Margaret Macdonald Casson, architect, designer and photographer: papers

Architecture and Design, 1897-2002

Project files (1938 - 2002); sketch books (ca. 1950 - ca. 1980); drawings (1897 - 1976); objects, (ca. 1955 - ca. 1961)

Photography, 1934-2004

Negatives and contact sheets (1983 - 1991); prints and loose negatives (ca. 1936 - ca. 1993); photo etching (ca. 1989 - 2004) slides and films (1934 - 2000); research files (ca. 1986 - 1988) exhibition catalogues, postcards and reviews (1986 - 1997)

Other professional activities and personal files, 1947-1994

Royal College of Art files (1955 - 1979); Silver Jubilee craft exhibitions, Victoria and Albert Museum (1976 - 1977); personal files (1947 - 1994); desk diaries (1959 - 1992); British Library National Sound Archive, National Life Story Collection, interview transcripts (1990 - 1991)

Margaret Macdonald Casson, nee Troup (1913 - 1999) was born in Pretoria in South Africa. She studied architecture at the Bartlett School of Architecture from 1931 to 1937, where she met her future husband Hugh Casson. After her qualifying year she began to practise as an architect and designer with a focus on interior design. She also designed furniture, textiles, pottery, and glass, and organised a number of professional design exhibitions. Her commissions included: a show room for Pilkington Brothers headquarters, Selwyne House, London, 1957; glassware for Chance Brothers Ltd, 1958; crockery for the P&O liner Canberra , [ca. 1960]; the interior design of 12 Carlton House Terrace, 1968; and a series of craft exhibitions held at the Victoria and Albert Museum during the Silver Jubilee year, 1977.

From 1953 to 1974 she was Senior Tutor at the School of Environmental Design at the Royal College of Art. She sat on several design committees including the Design Council and the Arts Council. After her retirement from the Royal College of Art she returned to an earlier love of photography and produced photographic prints and etchings, many of which were displayed in exhibitions.

This archive collection is available for consultation in the V&A Study Rooms by appointment only. Full details of access arrangements may be found here: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/archives/.

Access to some of the material may be restricted. These are noted in the catalogue where relevant.

Information on copying and commercial reproduction may be found here: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/archives/.

Sir Hugh Casson, papers, 1867 - 2007 (AAD/2008/2)