Burne-Jones Restored and Connick Book Launch at the Art Workers Guild

Join us in person for a midsummer gathering and evening lecture on Burne-Jones’s Stained Glass at St Philip’s Cathedral, Birmingham, followed by the book launch of Charles J. Connick, America’s Visionary Stained Glass Artist.

The four great windows of Birmingham Cathedral, designed by Edward Burne-Jones and made by Morris & Company between 1885 and 1897, are arguably the supreme achievement of the nineteenth-century stained glass revival. During 2023 the windows underwent a major programme of meticulous conservation and repair by Holy Well Glass (Wells), entailing complex work focussed not only on the stained glass but also on the masonry and metal armatures. Funded in part by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the ‘Divine Beauty’ project included an important dimension of public engagement, enabling visitors to examine close-up – for the first time since their installation – all four windows from scaffolding while the works were in progress.

The lecture will begin with a brief historical introduction from the leading authority on William Morris and his circle, Peter Cormack, followed by a sumptuously illustrated account of the conservation project by Jack Clare ACR, Director of Holy Well Glass, which will include some of the fascinating discoveries made about the design, technique and materials of these world-famous Burne-Jones/Morris windows.

Book Launch of Charles J. Connick, America’s Visionary Stained Glass Artist

The lecture will be followed by a talk given by BSMGP Vice-President and Hon. Fellow Peter Cormack MBE FSA to introduce his new book, which is the first comprehensive study of the career of Charles J. Connick (1875-1945), the foremost American stained glass artist of the twentieth century. There will be an opportunity to buy copies (signed by the author if required) of the book, which is fully illustrated and published by Yale University Press with generous support from the Charles J. Connick Foundation of Newtonville, Massachusetts, USA.

We will be at the Art Workers Guild in London on Friday 21 June 2024. Entry from 5.30 pm for a 6.15 start. There will be a buffet supper following the proceedings and a chance to mingle and talk to other stained glass enthusiasts and professionals. Event ends at 9.30 pm. Tickets for the lecture only are £17 members (£20 non-members). Cost including a delicious buffet supper £34 for members (£40 non-members). Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.