Who was Hugh Maxwell Casson?
Sir Hugh Maxwell Casson was an English architect active in the 20th century. He was born at 4 Grossfield Road, London, England on 23 May 1910 and died St Charles Hospital, Kensington, London, England on 15 August 1999.
Life and Work
Casson was a British architect who was also active as an interior designer, an artist, writer and broadcaster on twentieth-century design. He was the director of architecture for the 1951 Festival of Britain. From 1976 to 1984, he was president of the Royal Academy.
Casson was a friend of members of the British royal family and is reported to have taught watercolour painting to Prince Charles. In 1955, he designed the interiors for the new royal yacht Britannia, and also designed interiors for suites at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
From 1953 to 1975, he was professor of environmental design at the Royal College of Art, where his wife Margaret was senior tutor.
Sources:
Powers, Alan, ‘Casson, Sir Hugh Maxwell (1910–1999)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press, Sept 2004); online edn, Jan 2007 <http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/...; [accessed 7 December 2007]