William Lethaby, Symbolism and the Occult

This book delves into the life and work of architect William Richard Lethaby (1857–1931) and his relationship with the occult and alchemy, in particular. Using detailed analysis of Lethaby’s drawings and architecture, the research uncovers Lethaby’s familiarity with occult concepts and ideology during the spiritual revolution of the nineteenth century. Throughout this time, countless individuals, particularly members of the avant-garde, rejected more traditional religious pathways and sought answers through experimental and mystical alternatives. William Lethaby, Symbolism and the Occult reveals how the architect was profoundly influenced by the Zeitgeist, which was saturated with references to spiritualism, mysticism and the occult, and explores the impact of occultism on his contemporaries and the wider Arts and Crafts Movement. This bookis written for upper-level students, researchers and academics interested in architectural history, William Lethaby and nineteenth century culture and society.

List of Illustrations Foreword by Dr Nicholas Campion Acknowledgements Introduction Part I: Lethaby, Occultism and Symbolism: A Twenty-first-century Perspective 1. The Occult in Lethaby’s Time 2. Symbolic Theory and the Occult Part II: Elements of the Occult in Lethaby’s work 3. Alchemical Imagery: Exoteric and Esoteric Emblems Found in Lethaby’s Work 4. Occult Magical Symbolism in A Beryl Shrine (1888) 5. Spaces of Transmutation: Lethaby’s Architecture and Comparisons with J. L. M. Lauweriks Part III: The Occult and Lethaby’s Legacy 6. Contemporaries Influenced by Lethaby and Architecture, Mysticism and Myth 1 7. The Early Twentieth Century and Beyond: The Influence of Lethaby, the Arts and Crafts Movement, and Occult Concepts Conclusion Appendix I: Chronological summary of W. R. Lethaby’s life Appendix II: W. R. Lethaby’s principal architectural works Appendix III: Selected bibliography of W. R. Lethaby’s publications Appendix IV: The modern scholarship on Lethaby Bibliography Index

Amandeep Kaur Mann is an architectural historian whose research focuses on the relationship between nineteenth-and twentieth-century architects and occultism. Amandeep holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of Nottingham.