Lawrence Wright

Background

Lawrence Wright was born on November 18, 1906, in Bristol, United Kingdom. He was a son of Charles Wright, a company secretary, and Lucy (Bellamy) Wright.

Education

Wright received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Liverpool School of Architecture, as well as Master of Arts degree in 1929.

Career

Wright worked as an architectural painter and designed a number of important buildings in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, the most notable of which was the New Coventry Cathedral. He also produced many pictures of existing buildings, and occasionally other subjects. He extensively documented post-war London. Wright painted a panorama of London in the early 50s. He sat at the top of St. Paul’s cathedral and spend about four years sketching and then painting about 270 degrees of the city over about 10 metres of panel, as it would have looked then with much post-war reconstruction, but still much evidence of the Blitz. He produced another, somewhat smaller panorama of the city which was painted from what was then the newly finished London headquarters of a corporation.

Wright turned to writing in the 1950s and produced a history of the bathroom and bathroom habits. Published in 1960, Clean and Decent: The History of the Bath and Loo, was well-received as a comprehensive exploration on the subject of basic human convenience.

Wright issued a number of books following the success of Clean and Decent. His 1968 effort Clockwork Man: The Story of Time, Its Origins, Its Uses, Its Tyranny, explored the concept of time by examining its philosophical aspects as well as such timemeasuring inventions as calendars and clocks. Perspective in Perspective, Wright’s last work, was a chronology and analysis of the use of perspective in drawing. Lawrence also wrote several text books describing the historical development of various architectural or domestic accessories.

Wright was also interested in animation before the war, and produced a number of short films – the kind that would be shown before features in cinemas.

Achievements

• Many of Wright's drawing and etchings are in the possession of the Museum of London, in the permanent collection.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The Looming Tower:

    (Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11; Lawrence Wright re-creates...)

    2006
  • Warm & Snug

    (The History of the Bed; In this book, Lawrence Wright tak...)

    1962
  • Clockwork Man

    (The Story of Time, Its Origins, Its Uses, Its Tyranny)

    1968
  • Home fires burning

    (The history of domestic heating and cooking)

    1964
  • Clean and Decent

    (The History of the Bath and Loo)

    1960
  • Wooden Sword 1967
  • Perspective in Perspective 1983

• painting

  • One of Wright's sketches.

    (One of Wright's sketches.)

  • One of Wright's sketches.

    (One of Wright's sketches.)

  • One of Wright's sketches.

    (One of Wright's sketches.)

  • One of Wright's sketches.

    (One of Wright's sketches.)

  • One of Wright's sketches.

    (One of Wright's sketches.)

Connections

Millicent Babette was Wright's first wife. Unfortunately, she died. He then married Marie Frances Dunn, but the marriage ended in divorce. Wright is survived by two children - Patricia Margaret Crick and John Lawrence Wright.

Father:

Charles Wright

Mother:

Lucy (Bellamy) Wright

child:

Patricia Margaret Crick

child:

John Lawrence Wright

1-st wife:

Millicent Babette

2-nd wife:

Marie Frances Dunn