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Sir Reginald Blomfield

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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"SIR REGINALD BLOMFIELD (1856-), English architect and author, was born Dec. 20 1856 at Aldington in Kent, of which parish his father was rector. He was educated at Haileybury and at Oxford as a scholar of Exeter College. He took his degree with a first class in literae humaniores in 1879. On leaving Oxford he was for three years in the architectural office of his uncle, Sir Arthur Blomfield, and also studied in the Royal Academy School of Architecture. He was here largely influenced by Norman Shaw, to whose work and example, as also to those of Philip Webb, his own work owed much. After travelling abroad in 1883, he started a practice in London in 1884. He became one of the secretaries of the Art Workers Guild, and also of the Arts and Crafts Society. The Gothic and Mediaeval tradition of his uncle's office had but little effect on his work as an architect, which rather follows the classical spirit and the inspiration derived from the later Renaissance architecture of England. This is shown notably in his country-houses, amongst which are Moundsmere, Basingstoke; Wyphurst, Cranleigh; and Uretham Hall, Norfolk. He also carried out alterations to existing houses at Brocklesby Park, Lincs.; Apethorpe, Northants.; Chequers Court, Bucks. and elsewhere. Amongst his London work are the United University Club, Pall Mall; the Goldsmiths' College, New Cross; the London and County Bank; the Imperial War Cross, Chelsea; and Paul's Cross, St. Paul's Churchyard. At Oxford he built the new buildings for Lady Margaret Hall, and at Bath the Holbourne Museum. With Sir Aston Webb and Ernest Newton he was appointed to advise as to the architectural treatment of the Quadrant, Regent Street, London, and he designed a portion of the facade.

As author, Sir R. Blomfield is known by various important volumes of history and criticism. His Academy School Lectures were published in 1908 as The Mistress Art. His Formal Garden in England (1892), published in collaboration with F. Inigo Thomas, did much to make known the claim of the architect to consider as his right not only the design of the building but of the surroundings in which it was set. His History of Renaissance Architecture in England (1897) and his successive works on French Architecture (1911 and 1921) are accepted by students as textbooks, and their illustrations show the author's considerable powers as a black-and-white artist.

Sir R. Blomfield was elected A.R.A. in 1905, and R.A. in 1914, in which latter year he was also made Officier de l'Instruction publique by the French Government. He was professor of architecture at the Royal Academy from 1906 to 1910. He was elected president of the R.I.B.A. in 1914, and received its Gold Medal in 1913.

As an old member of the Inns of Court volunteers, at the commencement of the World War he received a commission as officer in charge of trench work. At its termination he was appointed a principal architect of the Imperial War Graves Commission, and he was one of the chief designers of various forms of local war memorial. In 1906 he was made hon. fellow of his college, and in 1920 Liverpool University conferred on him the hon. degree of Litt.D. He was knighted in 1919 in recognition of his work as architect and author.