Martin Travers

The Society of the Faith was founded in 1905 to promote a catholic (and ecumenical) understanding of the Church of England. In 1916, the Society created Faith Craft, a subsidiary company dedicated to the best design in every area of church furnishing. Its products were also meant to be affordable by ordinary parishes - unlike the extravagances of craftsmen like William Burges. Faith Craft used a wide variety of designers in wood, metal, textiles, and stained glass. This work became ubiquitous in the Church of England, but has never before been chronicled.

Martin Travers, stained glass painter and church furnisher, was born in Margate, Kent, on 19 February 1886. He died on 25 July 1948 in his studio in Colet Gardens, Barons Court, West London.   At the time of his unexpected demise he had a well regarded reputation. His life was in fact full of paradoxes and many myths have grown up around him, which closer scrutiny of the available evidence makes clear are almost all unsubstantiated.

This book provides an objective and thoroughly researched account of Travers and his output. In the process it establishes Travers as an important designer and architect and as a major contributor to the art and design produced within the Anglo-Catholic Movement in the first half of the nineteenth century.