Frank Matcham

Frank Matcham ( born November 22, 1854 in Newton Abbot, Devon, † May 17 1920 in Southend -on-Sea, Essex ) was a British architect who was known primarily for theater buildings and conversions.

Life

Matcham was born into a family of the middle class. His father was a senior executive of a brewery. Soon after his birth the family moved to Torquay, where Matcham grew up with seven siblings.

At the age of 14 he began an apprenticeship with George Sondon Bridgeman, a local architect, for whom he worked until 1875. Then moved Matchman to London where he worked as assistant to the Theatearchitekten Jethro T. Robinson and 1877 whose daughter married Effie. When Robinson died only a few months after the wedding, the 24 -year-old Matcham took over the business of his father. His first assignment was the completion of the plans for which opened in June 1879 Elephant and Castle Theatre.

Matcham and his two employees Bertie Crewe and WGR Sprague recorded for the majority ( with security for more than 200) of the theater and Varietebauten in Britain 1890-1915 responsible. Matchams office thus reached during the boom time founder of theaters in his region, a similarly dominant position as the Vienna office Fellner & Helmer in Austria -Hungary and Germany.

Matcham even built or modernized approximately 150 theaters. In 1920 he died of heart failure. He is buried in London's Highgate Cemetery.

Work

To Matchams famous buildings include:

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