Bryn Athyn Cathedral has three Nativity scenes on display in the choir hall for the holidays.

The scenes were originally created by Bryn Athyn artist Winfred S. Hyatt for the Raymond Pitcairn family during the 1920s. Each December the three scenes were placed in front of the Pitcairns’ fireplace in the parlor hall at Cairnwood.

Hyatt also supervised the design and construction of the cathedral and Glencairn, a castle-like home which is now a museum.

The cathedral’s Nativity, a more recent piece shown in the feature photo, was created to celebrate the 2015 World Nativities Exposition at the Glencairn Museum.

From Navidad Nativities:

The scene represents the architecture of the Bryn Athyn Community and the New Church of the Swedenborgs.  The center altar of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral is embraced by the Glencairn Castle with its outdoor Cloister to the left and the interior Upper Hall to the right.  The fine details of swirly iron gates, marble tile and teak floors, signature artwork, and spiritually inspired lighting represent just a small fraction of the intricate beauty of these iconic Bryn Athyn Historic District architectural masterpieces.   The Nativity figures are from the Immanuel Collection of Original Heide.  The Glencairn Castle/Museum was the family home to Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn and their 9 children.  Built in the 1930’s during the Great Depression, Raymond Pitcairn employed a group of craftsmen who were well trained in the arts of stone masonry, ironwork, tiling, and stained glass to create a masterpiece of architecture to showcase his collection of priceless medieval religious art.  Glencairn Museum now houses a unique collection of art from ALL religious throughout the World.  This piece can be seen as part of their Nativity Collection during their Annual World Nativities Exhibition and Christmas in the Castle Tour.  In 2022, the Glencairn Nativity and nearly 50 other pieces from their extensive collection were sent on loan to the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, Connecticut as they featured A Glencairn Christmas while Glencairn underwent a massive renovation.  The exhibition returns to Glencairn as they reopen their doors to the public for Christmas 2023.

For more photos of Nativities, the Glencairn Museum was recently featured in an article by Philly Burbs titled “See Nativity scenes from around the world on display at the Glencairn Museum“.

For more on the museum’s Nativity traditions, you can click here.

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Photos: Bryn Athyn Cathedral