The following is an announcement written by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David:

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) is delighted to announce the launch of the Swansea Stained Glass Online Archive, a newly digitised and searchable collection of hundreds of stained glass panels created by students at Swansea College of Art over the past five decades.

The roots of stained glass teaching in Swansea date back to the 1930s and from the 1970s it exerted a transformational and international influence on its teaching and practice, as students from the local area and from far afield were attracted to study in the city.

New approaches to architectural stained glass being pioneered in Germany were encouraged by the leader of the course, Tim Lewis, in the 1970s and 1980s, and celebrated German artists were invited to teach at the college. This experimental environment nurtured artists who augmented traditional stained glass techniques with the new approaches necessary for the creation of large artistic works in glass for a wide range of buildings. From the 1970s, students from Swansea embarked on successful careers making a wide range of architectural stained glass for all kinds of buildings around the world.

The student panels held at Swansea College of Art form the most extensive collection relevant to the development of late twentieth-century architectural stained glass anywhere in Britain. Many of the hundreds of panels in the archive are from student exhibitions and competitions, including experimental early work by some of the leading artists working in stained glass over the last fifty years.

While some of the panels are occasionally exhibited and others are displayed in the college, many have not been seen for decades. Initial work on the archive, which also consists of works on stained glass cartoons and designs was undertaken by Marilyn Griffiths in the 2010s while she was lecturing at the college. 

Detailed cataloguing and photography of the stained glass panels was recently undertaken by artist and stained glass historian Martin Crampin (University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, Aberystwyth) and stained glass artist Christian Ryan (Swansea College of Art) in 2024–5, funded by the Colwinston Trust.

Martin Crampin said: “This archive celebrates the spirit of creativity and experimentation that defined the teaching of stained glass at Swansea. It demonstrates the passion and vision of staff and students at Swansea that shaped modern architectural stained glass in Britain. We’re delighted to make these fascinating works of art available for international researchers and the wider public.”

The Swansea Stained Glass Archive affirms UWTSD’s longstanding commitment to artistic innovation and historical preservation. It also recognises the importance of student work, not just as a learning exercise but as a genuine contribution to cultural heritage.

The searchable database is available at https://swansea.stainedglass.wales and more panels are still being added. Most of them are untitled, anonymous, and undated and additional information from former staff and students about would be gratefully received. Comments, corrections, and any further details can be submitted on the pages of the individual artworks.