James Maude Richards

Who was James Maude Richards?

Sir James Maude Richards, FRIBA, MA, was a British architectural writer.

James Maude Richards was born in Britain on 13 August 1907, at Ladypath, Park Lane, Carshalton, Surrey. His parents were the solicitor, Louis Saurin Richards, and his wife, Lucy Denes, née Clarence. Educated at Gresham's School, Holt, and Cambridge University, he trained as an architect at the Architectural Association.

He worked at J. Lyons & Co., assisting Oliver P. Bernard before being sent to work as an architectural assistant for the engineer, Owen Williams.

But his main career was as a writer on architecture. As well as publishing many books, he served as editor of the Architectural Review from 1937 to 1971, the longest period in office of any of its editors.

He had a short, unhappy marriage to the artist, Peggy Angus, with whom he had two children.

He died in Fulham, London, on 27 April 1992.