XLV (2021) BSMGP Centenary Issue

Celebrating 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.