Tag Archives: 1861

Jun 25 2012

02-09-1861: Tarrengower Victoria. John Lamb Lyon stained glass.

The Argus, Melbourne, Monday 2nd September 1861, page 5.

“Amongst the contributions which Tarrengower will forward to the forthcoming Exhibition will be a stained-glass window, in the Early English style, the work of Mr. John Lyon, of Maldon”.

The exhibition list of awards published in December 1861 mentions Lyon’s entry as a ‘design for stained glass’ and not actually a window! It also lacks detail to distinguish the description “Early English style”, but coincidentally, two months after the exhibition, Ferguson & Urie supplied a two-light stained-glass window for the chancel of St Margaret’s Church in Eltham, the firm’s earliest known extant window. Evidence of communication between Ferguson & Urie and the church is dated 22nd November 1861. I suspect that the stained-glass window design for St Margaret’s was based on Lyon’s design he submitted for the exhibition.

 

Related posts:

John Lamb Lyon, Stained Glass Artist, (1835-1916)

External links:

Biography: John Lamb Lyon (1835–1916)

Short link to this page: https://wp.me/p28nLD-19t

© Copyright

Feb 12 2012

07-12-1861: The 1861 Melbourne Industrial Exhibition.

The 1861 Melbourne Industrial Exhibition is recognised as the event that changed the course of the Ferguson & Urie Company history. This exhibition is where the Scottish Stained Glass Artist, John Lamb Lyon would have undoubtedly been convinced to join the firm in late 1861.

Ferguson & Urie received an honorable mention for ornamental glazing, and John Lamb Lyon, for a design for stained glass. Lyon joined the firm a short time after this exhibition and between 1866-1873 was installed as a partner in the firm.

The 1861 Exhibition was almost exclusively Victorian. The poorly constructed exhibition building was erected in William Street and was prone to leaking. The glass roof, supposedy copied from the London’s Crystal Palace, was painted white during 1857–58. The Exhibition Building was the main concert venue for the Melbourne Philharmonic Society from 1854 to 1866 and also served as an interim lecture theatre for the university (1855) and as the venue for Temperance League rallies in 1857. The last function to be held there was Governor Darling’s Vice-Regal Ball of 1864 and it was demolished in the late 1860s, and the existing Mint building erected on the site during 1871–72. [1]

The Argus, Melbourne, Saturday 7th December 1861, page 7.

“THE EXHIBITION. LIST OF AWARDS”.

“The following completes the list of awards in connexion with the Industrial Exhibition …”.

“HONOURABLE MENTION …”

“Fergusson [sic] and Urie – Ornamental glazing”

“Lyon, J.N [sic] – Design for stained glass …”

Exhibition building 1861 latrobe-56-009a

Melbourne’s first exhibition building photographed during the
1861 Melbourne Exhibition (Source SLV I.TAF 451)

The 1872 Mint Building which now stands on the site of the first Exhibition Building

The Mint Building built in 1872 in William Street, which now stands on the site of the first Exhibition Building

Foot notes:

[1] The Latrobe Journal, No 56, Spring 1995.

Feb 12 2012

22-11-1861: St Margaret’s Eltham, Church Archives

St Margaret’s Eltham, Church Archives, 22nd November 1861.

St Margaret’s Church at Eltham has a letter in their archives from the Ferguson and Urie stained glass company dated the 22 November 1861, addressed to the Church Committee on the progress of the window. It mentions specifically the production of imitation ancient glass for the small end window as being the first in the colony. The window was reported to have cost £1 (one pound). This is the oldest extant stained glass window by the firm and whilst there were reports that this may have been done by James Urie and James Ferguson, this is highly unlikely. The artist John Lamb Lyon (1835-1916) joined the firm officially in late 1861 as a result of his encounter with Ferguson & Urie at the . This is definitely his work and would be amongst the earliest windows made at the Ferguson & Urie workshops in Curzon Street North Melbourne.  The Artist David Relph Drape (1821-1882) officially joined the firm on the 8th November 1863.

Advertiser, Hurstbridge, Friday 22 July 1932, page 2.

‘Early History of the Church of St. Margaret’.

St Margaret’s Church Eltham awarded contracts for building the church and Ferguson & Urie were awarded the contract for windows and varnishing seats at £41.

( The reference to varnishing seats I believe to be incorrect).

ABOUT ST MARGARET’S:

The foundation stone for St Margaret’s was laid on the 4th of April 1861 and was built by George Stebbings to the designs of architect Nathaniel Billing. The Church was opened and dedicated on the 12 December 1861 and consecrated by the Rt.Rev. Bishop Thornton of Ballarat on the 16th of May 1876.

In 2000, St Margaret’s received a grant of $12,000 from Heritage Victoria  to restore all the windows in the church and during the renovations, a Dossal erected behind the altar in 1935, was removed to reveal the historic Ferguson & Urie stained glass window which no one had seen for over 65 years.

As at 2012, the Ferguson & Urie window at St Mararet’s, Eltham, is the earliest known extant stained glass window by the company.

Photos taken 2nd January 2011.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

St Margaret’s Eltham [summary 20110117]

Short link to this page: http://wp.me/p28nLD-21

© Copyright