Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/George Edmund Street

STREET, George Edmund (1824–1881), one of the ablest architects of the present century, was born at Woodford in Essex in 1824. He obtained his architectural education in the office of Mr Owen Carter at Winchester, and afterwards worked for five years as an “improver” with Sir G. G. Scott in London. At an early age Street became deeply interested in the principles of Gothic architecture, and devoted an unsparing amount of time and labour to studying and sketching the finest examples of mediæval buildings in England and on the Continent. He was a draughtsman of a very high order; his sketches are masterpieces of spirit and brilliant touch. In 1855 he published a very careful and well illustrated work on The Brick and Marble Architecture of Northern Italy, and in 1865 a book on The Gothic Architecture of Spain, with very beautiful drawings by his own hand. Street’s personal taste led him in most cases to select for his design the 13th-century Gothic of England or France, his knowledge of which was very great, especially in the skilful use of rich mouldings. By far the majority of the buildings erected by him were for ecclesiastical uses, the chief being the convent of East Grinstead, the theological college at Cuddesden, and a very large number of churches, such as St Philip and St James’s at Oxford, St John’s at Torquay, All Saints at Clifton, St Saviour’s at Eastbourne, St Margaret’s at Liverpool, and St Mary Magdalene, Paddington. His largest works were the nave of Bristol cathedral, the choir of the cathedral of Christ Church in Dublin, and, above all, the new Courts of Justice in London, second only in architectural importance (during this century) to the Houses of Parliament. After a prolonged competition Street was appointed architect to the Courts of Justice in 1868; but the building was not complete at the time of his death in December 1881. A great deal of somewhat unfair criticism has been lavished on this building; but it should be remembered that Street was much hampered both by want of a sufficiently large site and by petty economies in money insisted on by the commissioner of works. Though perhaps deficient in unity of composition, this great building possesses much grace in its separate parts, and has great refinement of detail throughout. Street was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1866 and R.A. in 1871; at the time of his death he was professor of history to the Royal Academy, and had just finished a very interesting course of lectures on the development of mediæval architecture. He was also a member of the Royal Academy of Vienna, and a knight of the Legion of Honour. His somewhat sudden death, on December 18, 1881, was hastened by over-work and professional worries connected with the erection of the law courts. He was buried in the nave of Westminster Abbey, where his grave is marked by a handsome sepulchral brass designed by Mr Bodley.