We had a wonderful surprise this week to receive in the post from the family of a very talented stained glass artist, some original drawings done of Bradfield stained glass windows back in the 1950s.

Mary Eily de Putron (1914-1982) was an Irish and Guernsey based stained glass artist and archaeologist, who also served in the WAAF during World War Two.

It was during the war that de Putron first took to sketching in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Working alongside another artist Joan Howson who became a friend and collaborator, she worked on Westminster Abbey stained glass windows protecting them during the war and at New College in Oxford. As a result of this collaboration, Mary also began designing and installing windows of her own. Her first such commission was for the Chapel at Bradfield where she installed window badges in the early 1950s. Several in Chapel were designed to mark the College centenary in 1950. There were also window designs for Big School at Bradfield, examples of which you can see in the pictures below. Beneath the window in Big School dedicated to founder Thomas Stevens it reads "Stevens founded & built Loyd and Iliffe made more beautiful". There are also pictures of the windows as they are in situ today.

Afterwards her work took her to churches around the country, many being in the Channel Islands. Later de Putron set up her own studio and workshop in Fontaine Fleurie where she moved after her return to Guernsey.