Category Archives: Project Development M5

M5 – Project Development

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Hertford College Chapel revisited

On my initial visit (HERE) I failed to appreciate just how much lens flare was generated by two fluorescent strips within the ante-chapel.  These resulted in the images being unusable, necessitating a revisit.  Turned on by sensors and unable to be overridden, I had to shade the lens with large sheets of card in order to minimise this undesirable effect on my second visit.  During the editing stage it became apparent that the wide-angle zoom created a noticeable softening to the image edges.

Hertford - Tyndale window - GIF

Dominic Price (2019) Tyndale Window [James Powell, 1911 – Hertford College Chapel]  Before and after extensive editing to correct the light box colour cast.

For the first time in this research, the stained glass window was shot in wide angle, at 25mm using the Canon EF 17-40 mm f/4.0L USM lens, at an aperture of f/8.0 and exposure times ranging from 5.0 s to 1/10 s, with a total of 20 images taken (although the process was repeated).  As with all images photographed for my research project, it was taken using the Canon EOS 1Dx Mark II.

The style of this stained glass precluded the removal of the support bars, although, in keeping with the Wycliffe Hall window (HERE) I did opt to remove the horizontal bars within the main figure.

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Damon Wells Chapel, Pembroke College

Having photographed two windows within the chapel, The Crucifixion seemed the better of the two, however, both required very careful placement of the tripod as the 85mm lens was on reflection, probably 5mm too powerful for the location!

On entering the chapel, you are greeted by The Crucifixion window (partially obscured by the 1995 Létourneau organ).  The biblical scene, flanked by St George and St Andrew, holding the shields of England and Scotland, is a Great War memorial.

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Dominic Price (2019) The Crucifixion [Charles Kempe, 1921 – Damon Wells Chapel, Pembroke Chapel]

Inscription (translated from Latin):
To the sacred memory of the alumni of Pembroke College who gave their lives as soldiers for their country, their friends have dedicated this window.

Text:
Vere hic Homo Filius DEI erat
Truly this was the Son of God
Matthew 27:54

EXIF data:

  • Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
  • Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
  • 85mm | ISO-50 | f/8.0
  • Exposure range: 1/60sec – 5sec

The image is the result of the exposure blending by hand of 26 separate images.

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Morning site visits

Oxford is always very busy in the summer months, so site visits first thing in the morning avoid a clash of interests between me and tourists keen to wander the colleges and chapels.  Most Colleges are also far happier for me to arrive before their door open officially.

Today there were three visits planned and my 08:30 arrival at Balliol College was met by a largely deserted Oxford.  Balliol is one of Oxford’s oldest colleges and has existed on its present site since 1263.  There has been a chapel on site since the late 1320s, although the College had a private oratory prior to that.  The present building is the third chapel, designed by William Butterfield and completed in 1856.

Butterfield’s work did not receive wide praise and his apparent disregard for the stained glass of the second chapel resulted in brutal cutting to fit the new chapel.  Most of his decorations and furnishings have now been replaced and the Chapel glass underwent wholesale reorganisation and was reset in 1912 by Hugh Arnold.

Close to two-thirds of the Chapel glass is dated 1529-1530, with one panel of 1431 and another of 1857.  The rest was the work of Abraham van Linge in 1637.

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Dominic Price (2019) The Chapel, Balliol College

Just a couple minutes walk took me to my next location: founded in 1509, the official title of Brasenose College is The King’s Hall and College of Brasenose.  Its original chapel was located in the space now occupied by the Senior Common Room.  Work on the current chapel was overseen by John Jackson and begun in 1655 using building materials taken from a disused chapel of the Augustinian College of St. Mary, now Frewin Hall. Consecrated in 1666, no glass survives from this period.

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Dominic Price (2019) The Chapel, Brasenose College

It was a pleasure to visit another school – one I  knew well, but by reputation only.  Permission to photograph was quite a protracted affair, but eventually agreed upon so long as I make contact again prior to any plans to sell prints of the edited stained glass image (the school already has a print that is sold through their shop to raise funds for the school’s Bursary Fund).

By the late morning, the sun had for the most part burnt through the clouds and the conditions were less than perfect, with a noticeable shadow being cast onto the upper section of the stained glass window.

With its origins dating back to the 1470s when it was a department of Magdalen College to educate boy choristers who sang in the college’s choir, MCS moved to Cowley Place in 1928, since when it has grown into a highly successful Independent Junior and Senior School.

At any one time, sixteen MCS boys are Choristers of Magdalen College, singing daily services in the College Chapel – a tradition unbroken from more than 500 years.

Within the School, acts of worship take place in the contemporary designed Big School: a hall that can adapt with well-conceived ease from a sophisticated theatre into an elegant chapel.  The building was designed by Booth, Ledeboer, and Pinckheard and opened in 1966.  The stained glass window depicts Chinese bridges and was designed by Lawrence Stanley Lee, best known for designing the 21m high red and gold windows in the nave of Coventry Cathedral.

Big School is the third place of worship for MCS: from 1928 until 1966, School Chapel was at the Milham Ford end (now the library), which contains stained glass from the original (1850s) chapel on Longwall Street – MCS’s home until its move to Cowley Place.

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Dominic Price (2019) Big School, Magdalen College School

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The Chapel, Balliol College

It made sense to ‘reassemble’ two windows back into one to tell better the biblical story.  Thus the two separate images below will feature next to each other in the book.

The four lights that comprise the two windows on the northern side of the east end. These show the Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery (2 Kings 20:1, 2 Chronicles 32:24 and Isaiah 38:1) and were originally installed in the second chapel as a single window.

Inscription: (precluded from this image)
PETRUS WENTWORTH SACRAE THEOLOG. PROFESSOR ET HUJUS COLLEGII SOCIUS, D.D. 1637.
Peter Wentworth, Professor of Sacred Theology and Fellow of this College, Doctor of Divinity 1637.

EXIF data:

  • Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
  • Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
  • 85mm | ISO-50 | f/8.0
  • Exposure range: 1/25sec – 2.5sec

The image is the result of the exposure blending by hand of 80 separate images.

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Dominic Price (2019) Illness and Recovery of King Hezekiah [Abraham van Linge, 1637 – The Chapel, Balliol College]

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Dominic Price (2019) Illness and Recovery of King Hezekiah [Abraham van Linge, 1637 – The Chapel, Balliol College]

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Big School, Magdalen College School

When photographing this window, I spent considerable extra time covering exposures that would allow me to remove digitally the dark shadow at the top of the window.

It interested me to see that the school’s published version of this image precludes the mullions making less of a wide landscape, which may be a good thing.  However, the flow of the ‘bridges’ within the windows disrupted a little as a result.  The copy of there image depicted here, is very poor quality, but does suggest a generous amount of post editing with the saturation aggressively high.

615 - MCSNewsletter - G&S Print

Gillman & Soame (2018) Chinese Bridges

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Dominic Price (2019) Chinese Bridges [Lawrence Lee, ca. 1966 – Big School, Magdalen College School]

EXIF data:

  • Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
  • Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
  • 85mm | ISO-50 | f/8.0
  • Exposure range: 1/200sec – 1/2sec

The image is the result of the exposure blending by hand of 42 separate images.

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The Chapel, Brasenose Chapel

Once edited, this window lent itself to having the tie bars removed digitally – something I have not done for a little while as there have been a surprising large number of windows for which the tie bars are so much part of the windows design.

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Dominic Price (2019) Richard Harrington Memorial Window [William Wailes, 1855 – The Chapel, Brasenose College]

The window featured here is a memorial for Richard Harington, Principal of the College (1842-53) who is buried in the antechapel.  Located in the chancel on the south side, it is one of the most recent within the chapel and features a host of biblical references.  Within the tracery, the roundel depicts Dives and Lazarus.  The three lights illustrate The Last Supper; Abraham and Melchisedek; The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes; The Crucifixion, and The Sacrifice of Isaac.

Text:
Vincenti dabo ei edere de ligno vitae
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life
Revelation 2:7

Inscription:
IN MEMORIAM RICHARDI HARINGTON S.T.P. PRINCIPALIS OBIIT DECEM:13.1853
In memory of Richard Harington, Professor of Sacred Theology, Principal, Died December:13.1853
EXIF data:

  • Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
  • Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
  • 85mm | ISO-50 | f/8.0
  • Exposure range: 1/25sec – 2sec

The image is the result of the exposure blending by hand of 18 separate images.

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College Library, St Antony’s College

The review of my images, following my visit to St Antony’s on Thursday 01 August, revealed that the bright interior lighting had created significant reflected hot spots on the glass.  Consequently it seemed sensible to arrange a revisit for me to repeat the photographs with the lights off.  This had the possibility of being problematic, since the site is a working library.  However, the Head Librarian was kind enough agree to closing the library for half an hour first thing on Monday 12 August, allowing me the opportunity to re-photograph the two windows.

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Dominic Price (2019) Behold the Lamb of God [Clayton & Bell, ca. 1894 – College Library, St Antony’s College

This window was the most problematic thus far when it comes to deciphering the story.  Clearly it focuses upon St John, but it was many hours of work to identify the most likely references (sadly the College has no record describing the windows).

The window depicts the life of St John, with the Naming of John (Luke 1:63) uppermost and St John telling St Andrew to follow Jesus (John 1:35-42) in the lower half of the window.

Text:
Behold the Lamb of God
John 1:29

EXIF data:

  • Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
  • Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM
  • 135mm | ISO-50 | f/8.0
  • Exposure range: 1/30sec – 1.6sec

The image is the result of the exposure blending by hand of 36 separate images.

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College Chapel, Jesus College

I was rather taken by the East Window, a bright an engaging George Hedgeland window.  However, on closer inspection of the photographs, the protective wire backing was clearly visible – sadly to the detriment of the numerous scenes.  Fortunately, for saleability reasons, I have photographed most (or possibly all) of the Nativity Scenes and felt that this window was a particularly fine example.

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Dominic Price (2019) Charles Williams Memorial Window [Clayton & Bell, 1874 – College Chapel, Jesus College]

Located at the east end of the south wall, this memorial to the former principal, featuring angels in the tracery.  The main scene depicts the Adoration of the Christ Child by the Magi and Shepherds.  Below are small scenes of the Annunciation, Nativity, and Presentation in the Temple.

This window presented yet another challenge to my classical education, containing a detailed Latin inscription, requiring translation.

Inscription:
M:S:Caroli Williamis · S:T:P:Coll:Jes:per · ann:xx · Principalis ob:Ort:xvii · mdccclxxvii
In memory of Charles Williams, Professor of Sacred Theology, Jesus College, for 20 Years Principal, died October 17 1877

EXIF data:
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
85mm | ISO-50 | f/8.0
Exposure range: 1/25sec – 1sec
The image is the result of the exposure blending by hand of 32 separate images.

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Corpus Christi College & Worcester College chapels

A very early start proved beneficial today with the forecast accurately predicting light cloud cover first thing.  Photography within the chapel of Corpus Christi College presented some problems:  the chapel is very small with a high East Window, making it difficult to photograph from sufficient a distance as to eliminate converging verticals.  There is the potential to conduct photography from an elevated position at the West End, but unusually, this is located in the Library (to which access is currently unavailable) and it is separated from the chapel by dusty glass.

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Dominic Price (2019) Corpus Christi College Chapel

With work complete at Corpus Christi and the weather still being favourable, it seemed sensible to chance the possibility of moving forward a planned visit to Worcester College.  The two colleges are a frustratingly long way apart and though still early, temperatures were increasing and my heavy camera bag and tripod seemed ever heavier by the time I arrived.  The Head Porter was quick to grant me access to the chapel.

Owing to a shortage of funds its construction was lengthy (1720–1791).  Dr George Clarke, Henry Keene and James Wyatt were responsible for different stages of its construction.  Between 1863 and 1864 the chapel was redecorated by William Burges, who retained the structure but added three windows to the north side and had the building glazed throughout with stained glass designed by Henry Holiday.

The windows depict moments in the life of Christ (the Annunciation; Epiphany; teaching in the Temple; Baptism; Crucifixion; the empty tomb; and the Ascension). The chapel is highly decorative beyond the obvious gold and pink: the pews are decorated with carved animals, including kangaroos and whales, and the walls include frescoes of dodos and peacocks.

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Dominic Price (2019) Worcester College Chapel

UPDATED: 16 August, 2019

With the tie bars forming a integral part of each of the windows, it seemed inappropriate to attempt the lengthy process of removing them all.  The resulting image comes from 26 photographs exposure blended by hand.  EXIF data:

  • Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
  • Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II USM
  • 227mm | ISO-50 | f/8.0
  • Exposure range: 1/30sec – 10sec
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Dominic Price (2019) The Crucifixion [Henry Holiday, 1864 – Worcester College Chapel]

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Library-based research

I continue to be surprised by the oversights of my current work.  This weekend revealed further chapels within the geographical confines of my research:

  • Chapel of St Ignatius: the first Catholic church built in Oxford after the Reformation.  Now an office space used by Fast Track.
  • Convent of the Incarnation: Home to The Sisters of the Love of God since 1906, the small chapel was added in 1923.
  • St Gregory the Great Catholic School: Situated in the centre of the Secondary site, the circular chapel, complete with stained glass, provides a place of peace and refuge for the whole school community.
  • St John’s Home: while researching The Friary, it was pointed out that within the site was Bethlehem Chapel, a small semi-circular place of prayer and quiet contemplation.  Furthermore, there is also a recently constructed chapel use by the All Saints Sisters of the Poor.
  • St Stephen’s House: in arranging my visit to the House Chapel, I was advised that there remains the Founder’s Chapel, still in routine use, as well as the Church of St John the Evangelist, which is used as the ‘college chapel’.