Lerwick Town Hall, Shetland
Address
Town Hall, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0HBRecommended by
Highlight
1st floor windowsArtist, maker and date
Ballantine of Edinburgh and Cox, Sons, Buckley & Co., 1883Reason for highlighting
Individually, each window is astonishing. To be surrounded by a complete historical narrative in stained glass is breath taking. The complete history of the Shetland Islands is portrayed in glass: the connections with Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Faroe, Orkney and the Scottish Mainland are clearly depicted in heraldic shields and detailed portraiture. No other Town Hall in the UK retains such a complete pictorial narrative.
Artist/maker notes
Ballantine of Edinburgh was founded by James Ballantine (1808-77) in 1838 and was one of the leaders in the revival of stained glass in Scotland. The firm traded under various names over the years as James was successively succeeded by his son Alexander Ballantine (1841-1906), who was also in partnership for a period with Herbert Gardiner, and grandson James Ballantine II (1878-1940).
During the second half of the 19th century, Ballantine of Edinburgh was, by far, the favoured stained glass firm of the rich, famous and well connected. The firm’s works can be seen across Scotland, notably in Edinburgh Castle, the Scott Monument, and The Wallace Monument.
Further reading:
200 Scottish Stained Glass Artists by Rona H Moody in The Journal of Stained Glass Scotland Issue Vol XXX (2006)
Cox, Sons, Buckley & Co. was formed in 1881 when Michael J C Buckley joined the leading church furnishing company of Cox and Sons. It was taken over by Curtis, Ward & Hughes in 1893. This is a less well-known firm, and unusual to have been appointed from so far away, in London. However, the glass painting is of incredible quality and is astonishingly detailed and beautiful.
Other comments
In 2016-17 Cannon-MacInnes, a partnership between Linda Cannon and Rab MacInnes, fully conserved the stained glass, setting it inside the Hall in a museum environment with bespoke isothermal glazing. Images from the project at available on the following link. Cannon-MacInnes and the Lerwick Town Hall restoration
The Hall is open to the public and used throughout the year. It plays a prominent role in the annual Up Helly-Aa fire festival in January.