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Scotland’s first Stained Glass museum to be opened in lasting tribute to the works of Alf Webster 

Scotland’s first museum dedicated to the art and history of stained glass is to open within the former Lansdowne Church in Glasgow’s west end, celebrating the pioneering work of artist Alf Webster.

Plans for the Alf Webster Museum of Stained Glass, announced today (7 October, 2026), are spearheaded by local heritage charity Fact Three which has been working tirelessly since 2013 to repair and conserve the historic building. The museum is one component of the new uses secured for the building and has as its theme the “Accessing Websters” project which aims to share the story and art of Alf Webster through a variety of ways both digitally and from within the church building.

Alf Webster was a talented early 20th-century Scottish stained glass artist who created intricate, masterfully coloured windows for prominent churches and landmarks before his career was tragically cut short during World War I, when he died aged just 31. The Lansdowne building, designed by Glasgow architect John Honeyman, houses two stained glass windows by Webster. His outstanding south transept window has required a substantial year-long restoration effort by accredited local stained glass conservation specialists before being reinstalled for the public to enjoy and learn about our stained glass heritage.

Scheduled to open to the public for the first time early in 2027 the museum project will reveal this conservation process which has incorporated traditional craft training in stained glass. The project has been supported by key partners including The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Glasgow City Heritage Trust and the Architectural Heritage Fund. The museum will include a new stained glass viewing gallery, with wheelchair access planned.

David Robertson, trustee of Fact Three said: “Fact Three and all those invested in the Accessing Websters project are immensely proud to announce our plans today, to create Scotland’s first stained glass museum. The intimate, eye-level access this will offer to the restored windows will be a unique cultural landmark for Glasgow.

“The city between 1864 and 1914 was one of the main workshops of the world and stained glass designers and studios in Glasgow were internationally famous not least through the creation of ship interiors for Clyde-built liners. Stained glass of international quality can be found throughout the public, ecclesiastical and residential buildings within and around the city and this is a heritage that deserves to be celebrated.

“To be in the position we are in today is only possible thanks firstly to the tireless work of our conservators and volunteers with a shared passion for the works of Alf Webster, and the funding we have received from key partners. Without these twin pillars of support, Glasgow was at risk of losing some of the most unique and historical displays of art and craftsmanship of the 20^th century – instead we can now prepare to showcase the legacy of Alf Webster to the world.

“Today is an important milestone. However, while much significant effort is behind us, further hard work lies ahead. Our ambition to establish and open the Alf Webster Museum of Stained Glass – Scotland’s first – will only be fully realised with more collaboration and support. We welcome engagement with any funders, groups or individuals excited by our vision for the museum and wider project as our work continues to deliver a museum which is a fitting tribute to Alf Webster within an iconic historic building that the city of Glasgow can be truly proud of.”

In order to secure the future of Lansdowne Church, Fact Three has been successful in securing funds over the last decade through grants and a crowd-funding campaign. The resulting refurbishment has attracted new uses for the building including the Stand Comedy Club, now a tenant for the ground floor of the church and the Kelvin Bar in the former church hall.

The newly envisioned museum of stained glass will occupy the gallery above the comedy club with Fact Three awarded £250,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, £132,000 from Glasgow City Heritage Trust, and £15,000 from The Architectural Heritage Fund, to support this first phase of the museum project. With these funds, in addition to the extensive repairs to the 21 stained glass panels that make up the window, the charity has been able to install a specialised system of secondary glazing for its protection.

In addition the funding has enabled Fact Three to build a viewing platform under the window with a room below for heritage interpretation all accessed from the entrance beneath the impressive steeple on Great Western Road and then through a newly carved stone doorway at gallery level in keeping with the interior of the building. The project has also funded original research into Alf Webster’s life and career which will be brought to life in the heritage room beneath the window.

Dr Karen Mailley, research and outreach lead for the project, said: “The Alf Webster Museum of Stained Glass will be dedicated to the research and presentation of the city’s stained glass. We are fortunate in having one of the few UK ICON Accredited Conservator-Restorers, Rab MacInnes, who is a British Society of Master Glass Painters Member living and working near to the project. With the focus on one of Scotland’s endangered traditional skills, we are also lucky to have one of Historic Environment Scotland’s Stained Glass Craft Fellows, Gordon Muir, working on the team.

“The Accessing Websters project has the promotion of traditional skills at its core. For more than three decades Fact Three and its sister charity Four Acres Charitable Trust have been supporting the use of traditional skills over several Glasgow buildings including Lansdowne Church and Cottiers. Work at Cottiers and Lansdowne has provided many opportunities for traditional skills – such as slab laying, stone pointing, cutting and indenting stone, stained glass making, internal carpentry and painted decoration – to be passed down to the next generation and new team members, a further legacy for the brilliance of Alf Webster.”

For regular updates about the project and news ahead of public opening, follow @alfwebstermuseum on Instagram or visit www.alfwebstermuseum.com

Caroline Clark, Director for Scotland, National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “Restoring Alf Webster’s beautiful stained glass and delivering an outreach programme is unlocking more of Glasgow’s artistic and cultural history for new audiences.

“Thanks to National Lottery players ‘Accessing Websters Heritage’ will protect and celebrate the craftsmanship and artistry which is a hallmark of Glasgow’s unquestioned importance as a global city of creativity and design.”

Alf Webster Museum, Lansdowne Church Building, 416 Great Western Road, Glasgow G4 9HZ

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