Basic Biographical Details Name: | Leonard Rome Guthrie | Designation: | | Born: | 8 October 1880 | Died: | April 1958 | Bio Notes: | Leonard Rome Guthrie was born on 8 October 1880 at 595 Suachiehall Street, Glasgow, the son of John Guthrie, Master Painter and Decorator and his wife Jessie Finlay Stark, the daughter of Robert Stark and Janet (or Jessie) Rome. John Guthrie and Jessie Finlay Stark had married in Highbury, London on 18 July 1876 and in 1881 the family was living with Jessie's parents in Islington, at which time John Guthrie is recorded as as Master Painter employing 30 men and 8 boys.
Leonard Rome Guthrie was educated at Glasgow High School. He was articled to William Leiper from 1895 to 1899, during which period he studied under William James Anderson at Glasgow School of Art. He won the Thomson Scholarship in 1899, enabling him to spend eight months travelling in Italy, Spain, France and Germany the following year. On his return in 1901 he spent some time travelling in Scotland, preparing drawings of Scottish gardens for Harry Inigo Triggs' book 'Formal Gardens of England and Scotland', and in the same year became head draughtsman to William Flockhart, marrying Marguerite Whyte Flockhart, one of Flockhart's two daughters, in late 1909 or early 1910 in Paddington.
He left Flockhart in 1907 but stayed in London to commence practice on his own account at 3 Gray's Inn Square. He passed the qualifying exam in 1909 and was admitted ARIBA on 28 February 1910, his proposers being Flockhart, Andrew Noble Prentice and Edwin Alfred Rickards.
Guthrie specialised in domestic architecture and landscaping, but was also appointed architect to the Royal Institution in 1913. By about then Guthrie appears to have been taken into partnership by Flockhart, who died in that year and whose practice he inherited, as Flockhart & Guthrie.
He was elected FRIBA on 8 June 1925, his proposers being Edward Prioleau Warren, James Glen Sivewright Gibson and William Curtis Green. In that year he was taken into partnership by Edmund Walter Wimperis and William Begg Simpson of the London firm Wimperis & Simpson, who had recently achieved fame by winning the limited competition for the rebuilding of Fortnum & Masons in 1923. The practice title became Wimperis, Simpson & Guthrie. Over the following years Guthrie was largely responsible for the Grosvenor House project on Park Lane, for which Edwin Landseer Lutyens was consultant. He was also responsible for the rebuilding of Winfield House, subsequently the US Ambassador's house in the 1930s. Guthrie had joined the Art Workers Guild in 1925.
Guthrie was a friend of Voysey, through the Arts Club. he commissioned a bookplate from Voysey in 1929.
Wimperis died in retirement in 1946. The practice was continued by Simpson and Guthrie with Douglas James Fyffe who had been taken into partnership in 1931. Simpson retired in 1951, and Guthrie in 1953. He died in April 1958. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | The Croft, Hairmyres, East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Private | Before 1899 | After 1901 | | | 395, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1900 | | | | 37, Bruton Street, London, England | Business | 1925 * | | | | 3, Caithness Road, Brook Green, London, England | Private | 1925 * | | | | 61, South Molton Street, London, England | Business | 1939 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA ProposalsThis proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | Alexander Robert Fordyce Anderson | Early 1932 | for Associateship |
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Beauty's Awakening | | Beauty's Awakening: The Centenary Exhibition of the Art Workers' Guild | | Brighton Museum September -November 1984, Royal Pavilion Brighton | | | Livingstone, Karen | 2011 | Ther Bookplates and Badges of CFA Voysay | | | p118, fig 59 | | Survey of London | | Survey of London | | | v39 & 40 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 18 April 1958 | | | Obituary |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | F no2223 (microfilm reel 17) |
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