TRUE PRINCIPLES vol.1 no.2

1) Pugin in New York

Paul Atterbury is an historian and writer specialising in the decorative and applied arts of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and is a former editor of the Connoisseur. He was largely responsible for setting up Pugin: A Gothic Passion at the V & A in 1994, and, with Clive Wainwright, edited, and contributed to, the publication of the same name which accompanied this exhibition. He also, with Rosemary Hill, masterminded Pugin in Kent at Ramsgate in 1995. Since then he has, in collaboration with Susan Soros of the Bard Graduate Center, New York, mounted an exciting and innovative Pugin exhibition in America and edited the lavish catalogue A.W.N. Pugin, Master of Gothic Revival published for this exhibition. In this summer's True Principles he writes about the New York Pugin show, giving many interesting insights into its make-up and themes.

Paul Atterbury

2) A.W.N. Pugin and Modern Architecture

Nick announced his talk as "a personal romp through the century" — roughly from Pugin to today. We were shown slides from the etchings in Contrasts — the meaning was still entirely clear in Pugin's satire, "as opposed to the cartoons from Punch at that time, which seem to us totally obscure". Contrasts was a vicious attack on society as a world no longer beautiful but solely commercial: "Something was wrong with a society that made bad objects". The slide of the castellated villa etching, with its conservatory — Pugin's classic joke — was likened to Wemmick's father's house: Dickens was soon on to this kind of satire, indeed, Nick pointed out that in the I9th. century you could leave the builder to get on with five plans and a couple of nicely tinted watercolour views of the proposed building and little other information: "Imagine that happening today!"

Michael Blaker

3) Pugin's Boats

Pugin's lifelong love of the sea, and sailing, and particularly his nautical life at Ramsgate, are described here. Footnote No 13 gives unusual Pugin information!

David Meara

4) St Augustine's Abbey, Ramsgate

Ever since our Apostle's advent there in A.D. 597, the historic Isle of Thanet has been associated with the black-robed sons of St. Benedict and today St Augustine's Abbey at Ramsgate is of special interest, both past and present. For its Minster ls "Pugin's gem" as well as hls last resting place while the monastery itself is a spiritual restoration of Canterbury's famous Benedictine Abbey.

5) What is a Pugin? (2)

These thoughts are prompted by John Brazier's article with the same title in the first issue of True Principles.' Here I would like to consider 'What is a Pugin?' in the sense of whether a certain building, object or design is or is not the work of A. W. Pugin, whether it is merely in his style, or whether it could be the work of his father, A. C. Pugin (c.1769�) or one of his sons, E. W. Pugin (1834�), C. W. Pugin (1840�) or P. P. Pugin (1851�). Now that Pugin — and when in True Principles the word is used on its own I think we can assume that A. W. Pugin is meant — is increasingly well known, there is clearly a strong tendency for people to want to associate with the glamour of his name all sorts of work which does not really belong there.

Alexandra Wedgwood

6) The Grange

We have asked Charlotte Haslam, historian to the Landmark Trust, to write us a piece elucidating the work and policies of Landmark within the context of The Grange. The Committee of the Pugin Society supports the Landmark Trust in its endeavours to purchase — we feel that the Trust would be a very caring and responsible owner, and is appropriate, for the reasons given in Charlotte's exposition. However, we feel also that access to The Grange, both for our members and for others, is vital (ie, not only for those staying there) and we would hope to negotiate this point both with Thanet District Council and with the Landmark Trust should this purchase come to fruition. In the meantime, as you will see, thought, expertise, help and suggestions are all needed. Please write with any comments on this very important matter to the Secretary, or Chairman, of the Pugin Society.

Charlotte Haslam