[Want to take a tour?]
The Mary Ward House. Tavistock Place, London WC1. 1898. As a 2005 Victoria & Albert Museum site's discussion of Arts and Crafts architecture points out,
the building was designed by A. Dunbar Smith and Cecil Brewer and is distinctly Arts and Crafts in style. A plain brick faade is combined with a stone entrance and the irregular placement of windows reflects the path of the staircase behind them.
Originally known as the Passmore Edwards Settlement, the building housed the first fully equipped classrooms for children with disabilities and pioneered the importance of play within children's education. The founder was the romantic novelist Mary Ward and the philanthropist John Passmore Edwards provided the funding. Interestingly, given her interest in social welfare, Mary Ward was the first president of the Anti-Suffrage League, which campaigned against the vote for women.
Photograph and text by George P. Landow. 2009. [You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
Related Material and Other Views
- Mary Ward House with surrounding buildings
- Main entrance
- Decorative brickwork
- Large Hall and Platform Entrance sign
- Mary Ward House sign
- Mary (Mrs. Humphrey) Ward — sitemap
Sources
"Buildings in London: Mary Ward House. International Arts and Crafts. Viewed 8 September 2009.
Last modified 8 September 2009