Passion, research and adventure
A book review by Peter Howell
Westminster Cathedral:
From Darkness to Light
Patrick Rogers
Burns & Oates 2003 £14.99
Patrick Rogers is a familiar figure on the Cathedral’s Information Desk, as a guide and as the author of fascinating articles in Oremus on aspects of the Cathedral’s history, architecture and decoration. He has now put together a collection of these and added almost as many new pieces, to form a happily miscellaneous book.
As he explains in the introduction, it is not intended as a history of the Cathedral building, nor as a comprehensive guide, but it covers a remarkably wide range of topics. Many of these originated in answers to questions raised by visitors.
The author's particular field of study has been the 125 different marbles used in the construction and decoration of the Cathedral and has included travels to quarries in Greece, Italy, France, Scotland and Ireland. He is now the acknowledged expert and the chapters dealing with the marbles form the core of the book. More recently he has been turning his attention to the mosaics, with equally interesting results, though not everyone will share his generous enthusiasm for Pownall's mosaic in the tympanum over the sanctuary, which Mgr Francis Bartlett, as Administrator, was glad to leave dirty.
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The book is illustrated with an enterprising series of pictures, many of them interesting historical documents in themselves.
To end on a personal note, after studying the Cathedral for nearly thirty years, I thought I knew quite a bit about it, but I have been delighted to learn much more from Patrick Rogers' book, which I warmly recommend.
Mr Howell is a leading member of the Victorian Society and has been on the Westminster Cathedral Art and Architecture Committee for 30 years.
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Read a review of Chapters of Gold
The cover of Westminster Cathedral: From Darkness to Light
A 1950 artist's impression of what the Cathedral
will appear
when the decoration is finally complete, from Westminster
Cathedral: From Darkness to Light
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