This week I travelled to Manchester to see the conservation work being carried out on this St Christopher stained glass window by Trena Cox. The work has been expertly undertaken by Recclesia Stained Glass.
The St Christopher window was made in 1927 and installed in the Slype of Chester Cathedral. Over the years, dust and cobwebs have built up on the surface of the glass and, in 2018, the window was damaged by an intruder. This beautiful window was certainly in need of some highly skilled cleaning and repair.
Studio Supervisor and Stained Glass Conservator, Carlotta Cammelli, explained the conservation process to me and showed me some details of Cox's design and working methods which have been revealed during the cleaning process. I was also able to look through a microscope to see environmental damage to the paint.
This conservation work has been generously sponsored by the Couch Charitable Trust. The window will be unveiled at the launch of the exhibition Trena Cox: Reflections 100 at Chester Cathedral in October 2024. I am delighted that the future of this stained glass window has been secured by a timely intervention - now visitors will be able to enjoy it for many years to come and appreciate the full beauty and complexity of Cox's work.
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