Why does one of Britain's most successful classical architects remain largely unknown? This seminar retraces the controversial career of Emanuel Vincent Harris.
Speaker:
Julian Holder
The architect Emanuel Vincent Harris was one of Britain’s leading twentieth century classical architects. Yet whilst often compared to Sir Edwin Lutyens he remains a largely unknown, and poorly regarded figure. And this despite designing many major civic and government buildings such as Sheffield City Hall, Manchester Central library, Leeds Civic Hall, county halls for Glamorgan, Somerset, and Nottinghamshire together with the Ministry of Defence on Whitehall. His almost unwavering commitment to classical architecture made him increasingly out-of-step as the last century progressed. Although he began practice in the Edwardian period – when his unrivalled ability to win major architectural competitions first became evident – he was still hard at work in the 1960s. Now the subject of a forthcoming book in the Twentieth Century Society’s monograph series on architects this lecture will survey his remarkably successful, and controversial, career charting it from his early days in the Highways Department of the London County Council, through his work for the Courtauld dynasty in the 1920s, the major civic works begun in the 1930s, and finally into the Festival of Britain era and beyond when his work was increasingly derided. A recipient of the RIBA’s Royal Gold Medal for Architecture in 1951 his post-war work began to take on a more relaxed, innovative, and indeed playful character in the new Modernist climate then dominating architectural politics. Yet following earlier attacks by Ralf Tubbs the same years saw his work ridiculed by Gorden Cullen, and attacked by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner for being ‘…as dead as mutton.’ Despite his diminished reputation out of his office emerged such talents as Arthur Bailey and Alexander McMorran. A committed Royal Academician he worked with many of the leading sculptors, mural artists, and decorators of the day on buildings which have come to define twentieth century civic design in a new classical tradition that he developed.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Julian Holder is Departmental Tutor in Architectural History in the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Oxford, and a Visiting Lecturer at Falmouth University. He has held a variety of posts in conservation and academia including having been the first Casework Officer of the Twentieth Century Society, Director of the Scottish Centre for Conservation Studies at Edinburgh College of Art, Inspector of Historic Buildings with English Heritage and is a former Deputy Editor of ‘Architectural History.’
Registration:
Register below, or via email to website@sahgb.org.uk.
Why does one of Britain's most successful classical architects remain largely unknown? This seminar retraces the controversial career of Emanuel Vincent Harris.
Speaker:
Julian Holder
Event listing: https://www.sahgb.org.uk/whatson/classicism-in-a-cold-climate
Location
This SAHGB - IHR seminar will be a hybrid event, taking place online and in person at Senate House.
Institute of Historical Research, N203 (3rd Floor, North Block of Senate House, London WC1E 7HU).
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