PeoplePeople
Meet the Smithsons: separating the hype from reality
Written by Steve Smithson Monday, 23 August 2004 12:40
(© Hugh Pearman . First published in "The Month", a CD-Rom of cultural reviews issued with The Sunday Times, 30th November 2003)
Ever wondered who coined that wistful yet sinister phrase "streets in the sky"? Ever wondered whatever happened to the space-age house of the future? Ever wondered why so many architects talk rather than build? Meet Alison and Peter Smithson, post-war masters of architectural hype. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the Smithsons were one of the trendiest design couples in Britain. Critics hung on their every word.
Read more: Meet the Smithsons: separating the hype from reality
Obituary - Peter Smithson, Architect
Written by Steve Smithson Wednesday, 16 April 2003 08:46
Peter Smithson - Architect whose modernist buildings were ahead of their time
This extract by Diana Rowntree
Saturday March 8, 2003
The Guardian
Peter Smithson, who has died aged 79, was a Durham lad who, as a young man, made no secret of his intention to become "the world's greatest architect", a possibility which his peers tended to accept. He did, indeed, achieve architectural eminence, but not, perhaps, in quite the way he intended.
The Smithson Obsession - Berlioz and his passion for Harriet Smithson
Written by Steve Smithson Sunday, 24 March 2002 01:00
Most fans of Hector Berlioz are probably well aware of his legendary obsession with a Shakespearean actress, which was the inspiration for his famous Symphonie Fantastique. Harriet Smithson born 1800 in Ennis, Ireland, was that actress.
By all accounts, Harriet (aka Henrietta, or Henriette) Smithson was a friendly, attractive, and available young woman, making her a likely candidate for the admiration of Belioz, or any young man. But it was her portrayal of Ophelia in the 1827 performance of Hamlet that won the heart of Berlioz, and, along with her successive performances as other Shakespearean tragic heroines, made her famous among the French- regardless of language barriers that compromised understanding of the plays.
Further Reading:
Harriet Smithson Berlioz
The Smithson Obsession
Florence Smithson - A Musical Mystery?
Written by Steve Smithson Saturday, 16 March 2002 01:00
Was Florence Annette SMITHSON, the Edwardian Singer, really a Smithson? Certainly her father's name was Smithson but was that really his name? He was Will SMITHSON, who for many years managed theatres and music-halls in the Midlands and Wales. And Smithson probably wasn't his real name or even the name of Florrie's dancer mum.Thomas Smithson - Mayor of Ripon, 1890 to 1892
Written by Steve Smithson Saturday, 09 March 2002 01:00
This extract chronicles the events that occurred in Ripon during the time Thomas Smithson was Mayor. It is taken from Ripon Millenary Record published by William Harrison of Ripon in 1892. As Thomas Smithson was Mayor at the time of publication, there is a wealth of information about that period.Page 2 of 2