{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O89621"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O89621/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MV5165/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MV5165/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021MV5165","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AF7499","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021MV5146","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O89621/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O89621","accessionNumber":"E.3196-1991","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"First sketches for Liverpool Cathedral","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This is a drawing from 1902 by the British architect William Richard Lethaby, made soon after the announcement of an architectural competition for Liverpool Cathedral. The drawing reveals an intensely creative moment at the very beginning of the design process. As if fearful of losing his inspiration, Lethaby has grabbed the nearest sheet of paper - which happens to be a used envelope - and covered it, front and back, with designs for the cathedral. The ‘back of the envelope’ sketch is a term often used to describe the designer’s first ideas, and this drawing shows exactly where the expression originates. Such drawings are greatly valued because they show the creative vision in its purest form, before the design becomes compromised by budgets, clients and manufacturing methods. Indeed, Lethaby’s final designs for the cathedral incorporate the same Byzantine features and reinforced-concrete structure suggested in these first sketches. Lethaby failed to win the competition.\r\n\r\nLethaby was a founder of the London County Council Central School of Arts and Crafts, and professor of design at the Royal College of Art, London. He was also an influential writer on architectural subjects.","physicalDescription":"Drawings of a cathedral on two sides of a sheet of stationery printed for the New Church, Brockhampton.  The sheet has been folded and used as an envelope and is addressed to W. R. Lethaby. It bears a one penny stamp and is franked.  The drawings on the front of the sheet include a pen and ink plan; a pencil sketch of the exterior(?); a pen and ink sketch of the vaulting; a pen and ink section through the nave and aisle; a pen and ink elevation of the exterior; a pen and ink elevation of the bays, with the sculpture drawn in red ink. On the reverse there are two pencil sketches, a plan and an elevation (?).","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Lethaby","id":"A2270"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pen and ink","id":"x30618"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"handwriting","id":"AAT252927"},{"text":"drawing","id":"x32498"},{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pen and red ink and pencil on paper","categories":[{"text":"Architecture","id":"THES48993"},{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[{"text":"Arts and Crafts (movement)","id":"AAT21205"},{"text":"Byzantine Revival","id":"AAT21446"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2021MV5165","2006AF7499","2021MV5146"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"EDUC","shelf":"10","box":"B"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawing","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1902","earliest":"1902-01-01","latest":"1902-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"41.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"26.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Will try/ come/ this is old ['old' underlined]","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"Lethaby","id":"A2270"},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"Pen and ink","method":"Handwriting","position":"Front, top left corner","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Front, top left corner; Handwriting; Pen and ink; Lethaby"},{"content":"Altar/ Light","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"Lethaby","id":"A2270"},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"Pen and ink","method":"Handwriting","position":"On the front, within the pen and ink plan","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On the front, within the pen and ink plan; Handwriting; Pen and ink; Lethaby"},{"content":"good/ Sculpt/ New/ Test/ Old Test","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"Lethaby","id":"A2270"},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"Red ink","method":"Handwriting","position":"On the front, by the elevation of the bays","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On the front, by the elevation of the bays; Handwriting; Red ink; Lethaby"},{"content":"W. R. Lethaby Esq./ 111 Inverness Terrace/ Bayswater/ London/ W.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"Pen and ink","method":"Handwriting","position":"On the front, bottom right, upside down","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On the front, bottom right, upside down; Handwriting; Pen and ink"},{"content":"MR 4 02 BROCKHAMPTON ROSS HEREFORDSHIRE","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"Printing ink","method":"Stamping","position":"On the front, on top of the stamp","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On the front, on top of the stamp; Stamping; Printing ink"},{"content":"NEW CHURCH, BROCKHAMPTON Account of Expenses for week ending [and further printed column headings etc.]","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"Printing ink","method":"Printed","position":"On the reverse, along the top","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On the reverse, along the top; Printed; Printing ink"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Design drawing for Liverpool Cathedral by William Richard Lethaby, 1902","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Liverpool","id":"x30239"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Cathedrals","id":"AAT7501"},{"text":"Designs","id":"AAT34381"},{"text":"Architecture","id":"AAT54156"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Worship","id":"AAT56005"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.3196-1991"],"accessionNumberNum":"3196","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1991,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-30","recordCreationDate":"2004-01-16","availableToBook":false}}