Church of St Chad, Far Headingley, Leeds
Address
Church of St Chad, Far Headingley, Leeds, LS16 5JTTheme
Overview
The cousins Margaret Agnes Rope (1882-1953) of Shrewsbury (professional name: Margaret Rope, later Sister Margaret of the Mother of God) and Margaret Edith Aldrich Rope (1891-1988) of Leiston (professional name M E A Rope or M E Aldrich Rope) were prominent international stained-glass artists in the Arts & Crafts idiom. Their work can be seen in many churches and other buildings in England, Scotland and Wales as well as in Australia, Italy, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and the USA.
Although their lives and styles diverged, they worked together at the start of their careers and again right at the end of the elder Margaret’s life.
Highlight
Liturgical east window: The CreationArtist, maker and date
M.E. Aldrich Rope, 1922Reason for highlighting
Her masterpiece: a window of intense colour, detail and creativity. She threw the whole of her artistic talent into this portrayal of creation and the Garden of Eden
Other comments
Parish Office open 9am – noon Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri: see website
Artist/maker notes
Margaret Edith Aldrich Rope (1891-1988) trained at the Chelsea School of Art and the Central School of Arts & Crafts under Karl Parsons and Alfred J Drury and from 1911 worked alongside her cousin, Margaret Agnes Rope, at Lowndes & Drury. She had a long and very productive career, during which time her style evolved considerably, from somewhat similar to her cousin’s to something plainer and more impressionistic.
Further reading:
Margaret Rope of Leiston: Arts and Crafts Stained Glass Artist by Arthur Rope (Blurb, 2017)
Comments by
Arthur Rope