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 Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 5The Croft, Hairmyres, East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1899After 1901 
Item 2 of 5395, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1900  
Item 3 of 537, Bruton Street, London, EnglandBusiness1925 *  
Item 4 of 53, Caithness Road, Brook Green, London, EnglandPrivate1925 *  
Item 5 of 561, South Molton Street, London, EnglandBusiness1939 *  

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 4William Leiper18951900Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4William Flockhart19011907Chief Draughtsman 
Item 3 of 4Flockhart & GuthrieBefore 1912After 1913Partner 
Item 4 of 4Wimperis, Simpson & Guthrie1925 Partner 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 6William Curtis Green8 June 1925for Fellowship
Item 2 of 6William Flockhart28 February 1910for Associateship
Item 3 of 6James Glen Sivewright Gibson8 June 1925for Fellowship
Item 4 of 6Andrew Noble Prentice28 February 1910for Associateship
Item 5 of 6Edwin Alfred Rickards28 February 1910for Associateship
Item 6 of 6Edward Prioleau Warren8 June 1925for Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1Alexander Robert Fordyce AndersonEarly 1932for Associateship

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 71899Design for an unspecified cottage  GlasgowScotland 
Item 2 of 71900The Croft, HairmyresEast Kilbride LanarkshireScotlandInteriors
Item 3 of 71925Fortnum & MasonPiccadilly LondonEngland 
Item 4 of 7After 1925Dupplin CastleForteviot PerthshireScotlandAlterations
Item 5 of 71926Grosvenor HousePark Lane LondonEnglandwith Edwin Landseer Lutyens as consultant architect
Item 6 of 71932Flats, Brook House site  LondonEnglandAppointed for job
Item 7 of 71935 or 1936North Scottish Regional Broadcasting StationBurghead MorayshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Beauty's Awakening Beauty's Awakening: The Centenary Exhibition of the Art Workers' Guild Brighton Museum September -November 1984, Royal Pavilion Brighton 
Item 2 of 3Livingstone, Karen2011Ther Bookplates and Badges of CFA Voysay  p118, fig 59
Item 3 of 3Survey of London Survey of London  v39 & 40

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Builder18 April 1958  Obituary

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers F no2223 (microfilm reel 17)