Stephen Adam (stained glass designer)

Stephen Adam (1848–1910) was a 19th/20th-century Scottish influential stained glass designer. He was a pioneer of modern stained glass in Scotland (in terms of colour use, and black in particular).[1] The majority of his work is in the Pre-Raphaelite style, often with a twist towards Celtic mythology, and is mainly sited in western Scotland. Although the bulk of his work is for churches he also received many secular commissions.[2]

Life

He was born at Bonnington Haugh north of Edinburgh (now absorbed by the city) the son of Alexander Adam.[3] He was educated at Canonmills School.[4][5]

In 1861 he was apprenticed to the Edinburgh stained glass designers, the Ballantine Brothers. He also attended art classes at the Trustees Academy in Edinburgh and Haldane's Academy in Glasgow (later to become Glasgow School of Art).[6]

In 1865 he joined the studios of Daniel Cottier at 47 Carrick Street.[7] In 1870 he left to set up his own business at 121 Bath Street in partnership with David Small (1846-1927).[8] He was then living at 4 Cathkin Terrace in the Cathcart district.[9] The partnership was dissolved in 1885.

He set up new premises at 7 Scott Street in the Garnethill district, then living at 276 Renfrew Street.[10] Expanding rapidly he moved to 259 West George Street and moved house to 1 Holmhead Crescent back in Cathcart, before finally moving to a truly huge six-storey studio at 231 St Vincent Street in the city centre.[11]

From 1889 he trained other stained glass artists including his son, Stephen Adam, David Gauld and Alf Webster. In 1896 the firm became Adam & Son but a family dispute caused them to split in 1904 (as Webster only joined in 1905 it was not a jealousy of the son as some speculate).[12]

He died at Bath Street in Glasgow in August 1910 and his work was continued by Alf Webster.[13] Webster's genius was cut short whilst serving in the Gordon Highlanders in the First World War when he was fatally wounded in the battlefield and died at Le Touquet Red Cross Station in 1915.[14]

Publications
  • Stained Glass:Its History and Development (1877)
  • Truth in Decorative Art: Stained Glass Medieval and Modern (1896)

Notable works

References
  1. Adventures in Light and Color by Charles Connick
  2. "Stained glass panel, 'The Joiners', Stephen Adam, 1878 · Artisans in Scotland".
  3. Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1848
  4. Chambers Scottish Biographical Dictionary
  5. Gossman, Lionel. "Stephen Adam: The Early Years and the Glasgow Studio". Victorian Web. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  6. "Always happy in his designs: The legacy of Stephen Adam".
  7. Glasgow Post Office Directory 1867
  8. "Mackintosh Architecture: Biography".
  9. Glasgow Post Office Directory 1875
  10. Glasgow Post Office Directory 1885
  11. Glasgow Post Office Directory 1892
  12. "Mackintosh Architecture: Biography".
  13. Scotsman (newspaper) 25 August 1910
  14. CWGC; Alfred Webster
  15. Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Graphic and Accurate Description of Every Place in Scotland, Francis Hindes Groome (1901)
  16. "Stephen Adam from the Gazetteer for Scotland".
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