Award-Winning Photos of King’s College Chapel

Background

This photographic series arose while I was photographing the library at King’s College Cambridge as part of my large Illuminating Cambridge Libraries series. I learned that while King’s College was founded in 1441, the current library building is Victorian. So where was the earlier library?

This turned into the opportunity to photograph the ‘old library’ itself in the chapel vestries. In these preparation rooms for the King’s College Chapel choir and clergy, a few of the 16th century bookcases remain in situ, but most of them were deconstructed and repurposed, with some parts turned into choir stalls in the main part of the chapel (see ‘Repurposed Bookshelf End’).

From this experience, The Rev’d Dr Stephen Cherry invited me to continue with a further series in the Chapel itself. And so began my aesthetic stroll through a meditative, historical, focused photographic adventure. (Rev’d Cherry also wrote the introduction to my Focused on King’s College Chapel book.)

Stained Glass Windows at King’s College Chapel

Large stained glass windows adorn King’s College Chapel Cambridge. Twelve windows are on each side and two on the ends. In 1531, the glaziers completed the stained glass windows. They remained in place until 1940/1 when they were removed due to the war. Stored in various places around Cambridge, the originals were reinstalled in 1948.

Sun rays shine through the southern stained glass windows and cast glorious colours on stonework, on window sills, on decorative panels, and on woodwork.