Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1892-c.1950 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
5 bundles
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
John Alder Knowles was born in 1881, the eldest son of stained glass painter and restorer John Ward Knowles.
In 1903, Knowles travelled to Toronto, Canada, and then to Minneapolis, where he spent the next nine years working at the Ford Brothers stained glass works. On his return to England in 1912 he began to assist his father with his York stained glass business.
Knowles' career was interrupted by his service in both the First World War and the Second World War.
John Alder Knowles was granted an Honorary Master of Arts from the University of Hull in 1957 for his scholarly monograph on the York School of Glass Painting (published in 1936 and illustrated with his own sketches and photographs). During his career he wrote more than 60 articles on the history of stained glass.
Knowles died on 25 November 1961, aged 80.
John Alder Knowles was the eldest son of John Ward Knowles, stained glass painter, and worked with him in the family business J W Knowles & Sons.
Name of creator
Administrative history
The exact start date of the business is unknown but it is thought that it began around 1861.
Repository
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Manuscripts created by John Alder Knowles in the course of his work and covering a variety of different subjects, including glass making, books and writers.
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open
Material is available subject to the usual terms and conditions of access to Archives and Local History collections.
Conditions governing reproduction
Images are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.
Language of material
- English