Douglas Strachan: his Life and Legacy - Juliette Macdonald (Wednesday 16 October, 7pm)

Scotland as a nation has a dramatic history; the history of its stained glass is no less dramatic. The Protestant Reformation led to the destruction of virtually all of Scotland’s stained-glass windows, and the traditions and craft knowledge of stained-glass production fell into decay until the 19th century. 

One of the most important figures in the Scottish revival of stained-glass design was the Aberdonian, Douglas Strachan who produced over 350 windows throughout Britain and beyond. His work, which spanned the first half of the twentieth century, continues to inspire and influence designers. 

Strachan’s approach to, and innovative use of, glass including early schemes for the Peace windows (1913) in The Hague, Netherlands and Lowson Memorial Kirk (1914) in Forfar, and later work such as the windows in the Shrine at the Scottish National War Memorial (1924-27), Edinburgh and  the 1931 East Window, Paisley Abbey, will be discussed.

Dr Juliette MacDonald received her PhD from the University of St Andrews in 2003. She holds the Chair for Craft History and Theory at the University of Edinburgh. Her research interests focus on craft, design and material culture and their relationship with creativity, place and identity. She co-organised Identity, Collaboration, Sustainability; an online International Festival of Craft, 2021, is co-editor of Styling Shanghai, Christopher Breward and Juliette MacDonald, (eds) Bloomsbury, 2019, and has contributed chapters, articles and reviews to various Journals and books including: Craft and Heritage, Intersections in Critical Studies and Practice, Susan Surette and Elaine Cheasley Paterson, 2022, In 2020 she received the Hongqiao Friendship Award, in recognition of her role as an envoy for transnational education in Shanghai.

This talk will be delivered by Zoom. The link will be emailed to ticket holders prior to the event.

Image: Douglas Strachan, Detail of Angel, Revelation Window, (1914) Lowson Memorial Kirk, Forar.