C.R. Ashbee

Where the Great City Stands C.R. Ashbee

The English architect Charles Robert Ashbee first established his reputation as a major figure within the Arts & Crafts movement. Founder of both the Guild and School of Handicraft and Essex House Press, he designed not only buildings and interiors but also jewellery and metalwork, in line with his treasured ideals of quality, beauty and craftsmanship. Originally published in 1917, in Where The Great City Stands Ashbee set out how those aesthetic principles could act to reshape a society still shaken by the uncertainty and destruction of World War I. After appraising the artistic movements of the previous few decades - Pre-Raphaelitism, Impressionism, Futurism - Ashbee proposes that an appreciation of arts and culture is key to forming a new kind of life based upon socialism, democracy and craftsmanship. Retaining his roots in the Arts & Crafts movement, he argues that progress nevertheless can be achieved through embracing mechanisation. Whilst the city is to be the focal point of this new potential for living, retaining balance between urban and rural areas is also vital for Ashbee, a major proponent of the garden city movement. Combining passionate idealism with his experience in architecture and design, Where The Great City Stands is both a fascinating document of early 20th-century thought and a manifesto for change whose ideas can be seen reflected in today's cities and societies.