Great Malvern Priory, Worcestershire
Address
Great Malvern Priory, Church Street, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 2AYRecommended by
Highlight
North aisle, Jubilee of Nations windowArtist, maker and date
Designed by Thomas William Camm and made by R. W. Winfield & Co., 1887Reason for highlighting
Placed in the church to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, this window is a remarkable depiction of the British people’s loyalty to the crown.
It is also a representation of Imperialism through a Victorian lens. The upper panels depict the ‘gathering of all nations’ and include various figures based on both racial and national stereotypes, gathered around a resurrected Christ. The lower panels of the window focus on three moments within Victoria’s life: ‘Her Majesty’s Accession’, ‘Her Majesty’s Coronation’ and ‘The Jubilee Ceremony’ and are based on paintings and photographs of this event. To the twenty-first century eye the subject matter is problematic, a depiction of Empire endorsed not only by the church but also by the crown. Yet windows like these were abundant in the nineteenth century, and they reveal the social, political and economic concerns of the times.
Artist/maker notes
Thomas William Camm (1839-1912) trained with Chance & Co of Smethwick, staying with the firm until it closed in 1865, when, together with two brothers, he established the firm of Camm Brothers. The firm was successful and remained independent until bought by R W Winfield & Co in 1882. In 1888 Thomas William left to again work independently as T W Camm Studio, and he was joined by his brothers in 1893. Three of Thomas William’s children eventually joined him in the firm, of whom, Florence, was the most talented. They continued the business after Thomas William’s death.
Sources:
T. W. Camm on Wikipedia
Stained Glass Marks & Monograms, complied by Joyce Little, and edited by Angela Goedicke & Margaret Washbourn (NADFAS, 2002)
R. W. Winfield & Co. was founded in the 1820s by Robert Walter Winfield at Cambridge Street Works, Birmingham and was one of the largest and most celebrated of the Birmingham brass founders. The company was well known for its brass bedsteads, but also made armchairs with brass and iron frames, curtain and cornice poles, and other household fittings. They purchased Camm Brothers in 1882. Thomas William Camm left the business in 1888 to work independently as T W Camm.
Source: Robert Walter Winfield by Stephen Roberts – Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Other comments
The church is well known for its medieval stained glass, with a larger display of fifteenth century glass than any other parish church in England.
A highlight is the ‘Magnificat’ window in the North Transept, given by Henry VII in 1501. It depicts scenes from Mary’s life – with Mary in the centre, in a vesica of blue cloud studded with stars.
In addition, Great Malvern Priory boasts some significant modern stained glass in the form of two windows, at the east end of the north aisle, 2003, celebrating the start of the third millennium by Tom Denny, one of the most recognised and celebrated stained glass artists of the 21st century.