Altar frontal for the High Altar at St Augustine's Church, Kilburn, London NW6. One of many exquisite embroidered altar frontals and vestments in the church's collection. This one blends very harmoniously with the steps to the high altar. [Click on the images to enlarge them.]
Detail of two of the delicately embroidered fruit and flower motifs.
When the Ecclesiological Society of St Paul's went to visit the church in May 1884, it was till a work in progress (the last stage of building, when the spire was added, was yet to come), but the group admired it greatly and were particularly dazzled by the "beautiful embroidered altar frontals and vestments which were displayed in the vestry. Some of these were very gorgeous, and were embroidered with coloured silks and gold" ("St Augustine's Church, Kilburn"). From the same source, we learn that one "very beautiful superfrontal" had been designed by "the late Mr Street," and another by his then pupil, "Mr E. Sedding," so these were really works of art. Mention is not made here of the women who worked them.
Photographs by John Salmon, with thanks to St Augustine's Church; text by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit John Salmon and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.
Related Material
Bibliography
"St Augustine's, Kilburn." The Building News and Engineering Journal Vol. 46: 663. Google Books. Free Ebook. Web. 27 April 2021.
Created 26 April 2021