Sir Aston Webb:

An Inventory of his Drawings, Photographs, and Printed Material, 1868-1936

Biographical Sketch of Sir Aston Webb

Aston Webb was born in London in 1849, the son of a successful painter, Edward Webb. He received his early training in architecture articled to the firm of Banks and Barry (1866-1871). When his tenure there ended he spent a year traveling throughout Europe and Asia Minor. In 1873 he won the Pugin Studentship and toured Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. On his return to London in 1874, Webb established his own architectural practice, which by the turn of the century was the largest in England. His earliest works include the Church of St. John, Oxfordshire (1875); almshouses at Worcester (1878); and a granary at Deptford (1880). Webb began working with E. Ingress Bell (1836 or 37-1914) in the early 1880s and the pair secured their first important commission with a winning design for the Victoria Law Courts in Birmingham (1886). For the next 23 years, Webb and Bell completed numerous large public building projects. The two were official partners from 1902-1909. During Webb's later career, he was assisted by his sons, Maurice and Philip.

In Webb's early design work with Bell he employed a wide variety of architectural styles. Historians consider these works his most original. They include the new frontage for the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington (1891); the Royal United Services Institute, Whitehall, London (1893-1895); the design for the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth (c.1900); and the University of Birmingham (1900-1909).

In 1901 Webb won a limited competition for the Queen Victoria Memorial and mall approach to Buckingham Palace. Subsequent work at Buckingham included the Admiralty Arch (1908-1909), and a new design for the east frontage of the Palace (1912-1913). Webb's work at Buckingham reflects an increased classical influence indicative of the times.

Throughout his career Webb worked actively in professional organizations and at promoting a professional image for architects. He joined the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1883 and served as president from 1902-1904. He was elected to the Royal Acadamy as an associate in 1899, full academician in 1903, and served as acting president from 1919-1924. Webb was knighted in 1904, received the Royal Gold Medal in Architecture in 1905 and the first recipient of the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 1907.

Webb showed political and social astuteness by repeatedly securing both public and private large scale commissions. He was a model professional, leading a conservative lifestyle and effectively managing his firm. Webb died in 1930 and is memorialized at St. Paul's Cathedral, London.

Major works include Christ's Hospital School, Sussex (1893-1902); the Imperial College of Science, South Kensington (1900-1906); King's College, Cambridge (1908); the Royal School of Mines, South Kensington (1909-1913).

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Scope and Content of the collection

The Sir Aston Webb Papers consist of 369 architectural drawings, 224 photographs and 136 "tearsheets" from British architectural periodicals. The majority of drawings are presentation drawings executed on illustration board. Included in this collection are drawings for the restoration of the Church of Saint Bartholomew the Great (1892), additions to the Gonville and Caius College at Cambridge University (1900, 1904, 1907), and numerous country houses. The collection also contains a number of drawings representing the student work of Phillip Edward Webb executed from 1907 to 1912 at the Architectural Association (1905-1907) and the Royal Academy (1907-1912). The bulk of the drawings in the collection represent the post World War I work of Sir Aston Webb and Son, including materials for the Royal Air Force Club (1922) and the Stock Exchange War Memorial (1919-1921).

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Restrictions

Policies Governing Use and Access

This collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using archival materials. As all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site, advance notice of at least three working days is required for retrieval. Certain items may require additional time for flattening or humidifying before they can be viewed. Access is by appointment only. Please contact the archives' reference staff for further information.

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasions of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person).

The Alexander Architectural Archives operate in accordance with applicable federal or state laws and regulations, providing unrestricted access to university records not covered by state and federal right to privacy acts.

The Alexander Architectural Archives, The University of Texas Libraries, and The University of Texas at Austin, assume no responsibility for infringement of literary property rights and copyright or for liability to any person for defamation or invasion of privacy that results from a researcher's use of collections.

Researchers agree to indemnify and hold harmless The University of Texas at Austin, and their officers, employees, and agents from and against all suits, claims, actions, and expenses arising out of use of collections held by the libraries. Please alert staff if anything inappropriate is found during research.

Copyright interests in this collection may not have been transferred to the University of Texas. Researchers assume full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply. Additionally, the public use of material must be cited. See citation information below.

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Related materials

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Administrative Information

Citation

Sir Aston Webb (1849-1930) Drawings, photographs, printed material, 1868-1936, English architecture, Alexander Architectural Archives, University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin

Acquisition Information

Transferred to the Alexander Architectural Archives from the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center.

Processing information

drawings by Lila Knight; other material processed by Kathy Martinson, March 1993; Amy Reichert.

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Other Finding Aids

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References to works by or about Sir Aston Webb (1849-1930), E. Ingress Bell (1837-1914), and Maurice Webb (1880-1939)

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

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