Kempe is one of the major figures of Victorian decorative art. Born in 1837, his career began under the aegis of the architect George Frederick Bodley, for whom he later undertook many key commissions. He decided to specialise in stained glass after seeing the work of William Morris, Burne Jones and Phillip Webb. His own firm, Kempe Studios, began in 1866 and from the start he was able to engage the help of dedicated artists such as A.E.Tombleson and John Lisle who helped to establish the firm's characteristic style. Kempe work is always distinctive, whether glass, embroidery or church furnishings. By the late 1890's the firm had grown to employ over 50 men, the largest stained glass studio in Britain. Kempe himself died in 1907 but the firm continued as Kempe & Co. under the chairmanship of Walter Tower, and until its eventual closure in 1934 remained faithful to the style and inspiration of its founder.
Hereford Cathedral has the largest Kempe window in the world. A Kempe Society was founded in 1984 from which further details may be obtained. A book about the work of C.E.Kempe and his studios, called Master of Glass has been written by Margaret Stavridi -ISBN 1 87122400 4
The Kempe Society, 41 York Avenue, Crosby, Liverpool. L23 5RN
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