| Sir
Hugh Casson (1910-1999) was an artist, architect, interior designer, writer
and broadcaster. After a posting with the Camouflage Service of the Air
Ministry during WWII, Sir Hugh leapt to prominence as Director of
Architecture for the Festival of Britain, at the age of just 38. The festival
was a great success, and he was knighted for his efforts. An outstanding
writer, broadcaster and speaker, he presented a number of television series
on architectural subjects. He enjoyed designing sets for the theatre and had
a long and happy collaboration with Glyndebourne Festival Opera; he also
created and ran the school of Interior Design at the Royal College of Art,
and also designed interiors for the Royal Yacht Britannia, for Buckingham
Palace, Balmoral and Windsor Castle. Sir Hugh’s career was crowned in 1976 by
his election as President of the Royal Academy of Arts. He held this
prestigious post for eight years, and his many accomplishments there included
the creation of the Friends of the Royal Academy, an organisation which set
the benchmark for cultural institutions. Sir Hugh was also an accomplished
watercolorist, and his books Hugh Casson’s Cambridge, Hugh Casson’s Oxford,
and Hugh Casson’s London are a testament to this talent. His work has a dedicated
following and remains increasingly sought after. He was happily married for
sixty years to the architect, designer and photographer, Margaret Macdonald. |
