Margaret Traherne


Margaret Traherne was an Essex-born artist active in the twentieth century. She was regarded as a leading artist of her generation. Noted for her stained glass designs, she also worked in sculpture as well as embroidered textiles and mixed media, examples of which are held in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Early life

Born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, Traherne moved with her family to Long Island, New York in 1925, aged six. She later attended Southend High School after returning from eight years spent in New York.

Education

Traherne attended Croydon School of Art from 1936, where she studied under Ruskin Spear. It was here that she met her future husband, David Thomas, and the pair married in 1943. Traherne joined the Kingston School of Art during the Second World War, before joining the Design School at the Royal College of Art in 1945.

Stained glass windows

Margaret Traherne's designs for stained glass appear across England, including the examples below,
A range of works by Margaret Traherne are held in public British collections, including the following,