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St John in Hackney
The Interior – Architectural Paint Research

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Research Brief

Research was commissioned to establish the early decoration of the church and it later decorative history
Sources of information:
• St John at Hackney – The Story of A Church by David Mandler (1993)
• Church of St John at Hackney, London E5 – Conservation Plan Prepared for St John at Hackney PCC by the Architectural History Practice Limited (Draft 2016)

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Abstract

The original decoration of the interior of the church was very plain with some areas of elaboration.

• The walls may have been rendered in a self-coloured off-white render. But may have been painted in off-white paints at a later date. All the plaster was removed during the renovations after the 1955 fire.

• The Doric columns were painted in an off-white oil paint.

• The stone bases of the columns may not have painted originally – or if they were they were decorated in a textured-sanded stone coloured paint.

• The gallery fascia was painted in an off-white oil paint. Originally a painted liturgical inscription was applied to the lower frieze.

• The metal balustrading was painted in a light green oil paint picked out in gold leaf and dark green glazes.

• The reveals of the East Window may have been picked out in a deep red paint – possibly imitation of marble.

• All of the joinery appears to have been painted in imitation of light oak.

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