William White: Pioneer Victorian Architect

William White (1825-1900) was one of the leading architects in Victorian England. His originality, sensitivity and vibrant use of colour put him at the forefront of the Gothic Revival from the late 1840s. Referred to in his time as ‘inventive and ingenious’, he pioneered, for example, the use of double-glazing and wood-block flooring. His work is found not only throughout Britain but also in Ireland, South Africa and Madagascar. It encompassed cathedrals, churches, houses and parsonages, schools, commercial buildings, furniture, stained glass, ironwork and even the first frame rucksack. White was a prolific writer and contributed to the architectural debates of his age. Working into the late Victorian period, he contributed to the development of the Queen Anne style and the Arts & Crafts Movement.