Photographer's stained glass photos used in Royal Mail stamps

Abbotts Morton photographer Alastair Carew-Cox took the pictures of stained-glass Nativity scenes in three churches.

Mr Carew-Cox said: “It is a huge honour to have three of my images of stained-glass windows feature in the 2020 Royal Mail Christmas stamp issue. The craft stands on a par with painting and throughout the country churches are brilliantly lit by beautiful windows. Standing in front of these fragile, often forgotten or unappreciated masterpieces can be an emotional experience. I hope that the inclusion of three of my photographs on this year’s Christmas stamps will encourage conservation of stained-glass and lead to more people enjoying this neglected art form.”

"I have been photographing stained glass for many years, using a traditional 5"x4" plate camera and now with digital equipment. In the 1990's I was commissioned to photograph the Edward Burne-Jones windows in Birmingham Cathedral, the city of both his and my birth. Viewing these windows close up, from scaffolding, and working with the art historian William Waters, has led our research to present stained glass as a Fine Art."

The award winning architectural photographer's images feature Virgin and Child Church of St James, Hollowell, Northamptonshire, Virgin and Child from All Saints’ Parish Church, Otley, West Yorkshire and The Holy Family from St Columba’s Church, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire.

The stamps showcase the extraordinary detail and craftsmanship of this highly specialised decorative art, covering a range of eras, styles and techniques.

The stamps are available at royalmail.com/christmas2020, by phone on 03457 641 641 and in 7,000 Post Offices across the UK. In addition, around 1,000 retailers will stock Christmas stamp books this year.