The Making of the Historic Heraldic Window for St. Paul’s Cathedral, London (Ontario): Christopher Wallis, Stained Glass, and the Heraldic Arts

This paper explores the stained glass art of Christopher Wallis (1930–2021) through the Historic Heraldic Window he created for St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Ontario. The window, created in 1990, celebrates the cathedral being granted heraldic arms on 28 May 1989, by the newly created Canadian Heraldic Authority (1988); the arms were the first granted to a religious institution in Canada by the fledgling government agency. By this time, Wallis had established himself as a leading heraldic glass artist, both domestically and internationally. For St. Paul’s, he designed and created a large heraldic window for the cathedral’s west transom entrance window. This paper analyzes original contracts to explore the window’s creation, imagery, and overall appearance in St. Paul’s west transom.