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Celtic designs for the world's windows

From Swansea to North America and now Aberystwyth. Stain-glass windows designed for churches as far a field as Calgary in Canada and Llanfair Nant Gwyn in Pembrokeshire, are now on display at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.

This exhibition is a selection of the cartoons and designs for stained glass windows undertaken by the Celtic Studios over a period of nearly fifty years and acquired by the Library. Based in Swansea, the firm is an artist-craftsman enterprise which is virtually unique in Wales. The exhibition of their draft sketches as well as some original stained glass windows runs at the National Library from 20 May - 22 June 2002.

The firm took orders from all parts of Wales, many places in England and had an excellent trade with Canada and the United States. The selection reflects the international flavour and character of the Celtic Studios and clearly shows the breadth of interests within the firm.

Commissions were taken mainly from churches and chapels, and the standard procedure was for the artist to produce a full colour design which would be sent to the patron for approval. The upper floor displays some of these watercolours. Once the design was agreed, a life size cartoon of the window was produced and a number of these can be seen on the lower floor of the exhibition.

"These designs and cartoons are of significant historical interest, showing evidence of the renovation and development of places of worship and the change in taste from one decade to the next. The images reveal how artists in this truly public media responded to abstract designs in the 1960s and how they preserved the traditional symbolism associated with stained glass over the centuries," said Michael Francis, Head of Exhibitions, National Library of Wales.

The Celtic Yard Stained Glass, as it is now called, is still in operation but no longer designs in the traditional manner; rather compositions are worked up digitally and the original design is now on CD rather than as a watercolour plan.

Also see; vinyl replacement windows.

Author Notes:

Wendy Angel contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.replacement-windows-n-shutters.com. Find everything you need to know about replacement windows, shutters, tinting, basement, fiberglass windows and more.