifteenth century; the recent conservation of important late-medieval glass at Winchester Cathedral; pre-1700 heraldic glass in the county of Essex; Georgian ambitions to ‘surpass’ medieval art with enamel-painted glazing at Norwich Cathedral; some current theories of the phenomenon of vitreous iconoclasm; a detailed examination of the cultural and political impact of 17th-century domestic windows brought from France to Quebec; the transition to medievalism in English stained glass in the early 19th century; contemporary documentation of stained glass restoration and repair across Great Britain by Victorian architects and craftsmen; and the influence of Late-Gothic and Renaissance glass on the work of Burlison & Grylls in the Victorian era.
Contemporary Practice showcases the Grange Gallery exhibition 'Inspired by Burne-Jones', along with stained glass shown at the British Glass Biennale 2019 and Prizes and Awards given by the Worshipful Company of Glaziers. Recent commissions by BSMGP Fellows and Associates are illustrated and described in the New Work Portfolio. Nine in-depth book reviews are followed by obituaries and appreciations for Christine Boyce AMGP and Dr David Martlew Hon FSGT.
£28.00 Table of contents Buy nowVol. XLII (2018)
ISBN 978 0 9568762 8 7 176 pages, 220 illustrations, most in colour and large scaleCovering stained glass from Wales to Russia, the issue begins with a guest editorial introducing the new look and resources of our BSMGP website. Historical articles explore stained glass in the Russian Empire, with an in-depth history of the successful 19th-century studio of Wladimir Swertschkoff; a study of Christopher Webb’s 20th-century Benedicite windows (beautifully illustrated with comparative designs, cartoons and completed windows); an account of the modern stained glass cautiously embraced by the Diocese of Llandaff in the 1950s and ‘60s; and a report on a remarkable collection held by the Society of Antiquaries of Kempe Studio cartoons made for the restoration of Tewkesbury Abbey’s medieval stained glass.
Contemporary Practice features the cover story describing the complexities of a Royal Commission: new glass doors for the Private Chapel of Her Majesty the Queen in Windsor Great Park. Plus the Glaziers Company Prizes and Awards won in 2018 and the successful Reflections of the Lord Mayor roundel competition offered each year. A 24-page portfolio richly illustrates the latest commissions by BSMGP Fellows and Associates. Conservation and reconstruction projects at the Rosslyn Chapel and Mackintosh's famous Willow Tea Rooms bring us up to speed on technical inquiry in Scotland, followed by detailed book reviews. Obituaries and tributes are published for our distinguished Hon. Fellow, Dr Nicola Gordon Bowe, for Victor Drury and for Colin Stokes AMGP.
Vol. XLI (2017) The Glass House Special Issue
ISBN 13 978 0 9568762 7 0 304 pages, 125 illustrations, many large scaleA much-expanded Special Issue devoted to the Glass House, the remarkable enterprise by Mary Lowndes and Alfred Drury just over a hundred years ago that led to a golden age of opportunity in British stained glass. Wilhelmina Geddes, Karl Parsons, Hugh Arnold, Moira Forsyth, Alan Younger, Theodora Salusbury, Christopher Whall, Margaret Chilton, Henry Holiday, John Hayward, Martin Travers, Mabel Esplin, Herbert Hendrie, Joan Fulleylove, Joseph Eddie Nuttgens, Keith New, Baron Arild Rosenkrantz, Caroline Townshend, Joan Howson, David Hillman, Robert Anning Bell, Margaret E. Aldrich Rope and Margaret Agnes Rope: just some of the artists who had studios in the Glass House or had their work made there. It is no accident that so many of these names belong to women stained glass artists, and in this year of the centenary of Women’s Suffrage, it is good to reflect that Mary Lowndes’ initiative also led to the emancipation of women in the work place, one we’re all very fond of at the BSMGP: the stained glass studio. These artists' windows throughout the UK and as far afield as Khartoum and Adelaide are testament to the importance of the Glass House in stained glass history.
BSMGP member and author Alan Brooks carefully transcribed the business records of the Lowndes & Drury Archive, now held in the Archive of Art and Design in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Working with our Hon. Fellow Peter Cormack MBE, the issue now includes 3500 records and their evaluation, along with biographies of each of the 160 artists involved. Cormack’s guest editorial explores ‘The Glass House: a Great Feminist Enterprise’.
£28.00 Table of contentsVol. XL (2016)
ISBN 978 0 9568762 6 3 192 pages, 165 illustrations, many large scaleGuest editorial on sketching stained glass and what it can teach us. Features a detailed study of D’Ascenzo Studios, whose stained glass was popular in the US in the early 20th century, as well as the first thorough account of the evolution of Ukrainian stained glass to the present day. Records from the Kempe Studios are investigated for their research potential; and Technical Inquiry is devoted to an innovative conservation programme for important 14th-century glazing at Exeter Cathedral. Contemporary stained glass includes the collaborative Swansea Glass Beacon project, Glaziers awards and prizewinners, and an extensive New Work Portfolio. Plus a report on Tiffany at auction, 12 book reviews and obituaries for Roy Coomber FMGP, Kathy Shaw-Urlich AMGP, Crear MacCartney and Peter Gibson OBE.
Very limited stock
£20.00 Table of contents Buy nowVol. XXXIX (2015)
ISBN 978 0 9568762 5 6 192 pages, 165 illustrations, many large scaleGuest Editorial by Dr Simon Bradley on stained glass in Pevsner’s Buildings of England series. In-depth studies of Henry Holiday’s important scheme for a New York hospital and work by H. J. Burrow and George Parlby for Powells & Sons, as well as biographical data on the Burrow family. Contemporary practice covers the rewards of creating glass and mosaic in children’s schools, the powerful work of Israeli artist Ardyn Halter, New Work Portfolio by Members & Associates, and annual prizes in the UK. Also features the origins of transfer printing on glass with its use of stained glass imagery and the challenges of its restoration. Concludes with a review of Australian exhibition on the stained glass of William Bustard, 9 book reviews and 3 obituaries.