Stephen Adam (1848–1910) was a 19th/20th-century Scottish influential stained glass designer. He was a pioneer of modern stained glass in Scotland (in terms of colour use, and black in particular). The majority of his work is in the

Pre-Raphaelite The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB), later known as the Pre-Raphaelites, was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, ...

style, often with a twist towards

Celtic mythology Celtic mythology is the body of myths belonging to the Celtic peoples.Cunliffe, Barry, (1997) ''The Ancient Celts''. Oxford, Oxford University Press , pp. 183 (religion), 202, 204–8. Like other Iron Age Europeans, Celtic peoples followed ...

, and is mainly sited in western Scotland. Although the bulk of his work is for churches he also received many secular commissions.

Life

He was born at

Bonnington Bonnington is a dispersed village and civil parish on the northern edge of the Romney Marsh in Ashford District of Kent, England. The village is located to the south of the town of Ashford on the B2067 ( Hamstreet to Hythe road). Bonningt ...

Haugh north of

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

(now absorbed by the city) the son of Alexander Adam. He was educated at Canonmills School. In 1861 he was apprenticed to the Edinburgh stained glass designers, the Ballantine Brothers. He also attended art classes at the Trustees Academy in

and Haldane's Academy in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

(later to become

Glasgow School of Art The Glasgow School of Art (GSA; ) is a higher education art school based in Glasgow, Scotland, offering undergraduate degrees, post-graduate awards (both taught and research-led), and PhDs in architecture, fine art, and design. These are all awa ...

). In 1865 he joined the studios of Daniel Cottier at 47 Carrick Street. In 1870 he left to set up his own business at 121 Bath Street in partnership with David Small (1846-1927). He was then living at 4 Cathkin Terrace in the

Cathcart Cathcart (; , )
is an area of

Garnethill Garnethill is a predominantly residential area of the city of Glasgow, Scotland with a number of important public buildings. Geography Located in the city centre, the area borders Cowcaddens to its north, Sauchiehall Street to its south, Camb ...

district, then living at 276 Renfrew Street. Expanding rapidly he moved to 259 West George Street and moved house to 1 Holmhead Crescent back in Cathcart, before finally moving to a truly huge six-storey studio at 231 St Vincent Street in the city centre. From 1889 he trained other stained glass artists including his son, Stephen Adam, David Gauld and Alf Webster. In 1896 the firm became Adam & Son but a family dispute caused them to split in 1904 (as Webster only joined in 1905 it was not a jealousy of the son as some speculate). He died at Bath Street in

in August 1910 and his work was continued by Alf Webster. Webster's genius was cut short whilst serving in the

Gordon Highlanders The Gordon Highlanders was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed for 113 years, from 1881 until 1994, when it was amalgamated with The Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) to form The Highlanders (Seaforth, Go ...

in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

when he was fatally wounded in the battlefield and died at

Le Touquet Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (, Picard language, Picard: ''Ech Toutchet-Paris-Plache''), commonly referred to as Le Touquet (), is a Communes of France, commune near Étaples, in the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, northern France. ...

Red Cross Station in 1915.

Publications

*''Stained Glass:Its History and Development'' (1877) *''Truth in Decorative Art: Stained Glass Medieval and Modern'' (1896)

Notable works

Paisley Abbey Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the River Cart, White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, base ...

*Kidston memorial window,

Cambuslang Cambuslang (, from ) is a town on the south-eastern outskirts of Greater Glasgow, Scotland. With approximately 30,000 residents, it is the 27th-largest town in Scotland by population, although, never having had a town hall, it may also be cons ...

Tobias Smollett Tobias George Smollett (bapt. 19 March 1721 – 17 September 1771) was a Scottish writer and surgeon. He was best known for writing picaresque novels such as ''The Adventures of Roderick Random'' (1748), ''The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle'' ...

window and Heritors windows at

Bonhill Bonhill (; ) is a town in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It is sited on the Eastern bank of the River Leven, Dunbartonshire, River Leven, on the opposite bank from the larger town of Alexandria, Scotland, Alexandria. ...

(1880) *Clark memorial, Paisley *Belhaven Parish Church,

(with Andrew Wells) (1877) *Industry panels at Maryhill Burgh Halls *Industry panels at the

People's Palace, Glasgow The People's Palace and Winter Gardens in Glasgow, Scotland, is a museum and glasshouse situated in Glasgow Green, and was opened on 22 January 1898 by The 5th Earl of Rosebery. Early history The idea of "palaces for the people" drew on the wr ...

*The Life of Christ:

New Kilpatrick New Kilpatrick, (also known as East Kilpatrick or Easter Kilpatrick) is an ecclesiastical Parish and former Civil Parish in Dunbartonshire. It was formed in 1649 from the eastern half of the parish of Kilpatrick (also known as Kirkpatrick), the ...

Church,

Bearsden Bearsden ( ) is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the northwestern fringe of Greater Glasgow, approximately from the Glasgow city centre, city centre. The Roman Empire, Roman Antonine Wall runs through the town, and the remains of ...

*The Baptism of Christ, Henderson Memorial window etc.

Lecropt Lecropt (''Leac Croit'' in Gaelic) is a rural parish lying to the west of Bridge of Allan, Scotland. The population of the parish of Lecropt is estimated to be around 75, consisting entirely of isolated farms and houses, as well as the Keir Esta ...

Church, Stirlingshire (1907) *Shipping panels, boardroom of the Clydeport Authority *Kilmore Church,

Dervaig Dervaig () is a small village on the Isle of Mull off the west coast of Scotland. The village is within the parish of Kilninian and Kilmore, and is situated on the B8073 roughly midway between Tobermory and Calgary. In 1961 it had a population o ...

on the

Isle of Mull The Isle of Mull or simply Mull ( ) is the second-largest island of the Inner Hebrides (after Skye) and lies off the west coast of Scotland in the Council areas of Scotland, council area of Argyll and Bute. Covering , Mull is the fourth-lar ...

(1905 onwards) completed by Alf Webster *The Works of Mercy,

North Berwick North Berwick (; ) is a seaside resort, seaside town and former royal burgh in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately east-northeast of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable holi ...

Parish Church *Charity and Music windows Craigrownie Church,

Loch Long Loch Long is a body of water in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The sea loch extends from the Firth of Clyde at its southwestern end, to the Arrochar Alps at the head of the loch. It measures approximately in length, with a wi ...

*St Columba's Church,

Largs Largs () is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" (''An Leargaidh'') in Scottish Gaelic. A popular seaside resort with a pier, the town markets itself on its histor ...

(1892) *Clark Memorial Church,

(1892) *St andrew's Church, St Andrews Square, Glasgow *Baptismal window,

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; , or ; or , meaning 'fort of the Britons (historical), Britons') is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven, Dunbartonshire, River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. ...

St Augustine's Episcopal Church * Annan Town Hall * Inverness Town House *Imperial Bar, Howard Street, Glasgow * Carnegie Library,

Ayr Ayr ( ; ; , meaning "confluence of the River Àir"), is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. A former royal burgh, today it is the administrative centre of South Ayrshire Council, and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With ...

* Carnegie Library,

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...

*Sick Children's Hospital,

*Dowanhill Church, Glasgow *New Mental Hospital, Glasgow *Glasswork in Devonshire Gardens *Glasswork for Sir Charles Cayzer at

Gartmore House Gartmore House is a country house and estate in the village of Gartmore, Stirling, Scotland. It was built in the mid-18th century for the Graham family on the site of an earlier house. William Adam prepared plans for Nicol Graham of Gartmore ...

* Broughton House in

Kirkcudbright Kirkcudbright ( ; ) is a town at the mouth of the River Dee, Galloway, River Dee in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, southwest of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie. A former royal burgh, it is the traditional county town of Kirkcudbrightshire. His ...

for his friend Edward Atkinson Hornel * The Magi,

Alloway Alloway (, ) is a suburb of Ayr, and former village, in South Ayrshire, Scotland, located on the River Doon. It is best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns and the setting for his poem Tam o' Shanter (Burns poem), "Tam o' Shanter". Tobias Ba ...

Church *

Pollokshields Pollokshields (, Scots language, Scots: ''Powkshiels'') is an area in the Southside of Glasgow, Scotland. Its modern boundaries are largely man-made, being formed by the M77 motorway to the west and northwest with the open land of Pollok Count ...

Congregational Church *

Glasgow Royal Infirmary The Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI) is a large teaching hospital. With a capacity of around 1,000 beds, the hospital campus covers an area of around , and straddles the Townhead and Dennistoun districts on the north-eastern fringe of the city cen ...

, ante-chapel *St Michael and All Angels,

Helensburgh Helensburgh ( ; ) is a town on the north side of the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, situated at the mouth of the Gareloch. Historically in Dunbartonshire, it became part of Argyll and Bute following local government reorganisation in 1996. Histo ...

*Royal Prince Albert Hospital,

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

*Works in the various mansions of the Pullar family of Pullars of Perth *Works in the various mansions of the Coats family of Pullars of Paisley *Stained glass at

St John's Kirk St John's Kirk is a church in the Scottish city of Perth, Perth and Kinross. Of Church of Scotland denomination, it is located in St John's Place, just southeast of the city centre. It stands on the former site of a church dating to 1126. Today ...

, Perth''Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Graphic and Accurate Description of Every Place in Scotland''

Francis Hindes Groome Francis Hindes Groome (30 August 1851 – 24 January 1902) was a writer and foremost commentator of his time on the Romani people, their language, life, history, customs, beliefs, and lore. He was the son of Robert Hindes Groome, Archdeacon of ...

(1901) *St James Episcopal Church,

Leith Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith. The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...

(removed and now in private ownership)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adam, Stephen 1848 births 1910 deaths Artists from Edinburgh Scottish stained glass artists and manufacturers Scottish artists