How can a close examination of Shand give us a deeper understanding of Modernist architectural culture in interwar Britain?

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The project will put British developments into an international context, and, by looking at the work of Shand and the networks he created, consider how a broad-based case for Modernism was developed, as well as its effects on practice. Context In establishing Shand's contributions to the emerging British Modern Movement, this PhD builds on the work of recent historians including Elizabeth Darling, John R. Gold, Alan Powers, and Jessica Kelly. These historians have looked beyond architectural form to show how a wider culture of modernity was created in Britain. The result is an emerging understanding of how architectural practise was shaped through cultural shifts informed by public debates, journalism, exhibitions and networks. While these historians have considered Britain in isolation, a study of Shand will resolve the international context. Method Recent historians have developed archive-based approaches to Britain's architectural history in this period. This PhD will likewise rely primarily on archival research. Its originality and innovativeness stem from the use of the collection deposited at the University of Dundee Archives containing Shand's personal notes, letters, photographs and articles. The archive is contained within 7 boxes and 16 box files. Since commencing my PhD, I have produced an outline list of the extensive holdings. Through SGSAH travel reimbursement, it will be possible to capitalise on complementary collections, e.g. material in Montreal on highly significant interwar Modernist Wells Coates, with whom Shand frequently corresponded. The research output, while not a conventional biography, will describe the trajectory of Shand's life and career. A methodological review of biographical writing is therefore planned. Output The research output will be split into two topics. Firstly, I will analyse the diverse modes of criticism in interwar Britain. Shand embodied the lifestyle of a dilettante - lacking any formal education in architecture and instead offering connoisseurship. Despite this amateurism, his influence was widespread. Comparable figures including Mansfield Forbes, John Betjeman and Hubert Hastings warrant attention. The decline in the influence of these 'amateurs' will be traced against the rise of architectural history as a professional field, embodied through the rise of Nikolaus Pevsner. This section will reveal the shared motivations of the unseen figures shaping British architecture. The second output will investigate Britain's influence internationally. Recent historians have increasingly narrowed their focus into Britain. While this has countered claims that Britain lacked a Modern Movement, Britain's international contributions in the period are still assumed to be nearly non-existent. A study of Shand proves this to be false. Shand received invitations to provide lectures on English developments across Europe. His articles appeared in journals and newspapers in numerous countries and languages. Through his fluency in French and German, he developed personal relationships with the period's leading figures, including Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto and Sigfried Giedion. Shand's contributions include: Founding a British chapter of the 'International Congresses of Modern Architecture' (CIAM) Facilitating the emigration of Gropius into Britain (1934) An exhibition of Aalto's work in London (1934) and the forming of Finmar, a British manufacturer of Aalto furniture. The translating of seminal texts into English, including those of Gropius and Corbusier. Articles giving British architects their first glimpses of architecture across Europe, the USA and Russia. Through these studies, it will be proposed that two-way influences from a range of sources helped shape a surprisingly eclectic British Modern Movement.