Wilhelmina Geddes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilhelmina Geddes
HRUA
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| Born | 25 May 1887 Leitrim, County Leitrim, Ireland
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| Died | 10 August 1955 (aged 68) London, United Kingdom
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| Resting place | Cronmoney Cemetery, Ballyclare, County Antrim |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Education | Belfast School of Art Dublin Metropolitan School of Art |
| Known for | stained glass design |
Wilhelmina Geddes HRUA (born May 25, 1887 – died August 10, 1955) was a super talented Irish artist. She created amazing stained glass windows. Wilhelmina was a big part of the Arts and Crafts movement in Ireland. She also helped bring stained glass art back to life in Britain in the 1900s. You can see her beautiful windows in places like St Bartholomew's Church in Ottawa, Canada. Other famous works are in St Peter's Church in Lampeter, Wales, and the King Albert Memorial Window in St Martin's Cathedral in Ypres, Belgium.
Contents
Early Life and Family Background
Wilhelmina Margaret Geddes was born on May 25, 1887. She was born on her grandparents' farm in Leitrim, Ireland. She was the oldest of four children. Her family, who were mostly farmers, had moved to Ireland from Scotland.
When Wilhelmina was a baby, her parents moved to Belfast. Her father, William Geddes, started his own building business there. He had worked in America building railways. This experience helped him when he worked on the Cavan and Leitrim Railway in Ireland.
How Wilhelmina Geddes Started Her Art Journey
Wilhelmina loved drawing from a very young age. She started drawing subjects from nature when she was just four years old. She first learned to draw from a school teacher in Ayrshire, Scotland. Later, she studied at Methodist College Belfast with her sisters.
She then moved on to the Belfast School of Art. A sculptor named Rosamond Praeger encouraged Wilhelmina to keep studying art. At the Belfast School of Art, Wilhelmina improved her style. She learned how to create art at a professional level.
First Art Shows and Discoveries
While still a student, Wilhelmina showed her work in an exhibition. This was the fourth exhibition by the Arts and Crafts Society of Ireland. She displayed a colorful picture she made for the book Cinderella Dressing the Ugly Sister. This artwork is now in the Dublin City Gallery.
At this exhibition, a famous painter named Sarah Purser saw Wilhelmina's work. Sarah Purser was looking for new artists to teach stained glass. Purser became Wilhelmina's mentor for life. She invited Wilhelmina to come to Dublin. There, Wilhelmina would work with the well-known stained glass artist William Orpen.
Wilhelmina also showed a watercolor picture called Ballad Seller in 1907. She became an Associate of the Ulster Academy of Arts in 1933. Later, she was made an Honorary Academician in 1935.
Wilhelmina Geddes' Career in Stained Glass
In 1910, Wilhelmina joined Purser at a famous stained glass workshop. This workshop was called An Túr Gloine (which means "The Tower of Glass"). It was located in Dublin's Metropolitan School of Art. Here, Wilhelmina found her true passion for making stained glass art. She created many of her most important artworks there.
Moving to London and New Styles
Wilhelmina's unique style quickly became clear. She received important jobs for churches in Dublin. She often faced health problems. Before 1916, she moved back to Belfast. She lived between Belfast and Dublin until 1925. Then, she moved to London to work at The Glass House in Fulham.
Her work was seen as groundbreaking. She moved away from the old Victorian style. She created a new way of showing men in stained glass windows. They often had short, modern haircuts. Her art showed strong, powerful figures. She created large projects, like the window in Ypres Cathedral. She also made dramatic smaller works for churches in England.
Famous Stained Glass Windows by Wilhelmina Geddes
War Memorial Window, St. Bartholomew's Church, Canada (1919)
This window was revealed at St. Bartholomew's Church by the Prince of Wales. Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, asked her to create it in 1916. This artwork is in Ontario, Canada. It is a memorial piece, showing sad men and women. Wilhelmina used strong colors like yellow and black in this window. Critics said these colors give the window "power and drama." They also said her drawing made the feelings and actions very clear. An article in Irish Life magazine featured this window on its Christmas cover in 1919. The writer called it "one of the artistic triumphs of this century." Wilhelmina made the entire window in Purser's glass workshop in Dublin, Ireland.
St. Gabriel Window, All Saints Church, Dublin (1925)
Canon Henry Dobbs, a chaplain for the armed forces, asked for this window. It was given by church members to remember those who died in World War I. Two other windows, St. Michael and St. Raphael, were also made. In this window, Gabriel looks strong and solid, like a warrior. He wears a blue and white robe. In his hands, St. Gabriel holds a branch from Paradise. He also holds a mirror with an 'x' on it, which means Christ in Greek. Wilhelmina showed the angel with a red halo and a serious face. This window is in All Saints' Church in Blackrock, County Dublin. In 1996, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael were placed together on the church's south wall.
Lampeter Window, St. Peter's Church, Wales (1943)
This was Wilhelmina's last very large stained glass work. It is in St. Peter's Church in Lampeter, Wales. It is very tall, measuring over 20 feet high and 11 feet wide. Sir George Arthur Harford asked for this window in 1937. It was a memorial for his father. Wilhelmina's health problems and the war caused delays. It was finished in 1943 and put in place in 1946. She painted the figures on the glass with amazing clarity and rich colors.
The three main figures in this piece are Christ, St. Peter, and St. Andrew. They look like they are thinking about things beyond everyday life. Wilhelmina said the window's subject was 'The Prophecy of Esaias' and the 'Calling of Peter and Andrew'. Christ is the main figure and stands taller than St. Peter and St. Andrew. Christ holds a pink and gold Byzantine church on a rock. This church-on-a-rock idea comes from a Bible verse in Matthew 16:16-19.
Later Life and Legacy
Wilhelmina faced many challenges during World War II in London. She dealt with poverty and poor health. Despite this, she "designed seventeen full-scale stained glass masterpieces, sixteen of which she completed."
Wilhelmina Geddes passed away on August 10, 1955, in London. She was buried in Carnmoney Cemetery, County Antrim, with her mother and sister. Even after moving to London, Wilhelmina always said she was "a Belfast woman." She was proud of her Irish roots.
Stained Glass Windows by Wilhelmina Geddes
- Angel of Resurrection, St Ninnidh Church, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, 1912
- Seaman Memorial Window, St. Molaise Church, Monea, Northern Ireland, 1913
- Faith, Hope and Charity Window, Presbyterian Church, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1913-1914
- Dooner Memorial Windows, St. Ann's Church, Dublin, Ireland, 1913
- Margaret Horridge Memorial Window, Holy Trinity Church, Southport, Lancashire, 1914
- Moorehouse Memorial Window, Karori Cemetery, Karori, New Zealand, 1914
- Stewart Memorial Window, Presbyterian Christ Church, Dublin, Ireland, 1914-1916
- Reed Memorial Window, St. Anne's Church, Dublin, Ireland 1916
- Cuthbert Memorial Window, Presbyterian Assembly Hall, Belfast, 1916
- War Memorial Window, St. Bartholomew's Church, Ottawa, Canada 1919
- Crucifixion Window, St Luke's Church, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, 1922
- St Patrick’s and Colomba, Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, 1923
- St. Brendan Window, Currane Church, Achill, Co. Mayo, Ireland, 1924
- Belfour Memorial Window, All Saints Church, Laleham, Middlesex, England, 1925
- The Fate of the Children of Lir, Ulster Museum, Belfast, 1929–30
- Sargent Memorial Window, St Michael Church, Northchapel, West Sussex, 1930
- Wheeler Memorial Window, St Lawrence Church, Otterden, Kent, England, 1933
- Crichton Memorial Window, Egremont Presbyterian Church, Wallasey, Lancashire, 1934
- King Albert Memorial Window, Cathedral of St. Martin, Ypres, Belgium, 1938
- Harford Memorial Window, St Peter's Church, Lampeter, Wales, 1943
- Madonna and Child, All Hallows, Greenford, London, 1953-1954
Images for kids
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Stained glass window created by Geddes for St Luke's Church, Wallsend
