Tim Lewis and Glantawe Studios, Lifeboat window (1977), Church of All Saints, Mumbles, Swansea.

Photo: Peter Hildebrand

Tim Lewis and Glantawe Studios, detail of the Lifeboat window (1977), Church of All Saints, Mumbles, Swansea.

Photo: Peter Hildebrand

Church of All Saints, Oystermouth, Mumbles, Swansea

Address

Church of All Saints, Church Park, Oystermouth, Mumbles, Swansea SA3 4BZ

Recommended by

Martin Donlin FMGP (10)

Highlight

Lifeboat window

Artist, maker and date

Reason for highlighting

This window is in memory of the eight lifeboat crew who drowned attempting to rescue the stricken ship “Samtampa” stranded on the rocks off Sker Point, Porthcawl in 1947 during a hurricane-force gale. It was made by Tim Lewis, who became one of the most influential artists in contemporary Welsh stained glass through his role as head of the Architectural Stained Glass department at Swansea College of Art.

It was one of the first “contemporary” Stained glass windows I had seen and inspired me to study stained glass.

Other comments

The church has three other windows by Tim Lewis made between 1985 and c.1990, one of which can be seen here.

The east window of 1929 is an outstanding nine-light window designed by James Hogan of James Powell & Sons with the Risen Christ, the Virgin Mary, and St John the Baptist flanked by the patrons of the six Welsh dioceses following the formation of the Church in Wales in 1920.

Also worthy of note is a window by Marjorie Walters, 1982, who was an influential teacher at Swansea School of Art alongside Tim Lewis.

Further information: Stained Glass in Wales – All Saints, Swansea

Artist/maker notes

Tim Lewis trained initially in Swansea, and then in London at the Royal College of Art under Lawrence Lee, before returning to Swansea in 1963. In 1972 he succeeded Howard Martin as the head of the Architectural Stained Glass department in Swansea College of Art, and was instrumental in introducing students to the influence of the contemporary German architectural glass artists such as Ludwig Schaffrath and Johannes Schreiter.

Tim Lewis’ studio, Glantawe Studios, has produced his own work as well as making windows to the design of others, notably Colwyn Morris and John Edwards.

Source:
Stained Glass in Wales – Glantawe Studios
stained Glass in Wales – Tim Lewis