Women's role in story of York Minster window highlighted

BBC News

05-06-2025

A stained glass window which serves as a memorial to the 1,514 servicewomen of the British Empire who died in World War One is the focus of a new exhibition at York Minster.The Five Sisters Window, originally dating back to the 13th Century, was rededicated to the servicewomen who lost their lives in the 1914-18 conflict after a campaign by York residents Helen Little and Almyra Gray.Dr Jennie England, from the Minster, said she hoped the exhibition would highlight the window's history and the role women played in the war effort."I think it tells a remarkable story of women getting together and finding a way to commemorate those other women who lost their lives," she said.
Dr England, research coordinator at York Minster, said: "It's incredibly moving. Having this sisterhood coming together to remember sisters is a really key part of the story."
The Visions, Voices, Vocations exhibition chronologically follows the efforts of the two women to bring their vision to reality in the early 1920s.At that time, the Five Sisters Window was in need of repair and Helen Little and Almyra Gray saw an opportunity not only to raise the £3,000 needed to restore it to its former glory, but also to create a lasting memorial to all the servicewomen of the British Empire who had died less than a decade earlier.Along with 32,000 other women, they raised the necessary money in just nine weeks, which paid for the restoration of the window and for the roll of honour, located on oak panel screens beneath the window.The names of each of the 1,514 servicewomen from across the British Empire who died in the war are inscribed on the wooden screens.Kirsty Mitchell, curator of York Minster's collections and interpretation team, explained that the memorial still had historical significance as it reached its centenary year."It's the only national memorial in the country, and it's here because of Helen Little and Almyra Gray," Ms Mitchell explained."Really, the exhibition is a culmination of research to that point, but the research and our understanding of the screens will continue beyond this."
Alongside the Five Sisters Window exhibition, artist-in-residence Olivia Hemingway has produced a photography showcase of contemporary contributions women working at the Minster have made in the present day.Located in the medieval Chapter House, Ms Hemingway's work is displayed on digital screens, and captures the daily working life of police officers, musicians, stonemasons and conservators at the Minster.Dr England said: "It's really exciting to have the exhibition opened and ready to be viewed."We're really hoping it sheds light on the window and its history - both its medieval and recent history."We're also hoping people will be able to understand and engage with the memorial screens in a new way."
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