Stained Glass Conservator

Stained glass conservators examine, treat, and conserve historic leaded stained glass windows — from medieval grisaille panels and heraldic glass to Victorian painted glass and 20th-century studio works. Examination involves condition mapping (recording broken glass, corroded or missing leads, bowing, buckling, and surface soiling), glass analysis to identify type and composition, and paint examination to determine condition of painted glass layers (vitreous paint, silver stain, enamel). Conservation treatment of in-situ glass may involve surface cleaning with appropriate methods, consolidation of flaking vitreous paint using conservation adhesives, and fitting isothermal glazing (protective secondary glazing) to reduce environmental damage to the primary glass without removing it.

Studio conservation — removing panels from a building — involves disassembly under documentation conditions, removing and replacing corroded leads while preserving the original glass, replacing broken glass with period-matched antique glass cut to the original profile, and re-leading panels in the original style. Painted sections are re-fired where the paint has failed at adhesion. Panel re-installation includes fitting conservation saddle bars and fixing systems that do not damage the masonry.

The British Society of Master Glass Painters (BSMGP) is the principal professional body, providing training connections, publications (The Journal of Stained Glass), and the annual conservation awards. Icon ACR is the professional registration standard for conservation practice. The Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi (CVMA) provides the scholarly reference for historic glass in British collections. Entry routes include the Swansea Metropolitan (now part of University of Wales Trinity Saint David) stained glass programme, and the Building Crafts College.

England alone has more medieval stained glass than any other country — the volume of historic glass in churches, cathedrals, and country houses requiring ongoing conservation is enormous and the qualified workforce to conserve it is small. The Church of England's Quinquennial Inspection regime identifies glass in need of attention across thousands of buildings, generating a consistent pipeline of conservation projects. National Lottery Heritage Fund grants support major glass conservation campaigns at cathedrals and significant parish churches. The combination of glass making knowledge, painting technique, lead working, and conservation ethics required for full conservation practice takes years to acquire and is not widely held, protecting practitioners who invest in proper qualification. BSMGP's professional framework and the Icon ACR register together define the qualified market.

Morning: in the studio — work on a Victorian east window removed for conservation. Carefully dismantle a section, numbering each piece of glass as it is removed, and document the lead widths and glass colours photographically before cutting the old leads. Afternoon: cut new lead came to match the original profile widths, re-lead the panel section using the old glass (two pieces requiring repair with conservation adhesive), and solder the joints. Begin a new section. End of day: visit the church with the stained glass contractor to assess the saddle bar fixings on the west window — prepare a report on corrosion extent and recommend conservation grouting to seal the masonry joints.