Guidance Notes

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Photography of Stained Glass

Introduction

Although we live in turbulent times it is still difficult to imagine a burglar gaining access to a church, if no easier way can be found, by smashing a stained glass window. Unfortunately it is all too true and a real danger to our historic glass and the Victorian glass that one day will be become historic glass.

Of course vandalism is an ongoing problem ranging from occasional throwing of stones to a modern trend of bodily access through a large hole made by destroying a stained glass panel. This mindless attitude for personal gain can create many problems if photography is not available of the original glass. The impact needed to break glass is so forceful that it will shatter the individual pieces of stained glass and inevitably some fragments are lost. The problem is made even worse by the well-meaning cleaner who deposits the broken fragments in the dustbin.

Fine restoration of stained glass is an intricate and very time consuming activity where every tiny sliver of glass is placed together to enable an exact copy to be made of the original. Where glass has been lost, this task can be likened to attempting to piece together a difficult jigsaw puzzle with one third of the pieces missing. Therefore incumbents and churchwardens should seriously investigate the accurate photography of all stained glass windows in their church and consider means of protection for those windows.

Photography

Photography of stained glass is not difficult but it does require a good ordinary single lens reflex camera, a good film, steady hands and a strong step ladder to get up as level as possible with the stained glass. There may be a very good photographer in the congregation who can help. Be sure to use only transparency film (e.g. Kodachrome). Do not use flash as this only illuminates the inside leadwork. The best conditions are provided by transmitted natural daylight (but not direct sunlight) through the stained glass, so choose a bright day. Fill the viewfinder fully with the stained glass from a distance of four to six feet, slightly closer for small panels. Larger panels will need to be photographed in segments. The photograph needs to show the detail that is painted on to the glass. A distant shot will not suffice as it will not reproduce the fine brushwork of the original artist's hand. Each tiny segment of stained glass, of which there may be over a hundred within one stained glass panel, may have to be painted and kiln fired at least three times with intricate passage work, shade work and silver staining (gold colour). The colour and texture of the original glass will also need to be matched before the metal oxide paint can be applied to the new glass.

Photographs of the stained glass are of the utmost importance in the restoration of stained glass that is broken beyond recognition. Once the film has been developed it should be stored in a safe place.

Existing records

Any church that has had a record of its furnishings prepared by NADFAS will have some photographs and descriptive text of any stained glass contained within that report.

Photographic records of the stained glass in some churches in the diocese (including some churches that have been made redundant and/or demolished) are held at the National Monuments Record (NMR) London search room at 55 Blandford Street, London W1H 3AF (tel.: 020-7208-8200). An index of the records stored at the NMR is held by the DAC Secretary.

This brief paper, dealing with the photography of stained glass, is based on an extract from one prepared by Clifford Durrant, stained glass artist (tel.: 01403-264607).

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