Morris was particularly concerned about the practice, which he described as "forgery", of attempting to return functioning buildings to an idealized state from the distant past, often involving the removal of elements added in their later development, which he thought had contributed to their interest as documents of the past. Instead, he proposed that ancient buildings should be repaired, not restored, to protect as cultural heritage their entire history. Today, these principles are widely accepted.
The architect A.R. Powys served as the Secretary of the SPAB for 25 years in the early 20th century.[2]
Organization and activitiesedit
Today, the SPAB still operates according to Morris's original manifesto. It campaigns, advises, runs training programmes and courses, conducts research, and publishes information. As one of the National Amenity Societies, the Society is a statutory consultee on alterations to listed buildings, and by law must be notified of any application in England and Wales to demolish any listed building in whole or in part.[3]
The society, which is a registered charity,[4] is based at 37 Spital Square, London.
The society's Mills Section is concerned with the protection, repair, and continued use of traditional windmills and watermills. Ken Major carried out much work on its behalf.
An annual award honours the memory of church enthusiast and SPAB member Sir John Betjeman. The award is presented for outstanding repairs to the fabric of places of worship in England and Wales completed in the last 18 months.[12]
^Thompson, E. P. (1976). William Morris: Romantic to Revolutionary. New York: Pantheon. p. 228. ISBN 0-394-73320-7. The Society, which Morris dubbed "Anti-Scrape...
^"From the ground up: collected papers of A.R. Powys, architect, writer, and Secretary of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, 1882–1936. With an introduction by John Cowper Powys and two photographs. 3178155". www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2018.[permanent dead link]
^"2012 EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards – Category 3 - Dedicated service". EuropaNostra.org. Europa Nostra. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
^"The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB)". EuropaNostra.org. Europa Nostra. 20 March 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
^"Winners of 2012 EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards announced". Europa.eu. European Commission - press release. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
^"SPAB 2020 Impact Report" (PDF). The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
^"SPAB Scotland". The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. 27 September 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
^"SPAB Ireland". Spab.org.uk. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
^"SPAB Wales". 27 September 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
^"John Betjeman Award". 17 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
Further readingedit
Miele, Chris, Ed. (2005) From William Morris. Building Conservation and the Arts and Crafts Cult of Authenticity 1877–1939. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-10730-7
Donovan, Andrea (2007) William Morris and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0415955959
Vallance, Aymer (1897/1995) The Life and Work of William Morris. George Bell and Sons 1897. Reprint Studio Editions. London. 1995. ISBN 1-85891-287-3
Beatty, Claudius J.P. (1995) Thomas Hardy: Conservation Architect – His Work for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society. ISBN 0-900341-44-0
Lethaby, W.R.(1935/1979) Philip Webb and His Work. Oxford University Press 1935. Reprint Raven Oak Press. London. 1979. ISBN 9780906997000
MacCarthy, Fiona (1994) William Morris. A Life for Our Time. London:Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-17495-7
Snell, Reginald (1986) William Weir and Dartington Hall. Dartington Hall Trust. ISBN 0-902386-10-7