Dr. (Robert) Douglas Strachan (26 May 1875, Aberdeen - 20 November 1950) was considered the most significant Scottish designer of stained glass windows in the 20th Century. Schooled at Robert Gordon's, he studied art at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, at the Life School of the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh, and the Royal Academy in London. From 1895-1897 Strachan worked in Manchester as a black and white artist on several newspapers, and as a political cartoonist for the Manchester Evening Chronicle, until ill-health forced him to return to Aberdeen.
He died at Lasswade, Midlothian and is buried in the central section of the 20th century extension to Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh.
Although Strachan was interested in Futurism, Cubism, and Vorticism, his work shows little influence of this. Strachan often composed his windows in areas of pure colour which were then defined by areas of silvery white.
His largest commission was to design the windows for the Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh Castle in the late 1920s.
Strachan's work can also be seen at:
St. Aidan's Church, Bamburgh, Northumberland
St Andrew's United Reformed Church (incl. War Memorial Window - 'Sacrifice'), Hampstead, London
All Saints, Jesus Lane, Cambridge
All Saints' Church, St Andrews
The Peace Palace at The Hague, Netherlands
Humbie Parish Church, East Lothian
King's College Chapel, Aberdeen
Noble College, University of Aberdeen
St Machar's Cathedral, Aberdeen
St Lawrence's Church, East Rounton, North Yorkshire (memorial window to Gertrude Bell
Fraserburgh Old Parish Church (1906)
East window (St Andrew) in the Thistle Chapel, St Giles Cathedral (1909-11)
St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney (1912)
Nairn Old Parish Church, Nairn
David being anointed by Samuel, Dirleton Kirk (1916)
St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh Castle (1922)
Bedrule Church (1922)
Christ Walking on the Water, St Giles Cathedral (1922)
St Giles Cathedral, saint windows (1932-35)
Westminster College, Cambridge
Bothwell Parish Church, South Lanarkshire, Gilchrist Window, for Dr. Marion Gilchrist
St. Margaret's Church, Hoathly, Sussex
St. Thomas' Church, Winchelsea, East Sussex
St Michael and All Angels, Waterford, Hertfordshire
Paisley Abbey main east window (his largest work)
St John's Kirk, Perth, Scotland
University of Glasgow Chapel
University of Glasgow Bute Hall
Kilbrandon Church, Argyll
St Mary of the Angels, Brownshill, Gloucestershire.
St Andrew's Episcopal Church, Kelso
St Oswald's Church, Hotham, East Yorkshire (which contains 6 windows by Strachan)
All Saints Church, North Cave, East Yorkshire
