Dr James Alexander Cameron
@drjacameron.stainedglassattitudes.com
Freelance art and architectural historian with focus on English medieval churches but love poking around all buildings. Lecturer at V&A Academy and tours for Martin Randall Travel.
www.stainedglassattitudes.com
https://ko-fi.com/stainedglassattitudes
www.stainedglassattitudes.com
https://ko-fi.com/stainedglassattitudes
Pinned
The great church of Glastonbury Abbey reimagined (animation and commentary)
One of the largest, and final, church buildings demolished in the wake of Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries, recreated in its modern environs. Done plenty of G-Earth comps of lost churches before, but this the first where I've made the model myself from scratch, so I've spun out the animation (which takes the laptop I use 15 hours to render the 40-second sequence) into a long-form video, where I compare it the buildings I've stolen elements from. Started as a quick idea of doing like a pre-filmed stream, but then I've developed it in my usual way (putting silly noises on it). It's an experiment! I hope it's mildly entertaining!! Been through the YouTube generated captions now it's been uploaded, they should be readable, will correct them more later (I think the last time I uploaded a long-form narrated video - four years ago - we didn't have this?) LINKS: University of Reading public-facing output from AHRC project: https://research.reading.ac.uk/glastonburyabbeyarchaeology/ Hot stuff from that for nerds: https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/glastonbury_ahrc_2014/ The recent publication on the Glastonbury cathedra at Washington: https://www.sdnq.org.uk/spotlight_on_sdnq/glastonbury-abbey-and-washington-national-cathedral-washington-d-c/ Animation done in Blender. Syncing cameras to G-Earth Studio output with https://github.com/imagiscope/EarthStudioTools And ripping environs with via https://github.com/eliemichel/MapsModelsImporter Screen recording with OBS Studio (did weigh down the laptop a fair bit hence why particularly the Washington sequence I struggle a bit to make Blender behave). Video sequencing also done in Blender, which wasn't a great idea but whatever it wasn't that bad in the end. Will use a different program if I ever do anything like this again though. All photos credited on-screen. If they're not credited I took them (unless I messed up). 0:00 - Rendered animation 1:28 - Intro to the extras 3:06 - History of Glastonbury Abbey up to the fire of 1184 6:42 - Making the great church model 10:10 - Wells Cathedral 19:56 - Gloucester Cathedral 23:54 - Winchester Cathedral 25:57 - Peterborough Cathedral 29:38 - Lincoln Cathedral 32:34 - Washington National Cathedral 37:41 - The Washington Glastonbury bishop's throne 40:06 - Outro
www.youtube.com
Do I have the same audience here as the Twitter? Probably, but I've put together my first long-form narrated video in over four years! It's very low-budget (I didn't leave the computer to make it) but it's getting rave reviews!*
*a number of people have clicked like
www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2vD...
*a number of people have clicked like
www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2vD...
Commentary tedious for decades ("it's a bad neo-Gothic building anyway!" "turn it into a museum!" "it's too full of corridors with little rooms to turn it into a museum!")
Core problem is the utilities. there's loads of defunct cables/pipes that are fire risks. Needs completely stripping out.
Core problem is the utilities. there's loads of defunct cables/pipes that are fire risks. Needs completely stripping out.
EXCL:
Final decision on restoring the Palace of Westminster will be delayed until 2030s
MPs were expected to vote by the end of 2025 on a way forward for fixing the crumbling parliament, but that now won't happen
Story w/@danbloom1.bsky.social
www.politico.eu/article/fina...
Final decision on restoring the Palace of Westminster will be delayed until 2030s
MPs were expected to vote by the end of 2025 on a way forward for fixing the crumbling parliament, but that now won't happen
Story w/@danbloom1.bsky.social
www.politico.eu/article/fina...
Final decision on fate of crumbling UK parliament delayed to 2030s
It’s a fire-hazard that’s prone to tumbling masonry — but fear of a public backlash is again delaying repairs to the world famous building.
www.politico.eu
November 15, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Commentary tedious for decades ("it's a bad neo-Gothic building anyway!" "turn it into a museum!" "it's too full of corridors with little rooms to turn it into a museum!")
Core problem is the utilities. there's loads of defunct cables/pipes that are fire risks. Needs completely stripping out.
Core problem is the utilities. there's loads of defunct cables/pipes that are fire risks. Needs completely stripping out.
BBC article takes "cash in the attic" angle on this, but it's hardly a surprise a painting of this age and quality will fetch a few million
"Insurance and security costs" are quoted as the reason to sell it, but it seems sad its monetary value causes it leave the place it was (probably) painted for
"Insurance and security costs" are quoted as the reason to sell it, but it seems sad its monetary value causes it leave the place it was (probably) painted for
A late medieval altarpiece in St Johns' Almshouse, Sherborne, Dorset, has been identified as produced in Brussels in the 1480s. Traditionally belonging to the almshouse since before the Reformation, then concealed, & re-hung in the C19th.
Now to be sold at Sotheby's.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Now to be sold at Sotheby's.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 14, 2025 at 1:13 PM
BBC article takes "cash in the attic" angle on this, but it's hardly a surprise a painting of this age and quality will fetch a few million
"Insurance and security costs" are quoted as the reason to sell it, but it seems sad its monetary value causes it leave the place it was (probably) painted for
"Insurance and security costs" are quoted as the reason to sell it, but it seems sad its monetary value causes it leave the place it was (probably) painted for
It would be Westminster Abbey, wouldn't it
(Currently £31/£28 concessions)
(Currently £31/£28 concessions)
November 14, 2025 at 9:36 AM
It would be Westminster Abbey, wouldn't it
(Currently £31/£28 concessions)
(Currently £31/£28 concessions)
Back in the spectacular art deco Manchester Apollo (G2 listed) for first time in nearly 20 years for Saxon doing all of 1980 album Wheels of Steel, with NWOBHM legend Brian Tatler of Diamond Head on guitar.
Wish they had being doing the album behind them here though, as that's my favourite
Wish they had being doing the album behind them here though, as that's my favourite
November 8, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Back in the spectacular art deco Manchester Apollo (G2 listed) for first time in nearly 20 years for Saxon doing all of 1980 album Wheels of Steel, with NWOBHM legend Brian Tatler of Diamond Head on guitar.
Wish they had being doing the album behind them here though, as that's my favourite
Wish they had being doing the album behind them here though, as that's my favourite
For Guy Fawkes' Night, a cartoon of an enormous cartoon of The Guy Himself, pumped up to Buttlord GT proportions, which is too big to fit through Westminster Hall N porch
A parody of grand classical history painting (such as B.R. Haydon) by George Cruikshank, printed in The Comic Almanack July 1844
A parody of grand classical history painting (such as B.R. Haydon) by George Cruikshank, printed in The Comic Almanack July 1844
November 5, 2025 at 10:36 PM
For Guy Fawkes' Night, a cartoon of an enormous cartoon of The Guy Himself, pumped up to Buttlord GT proportions, which is too big to fit through Westminster Hall N porch
A parody of grand classical history painting (such as B.R. Haydon) by George Cruikshank, printed in The Comic Almanack July 1844
A parody of grand classical history painting (such as B.R. Haydon) by George Cruikshank, printed in The Comic Almanack July 1844
yeah I was right with that, a huge chunk of S England between London and the S coast, and filling in some gaps along the latter. past noon EST on a Monday so they've updated.
November 3, 2025 at 5:20 PM
yeah I was right with that, a huge chunk of S England between London and the S coast, and filling in some gaps along the latter. past noon EST on a Monday so they've updated.
I pack a pedestal (pedestal)
To antique travellers (travellers)
And by my half-sunk shattered visage I might
Be stamped on these lifeless things tonight
To antique travellers (travellers)
And by my half-sunk shattered visage I might
Be stamped on these lifeless things tonight
They fuck you up, your King of Kings.
They may not mean to but they do.
They leave you trunkless legs of stone,
And add some visage, just for you.
They may not mean to but they do.
They leave you trunkless legs of stone,
And add some visage, just for you.
Whose land this is I do not know
The statue fell down long ago;
No one will mind me stopping here
To watch the sand o’er ruins blow.
My camel friend must think it queer
To rest with no oasis near
And precious little shade these days
Gives Ozymandias, I fear.
(1/2)
The statue fell down long ago;
No one will mind me stopping here
To watch the sand o’er ruins blow.
My camel friend must think it queer
To rest with no oasis near
And precious little shade these days
Gives Ozymandias, I fear.
(1/2)
October 31, 2025 at 10:50 PM
I pack a pedestal (pedestal)
To antique travellers (travellers)
And by my half-sunk shattered visage I might
Be stamped on these lifeless things tonight
To antique travellers (travellers)
And by my half-sunk shattered visage I might
Be stamped on these lifeless things tonight
Checking Chichester ironically to scale a 3D capture I have of the cathedral, realised a huge amount of new 3D views in G-Earth seem to have gone up recently (possibly last 24 hrs). not on the coverage overlay, but as I suspect they will be on Monday, they are something like this.
October 31, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Checking Chichester ironically to scale a 3D capture I have of the cathedral, realised a huge amount of new 3D views in G-Earth seem to have gone up recently (possibly last 24 hrs). not on the coverage overlay, but as I suspect they will be on Monday, they are something like this.
Today La Sagrada Família is having the first part of the crowning cross of the Jesus Tower installed. This will finally take it past Ulm Minster's 161.5 metres (begun 1392, completed with octagon and spire 1885-90) as the tallest church in the world!
October 30, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Today La Sagrada Família is having the first part of the crowning cross of the Jesus Tower installed. This will finally take it past Ulm Minster's 161.5 metres (begun 1392, completed with octagon and spire 1885-90) as the tallest church in the world!
The Duomo of Sant'Andrea, Venzone. The ambitious church of a walled town nestled in the edge of the Alps—voted most beautiful in Italy in 2017.
Consecrated 2 Aug 1338 by the Patriarch of Aquileia, its calm Umbrian-Tuscan Gothic belies how it was partly shook to rubble in the 1976 Friuli earthquake.
Consecrated 2 Aug 1338 by the Patriarch of Aquileia, its calm Umbrian-Tuscan Gothic belies how it was partly shook to rubble in the 1976 Friuli earthquake.
October 29, 2025 at 7:42 PM
The Duomo of Sant'Andrea, Venzone. The ambitious church of a walled town nestled in the edge of the Alps—voted most beautiful in Italy in 2017.
Consecrated 2 Aug 1338 by the Patriarch of Aquileia, its calm Umbrian-Tuscan Gothic belies how it was partly shook to rubble in the 1976 Friuli earthquake.
Consecrated 2 Aug 1338 by the Patriarch of Aquileia, its calm Umbrian-Tuscan Gothic belies how it was partly shook to rubble in the 1976 Friuli earthquake.
Looks like the Saints in Colour project on the Wallingford Screen at St Albans Cathedral I advised and partly designed is finally (sadly) getting derigged before the end of the year.
So see it while you can! I still think it looks pretty cool.
So see it while you can! I still think it looks pretty cool.
October 25, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Looks like the Saints in Colour project on the Wallingford Screen at St Albans Cathedral I advised and partly designed is finally (sadly) getting derigged before the end of the year.
So see it while you can! I still think it looks pretty cool.
So see it while you can! I still think it looks pretty cool.
shouldnt be surprised really but still funny to see the East Wing of the White House, built 1941 is actually a reinforced concrete frame? When I first saw it last night I thought it was just the 1970s porte cochère but it seems the whole thing is concrete and rebar
October 21, 2025 at 1:07 PM
shouldnt be surprised really but still funny to see the East Wing of the White House, built 1941 is actually a reinforced concrete frame? When I first saw it last night I thought it was just the 1970s porte cochère but it seems the whole thing is concrete and rebar
anyone want to bat for Salisbury Cathedral on the matter of the ornament of the lean-to E aisle roof of the main transepts?
I always think it looks extremely daft. like someone squeezed toothpaste out on it.
No one ever copied it anyway. Like pretty much all of Salisbury's weird ideas
I always think it looks extremely daft. like someone squeezed toothpaste out on it.
No one ever copied it anyway. Like pretty much all of Salisbury's weird ideas
October 17, 2025 at 6:06 PM
anyone want to bat for Salisbury Cathedral on the matter of the ornament of the lean-to E aisle roof of the main transepts?
I always think it looks extremely daft. like someone squeezed toothpaste out on it.
No one ever copied it anyway. Like pretty much all of Salisbury's weird ideas
I always think it looks extremely daft. like someone squeezed toothpaste out on it.
No one ever copied it anyway. Like pretty much all of Salisbury's weird ideas
Anyone else in the UK having trouble accessing archive.org? I can only see it via a VPN for a couple days now. If this is more Online Safety Act nonsense, well, I'll be really cross i suppose
October 14, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Anyone else in the UK having trouble accessing archive.org? I can only see it via a VPN for a couple days now. If this is more Online Safety Act nonsense, well, I'll be really cross i suppose
Was at Chester Cathedral last week for the Centring the Past project, which sought to understand the lost, poorly-documented timber centres for medieval masonry vaults.
This hand-carved frame recreating that of the Chester Chapter House vestibule vaults struck quite a profile on the Dean's Field.
This hand-carved frame recreating that of the Chester Chapter House vestibule vaults struck quite a profile on the Dean's Field.
October 13, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Was at Chester Cathedral last week for the Centring the Past project, which sought to understand the lost, poorly-documented timber centres for medieval masonry vaults.
This hand-carved frame recreating that of the Chester Chapter House vestibule vaults struck quite a profile on the Dean's Field.
This hand-carved frame recreating that of the Chester Chapter House vestibule vaults struck quite a profile on the Dean's Field.
before I've even used up my backlog of photos from my Big Trip, I've been cathedral-bothering again today. at a very underrated building!
October 10, 2025 at 8:09 PM
before I've even used up my backlog of photos from my Big Trip, I've been cathedral-bothering again today. at a very underrated building!
A welcome surprise in my last-minute cathedral guiding was the new visitor centre at Lincoln Cathedral, with exhibition pentice on the back of the Wren library and cloister linking to the 1840s Deanery building by Simpson and Brown, completed in the Pandemic and opened in Spring 2021. Tremendous!
October 7, 2025 at 8:18 PM
A welcome surprise in my last-minute cathedral guiding was the new visitor centre at Lincoln Cathedral, with exhibition pentice on the back of the Wren library and cloister linking to the 1840s Deanery building by Simpson and Brown, completed in the Pandemic and opened in Spring 2021. Tremendous!
after much wrestling with procedures to get it down to a manageable size from a million+ verts I now have a Chichester Cathedral photogram in my 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
Only Lichfield left to grab for England (and also Southwell and Ripon, and then also the Welsh cathedrals other than Llandaff)
Only Lichfield left to grab for England (and also Southwell and Ripon, and then also the Welsh cathedrals other than Llandaff)
October 1, 2025 at 9:08 PM
after much wrestling with procedures to get it down to a manageable size from a million+ verts I now have a Chichester Cathedral photogram in my 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
Only Lichfield left to grab for England (and also Southwell and Ripon, and then also the Welsh cathedrals other than Llandaff)
Only Lichfield left to grab for England (and also Southwell and Ripon, and then also the Welsh cathedrals other than Llandaff)
My first visit to Old Sarum last week and all I took pictures of was the toilet block. Quite interesting tho, built into Iron Age rampart during early 1940s as a "wireless control room" for Old Sarum airfield to the NE. Converted into facilities in the 1960s and central accessible toilet added 2006.
September 30, 2025 at 7:59 PM
My first visit to Old Sarum last week and all I took pictures of was the toilet block. Quite interesting tho, built into Iron Age rampart during early 1940s as a "wireless control room" for Old Sarum airfield to the NE. Converted into facilities in the 1960s and central accessible toilet added 2006.
Reposted by Dr James Alexander Cameron
The Society is deeply concerned by a growing pattern of the Secretary of State refusing to add important historic buildings to the National Heritage List for England, even when formally recommended to do so by Historic England.
Read more: bit.ly/4pQKFSI
📷 Hotspur Press by Alan Davies
#heritage
Read more: bit.ly/4pQKFSI
📷 Hotspur Press by Alan Davies
#heritage
September 29, 2025 at 11:18 AM
The Society is deeply concerned by a growing pattern of the Secretary of State refusing to add important historic buildings to the National Heritage List for England, even when formally recommended to do so by Historic England.
Read more: bit.ly/4pQKFSI
📷 Hotspur Press by Alan Davies
#heritage
Read more: bit.ly/4pQKFSI
📷 Hotspur Press by Alan Davies
#heritage
Lanterns at Ely, eyes at Lincoln. Has been quite the trip last week or so. More cathedral content coming!
September 27, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Lanterns at Ely, eyes at Lincoln. Has been quite the trip last week or so. More cathedral content coming!
Reposted by Dr James Alexander Cameron
Although still the most evocative view of Old St Peter's is this chromolithograph by H.W. Brewer, included in The Girl's Own Paper, 31 August 1907.
(accompanying text: repository.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/ob...)
(accompanying text: repository.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/ob...)
February 28, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Although still the most evocative view of Old St Peter's is this chromolithograph by H.W. Brewer, included in The Girl's Own Paper, 31 August 1907.
(accompanying text: repository.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/ob...)
(accompanying text: repository.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/ob...)
Two hours trying fix my Romanesque cathedrals file which kept crashing on animation render for the last stretch of the 1090s. Rolled back to an earlier save and it's finally working again. Exhausted. Need to rebuild some bits but perplexed what broke it
September 9, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Two hours trying fix my Romanesque cathedrals file which kept crashing on animation render for the last stretch of the 1090s. Rolled back to an earlier save and it's finally working again. Exhausted. Need to rebuild some bits but perplexed what broke it
I've been listening to In Our Time since the mid-00s, when I was going through its archive (in .rm format!) and taking notes like a big nerd to get to grips with all sorts of subjects. Overall Melvyn has been a brilliant chair and struggle to think who can replace him.
www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...
www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...
Melvyn Bragg decides to step down from presenting In Our Time
After 26 years on the programme, the legendary presenter bids farewell to the series
www.bbc.co.uk
September 3, 2025 at 7:34 PM
I've been listening to In Our Time since the mid-00s, when I was going through its archive (in .rm format!) and taking notes like a big nerd to get to grips with all sorts of subjects. Overall Melvyn has been a brilliant chair and struggle to think who can replace him.
www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...
www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...
Cor, took longer than I thought to rebuild Tewkesbury Abbey's late 1080s E arm. Polygonal Romanesque apses harder than semi-circular!
Kept radiating chapel heights to that of S transept, E arm I gave a gallery for the giant order system but wonder if the clerestory have a lower sill level?
Kept radiating chapel heights to that of S transept, E arm I gave a gallery for the giant order system but wonder if the clerestory have a lower sill level?
August 31, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Cor, took longer than I thought to rebuild Tewkesbury Abbey's late 1080s E arm. Polygonal Romanesque apses harder than semi-circular!
Kept radiating chapel heights to that of S transept, E arm I gave a gallery for the giant order system but wonder if the clerestory have a lower sill level?
Kept radiating chapel heights to that of S transept, E arm I gave a gallery for the giant order system but wonder if the clerestory have a lower sill level?