William Lethaby, Symbolism and the Occult

Amandeep Kaur Mann is an architectural historian whose research focuses on the relationship between nineteenth-and twentieth-century architects and occultism. Amandeep holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of Nottingham.

"William Lethaby, Symbolism and the Occult is a unique work and an important achievement. Thoroughly researched and as readable as it is significant, Mann carefully shows why Lethaby deserves considerably more scholarly attention than he has so far received. The compelling discussions of his understanding of symbolism, magic and alchemy, which have been largely overlooked, are particularly important. Hence, while most readers with an interest in art and architecture will find this book informative, lucid and engaging, anyone with a serious interest in the modern history of the occult cannot afford to ignore it."Professor Christopher Partridge, Lancaster University, UK

• Introduction Part I: Lethaby, Occultism and Symbolism: A Twenty-first-century Perspective 1. The Occult in Lethaby’s Time 2. Symbolic Theory and the Occult Part II: Elements of the Occult in Lethaby’s work 3. Alchemical Imagery: Exoteric and Esoteric Emblems Found in Lethaby’s Work 4. Occult Magical Symbolism in A Beryl Shrine (1888) 5. Spaces of Transmutation: Lethaby’s Architecture and Comparisons with J. L. M. Lauweriks Part III: The Occult and Lethaby’s Legacy 6. Contemporaries Influenced by Lethaby and Architecture, Mysticism and Myth 7. The Early Twentieth Century and Beyond: The Influence of Lethaby, the Arts and Crafts Movement, and Occult Concepts Conclusion