The Stained Glass Museum

The Stained Glass Museum The Stained Glass Museum is the only museum dedicated to the art of stained glass in the UK. A specialist library is available to researchers by appointment.

The Stained Glass Museum is the only museum in the UK dedicated to displaying and interpreting the art of stained glass to the public. The Stained Glass Museum is an independent museum and registered charity (no. 1169842) in the UK. The museum was founded in 1972 initially to rescue windows from redundant churches. The Museum first opened to the public in the north triforium of Ely Cathedral in 19

79. In 1997 an Appeal was set up to rebuild the Museum in the south triforium of Ely Cathedral. Our collection spans an enormous chronological range, showing the development of stained glass from the thirteenth to the twenty-first century. The Museum also has a growing collection of tools, and stained glass designs and cartoons related to the design and making of stained glass windows.

20/06/2025

The Stained Glass Museum, alongside our friends at Ely Cathedral, Oliver Cromwell's House and Ely Museum are delighted to introduce the new Ely Passport 🌍

The Ely Passport allows visitors to explore the very best of our city's beautiful heritage attractions, with one handy ticket for all four venues!

Whether you're visiting Ely for a relaxing mid-week break, or a fun filled weekend staycation, the Ely Passport will save you time and money too. Valid for 48 hours, this ticket gives visitors reduced admission prices to each of the four venues, whilst still giving you time to enjoy Ely's fantastic, independent shops, eateries, markets and our beautiful riverside.

Wonder at the amazing architecture within the Cathedral, including the awe inspiring octogen lantern, and explore over 800 years of illuminated history at The Stained Glass Museum, with examples from medieval to modern displayed at eye level. Then find out more about one of Ely's most famous....or infamous.... residents at Oliver Cromwell's House before heading to Ely Museum to discover more about the unique landscape of the Fen's in the city's old gaol.

Grab your Ely Passport and set off on an adventure to our beautiful city - a real jewel in the crown of the East of England!

Ely Passports are available online in advance via Visit Ely or on the day from any of the four participating venues.

https://www.visitely.org.uk/the-ely-passport/

Could you be a new Trustee here at The Stained Glass Museum ? If so, we'd love to hear from you!We are currently recruit...
18/06/2025

Could you be a new Trustee here at The Stained Glass Museum ? If so, we'd love to hear from you!

We are currently recruiting for two fantastic roles, so please do share these opportunities with anyone you think may suit these roles!

We are seeking a dynamic individual to assume the position of Chair of Trustees, to provide inspirational leadership and robust governance to The Stained Glass Museum, guiding the Board of Trustees in overseeing the delivery of its charitable objectives. The Chair also serves as a highly visible ambassador for the organisation, building partnerships, advocating for its work, and helping to raise its profile and influence.

Working closely with the Director, the Chair ensures the effective functioning of the Board, supports strategic decision-making, and helps foster a culture of excellence, inclusion, and innovation.

We are also seeking a new Trustee Treasurer, experienced in financial management, to play a key role in overseeing the financial health of the museum, in line with best practice and in compliance with the governing document and legal requirements.

The Treasurer is involved in budgeting and strategic financial planning, financial and management reporting, risk assessment and risk management and will likely be involved in areas such as investments, governance, reserves and staff remuneration. The Treasurer will advise and support the Director and Finance Officer on the overall operation of the business of the museum.

For more information please visit our website and download the Recruitment Packs - https://stainedglassmuseum.com/Vacancies

Deadline for Expressions of Interest: 18 July 2025

Henry Holiday was born in 1839. He was a British historical genre and landscape painter, stained-glass designer, illus...
17/06/2025

Henry Holiday was born in 1839. He was a British historical genre and landscape painter, stained-glass designer, illustrator and sculptor. He was also a member of the Pre-Raphaelite school of art.

At the age of just 15, he was admitted to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1855. It was through his friendship with Albert Moore and Simeon Solomon he was introduced to the artists Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a movement that was to be pivotal in his future artistic and political life.

Henry Holiday is best known today as the illustrator of Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem The Hunting of the Snark (1876), but he was one of the leading stained-glass artists of his time. He was a superb figure draughtsman and in 1862 became chief designer for James Powell and Sons.

Inspired by his travels in Italy in 1867, his style became increasingly classical. His involvement with the Arts and Crafts movement led him to experiment with making his own glass. He was particularly partial to using slab glass, its uneven surface creating a jewel-like effect.

During his time at Powell & Sons, he fulfilled over 300 commissions, mostly for customers in the USA. He left in 1891 to set up his own glass works in Hampstead, producing stained glass, mosaics, enamels and sacerdotal objects.

One of the pieces he produced in his own studio was this large 3-light window which depicts incidents from the ministry of Christ, with the good works of saintly figures below.

Designed in 1892 & made in 1907 by Holiday, it was originally for the south window of the Essex Unitarian Church in Notting Hill Gate. This church became redundant in 1973 but is now home to the Kensington Unitarians

The Unitarians had long suffered religious persecution, but in the course of the 19th century they emerged as a Nonconformist denomination that attracted some of the wealthiest, most successful and best-educated patrons of the arts. Their churches reflected their enlightened patronage of architecture and the decorative arts.

Hello! Hola! Bonjour! 🙋‍♀️Did you know that our free digital guide at The Stained Glass Museum is available via Bloomber...
16/06/2025

Hello! Hola! Bonjour! 🙋‍♀️

Did you know that our free digital guide at The Stained Glass Museum is available via Bloomberg Connects, is available in over 40 languages?

We love seeing all the different languages our guide has been downloaded in - after English, our most popular languages are Chinese and Spanish, but we hope those enjoying our guide in everything from Bulgarian to Tamil are still learning lots too!

Wherever you are in the world, our digital guide can be downloaded and translated into a language of your choice and enjoyed.

This free digital guide lets you learn about our national collection of stained glass, with examples from the medieval to the modern like never before. It’s a wonderful way to find out more about our artworks, and take one of our self-guided tours – either while you’re visiting in person, or virtually.

To download the app and begin exploring, visit https://stainedglassmuseum.com/free-digital-guide.php or scan the QR code below

Anthony the Great was a Christian monk from Egypt, and has been revered since his death as a saint.Anthony is said to ha...
13/06/2025

Anthony the Great was a Christian monk from Egypt, and has been revered since his death as a saint.

Anthony is said to have faced a series of preternatural temptations during his pilgrimage to the desert. Much of what is known about St Anthony comes from a 'Life of Anthony' written c.360 by Athanasius of Alexandria. It is said that the devil fought Anthony by afflicting him with boredom, laziness, and hallucinations in the form of demons and erotic visions, which he resisted with prayer.

St. Anthony died from a disease called 'ergotism' which is now often known as "Saint Anthony's Fire", which can cause convulsions and visions. As a result, St Anthony led a strict ascetic life as a hermit and he was greatly tormented by these hallucinations. These afflictions, faced by St Anthony, are often depicted in Christian art, as can be seen in this window designed by Patrick Reyntiens in 1985.

A variety of techniques have been used on this panel including acid etching and plating, in which two or more pieces of glass are sandwiched together to create a dramatic effect.

This panel was designed and made by Patrick Reyntiens in 1985. Well known as the interpreter of the stained-glass designs of John Piper, Reyntiens is one of Britain's most respected stained-glass artists, with windows in Southwell Cathedral and Washington, DC.

12/06/2025

✨ Stained Glass Glossary: Glass Paint ✨

The special type of paint applied to glass by modern and medieval artists alike is different to the kind of paint you might use on a canvas or on the wall. Find out more about vitreous paint in this video!

Our stained glass glossary videos here at The Stained Glass Museum help to explain some of the key terms you might come across as you learn more about the materials, tools and techniques used by stained glass artists.

A big thank you to Derek Hunt Artist for allowing us to visit his beautiful studio and film him at work! For practical glass painting tutorials, ideas and more, visit his website https://www.limelightstudios.co.uk/courses

Don't forget to follow our page to see our next video and why not find out more about our programme of workshops at the museum, including glass painting workshops taught by Derek, where you can learn how to paint on glass yourself! Visit our website to find out more: https://stainedglassmuseum.com

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was born in 1836. She was the first woman to qualify as a physician in Britain! Above the ...
09/06/2025

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was born in 1836. She was the first woman to qualify as a physician in Britain!

Above the beds in the hospital named in her honour, which was created especially to treat women and specifically to enable poor women to obtain medical treatment, were these stained glass panels by Christopher Webb.

Each panel was sponsored by different group or society. These panels are an example of Webb's early work and are considered to be amongst his best. He had trained with the architect and stained glass artist J. Ninian Comper and shared with him a preference for late medieval and renaissance styles.

These panel, which are displayed at The Stained Glass Museum, were designed and created by Webb in the 1920s. Specifically, we know one was sponsored by the Swedish Physical Training Collage and that the other, the Winifred Everitt bed, was endowed by the women secretaries and clerks.

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson had many outstanding achievements to her name, including being a co-founder of the first hospital staffed entirely by women, the first Dean of a British medical school, the first female doctor of medicine in France, the first woman in Britain to be elected to a school board and, as Mayor of Aldeburgh, the first female mayor and magistrate in Britain! She was also a significant figure in the British Women's Suffrage Movement, alongside her sister, Millicent Garrett Fawcett.

It's Volunteers' Week this week & our volunteers at The Stained Glass Museum are such a wonderful support to the museum,...
06/06/2025

It's Volunteers' Week this week & our volunteers at The Stained Glass Museum are such a wonderful support to the museum, and we're so grateful to have such a lovely group!

Our volunteers are involved in so many aspects of the museum, but you're most likely to find them inspiring children during their school visits, being creative during our school holiday activities with everything from designing and drawing to fusing glass, and sharing more about our wonderful museum during events at the museum and beyond!

Whether we're asking them to dress up as a Victorian stained glass studio owner, help our under 5's make their latest craft creations during our SGMini's events or explain the science behind glass, light and colour, our volunteers always rise to the challenge!

They so generously share their skills, time and enthusiasm with us, and we'd like to say a big thank you!

If you'd like to find out more about volunteering at the museum, please visit https://stainedglassmuseum.com/Volunteer

Yesterday, we welcomed Harrison from the local Ely College to The Stained Glass Museum for a day of work shadowing.Harri...
05/06/2025

Yesterday, we welcomed Harrison from the local Ely College to The Stained Glass Museum for a day of work shadowing.

Harrison got stuck into all aspects of the museum during his time with us, from welcoming visitors at our front desk and packing up glass from our recent glass fusing workshops over the holidays, to helping in the office as we added things to our online shop and processing new orders.

He was also very helpful in the education department and helped with our SG Mini morning too, which is our monthly session for under 5s in the gallery.

Thanks for all your help yesterday & we're glad you enjoyed your time at the museum!

We've got a morning of Animal Fun tomorrow at June's SGMinis: Fun For Under 5s at The Stained Glass Museum 🐶🐈🐰🐟After a f...
03/06/2025

We've got a morning of Animal Fun tomorrow at June's SGMinis: Fun For Under 5s at The Stained Glass Museum 🐶🐈🐰🐟

After a fun morning of activities, crafts, playing and snacks, join us at one of our beautiful animal themed windows for stories and songs. SG Mini's is suitable for babies and pre-school aged children and their grown-ups.

There's just 3 tickets left if you'd to join, please book online via our website here: https://the-stained-glass-museum.myshopify.com/products/sg-minis-10-00-11-30

28/05/2025

✨ Stained Glass Glossary: What is a Tracery Light? ✨

From elaborate, decorative designs, to simple shapes and colours, tracery lights form part of the architecture of a window. Sometimes overlooked in their significance, tracery lights show how the artists utilise their designs to creatively fill the window openings.

Our stained glass glossary videos here at The Stained Glass Museum help to explain some of the key terms you might come across as you learn more about the materials, tools and techniques used by stained glass artists.

To find out more about the beauty of stained glass, and to explore our collection further, please visit: https://stainedglassmuseum.com

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Ely Cathedral
Ely
CB74DL

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

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The Stained Glass Museum was founded in 1972 as a project to rescue windows from redundant churches. After being offered space by the Dean & Chapter of Ely Cathedral, the Museum was opened to the public in the north triforium of Ely Cathedral in 1979. In 1997 an anniversary Appeal was set up to relocate the Museum to the south triforium of Ely Cathedral. The Stained Glass Museum is the only museum in the UK dedicated to displaying and interpreting the art of stained glass to the public, and one of a handful of such museums in the world. Our collection spans an enormous chronological range, showing the development of stained glass from the early-thirteenth to the twenty-first century. The Museum also has a growing collection of tools, and stained glass designs and cartoons related to the design and making of stained glass windows. A specialist library is available to researchers by appointment.

As part of its mission to inspire, educate and encourage interest in the unique art of stained glass, the museum has a diverse programme of events, including talks and tours, as well as specialist workshops for all ages.

www.stainedglassmuseum.com