Southwark Roman Catholic Cathedral, London SE1
Address
The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St George, Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HRTheme
Overview
Although originally opened for worship in 1848, the destruction of A W N Pugin’s church wrought by an incendiary bomb in April 1941 means that the present building is largely the result of post-war rebuilding to designs by Romilly B Craze, as is the stained glass.
Remarkable are two windows from Goddard & Gibbs, one installed following the Pope’s visit in 1982, which is highlighted below, and a second on the Risen Christ from 1996. They were preceded by two windows from the Harry Clarke Studios – an east window depicting the Crucifixion, 1958, and a west window depicting the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven, 1960. Both windows were created when the Harry Clarke Studio was under the direction of William Dowling. However, both are true to the spirit of Clarke’s artistic legacy .
Highlight
St. Pope John Paul II window above Archbishop Amigo’s tomb in the north transeptArtist, maker and date
Designed by John Lawson and made by Goddard & Gibbs, 1982Reason for highlighting
The window is a great artistic achievement as well as an historical record. The lower registers of the window record Pope John Paul II blessing the sick in the cathedral in 1982. Above is a band showing the ten diocesan banners, before the narrative moves on to the new testament story of Christ healing the blind & the lame, which links on to the symbols of the Holy Spirit in the firmament in the upper register.
Artist/maker notes
John Lawson (1932-2009) studied design at Chelsea School of Art, before working at Faith Craft, which had been co-founded by his father, William Lawson. In 1971 he was appointed Chief Artist by Goddard & Gibbs, where he remained until his retirement.
Source: John Lawson obituary by Phil Davison – The Guardian
Goddard & Gibbs Studios Ltd.
Founded in 1868 as Walter Gibbs and Sons, a decorative glass firm in Blackfriars, London, the company went through some takeovers and mergers before becoming Goddard and Gibbs in 1938.
After the Second World War the company became a leader in the production of new stained glass windows, aided by excellent designers such as Arthur Edward Buss(1905-1999) and his successor John Lawson (1932-2009). It became the largest glass design and fabrication studio in the UK. A dedicated conservation department was founded in 1994 under the leadership of Drew Anderson.
The studio’s success was further enhanced by Charles Clark, who took over the company in 1978. Charles concentrated on developing an overseas market, and soon Goddards was regularly designing, making and exporting stained and decorative glass for palaces and mosques in the Middle East, cathedrals in Africa, cruise ships in Japan, and Mormon temples across the USA and worldwide. At this time the studios won the Queen’s Award for Industry.
Harry Cardross became senior designer in 1996 and was responsible for the design of Goddard’s contemporary architectural glass commissions, maintaining its worldwide export drive.
The company offered practical training for both graduates and apprentices to the highest standard. Many current independent glass artists owe their success to the opportunities offered by the dedicated staff at Goddard and Gibbs.
Source: Phillida Shaw
Further reading: John Lawson ‘Faith Craft Works and Goddard and Gibbs Studio Ltd’ The Journal of Stained Glass, vol. xxiii (1999), 55-61.
Comments by
Jonathan Louth aided by Peter Hildebrand