Monica Pidgeon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Monica Pidgeon
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Born | Monica Lehmann 29 September 1913 Catemu, Chile |
Died | 17 September 2009 | (aged 95)
Occupation | Editor, writer |
Nationality | British |
Alma mater | University College London |
Subject | Architecture |
Spouse | Raymond Pidgeon |
Children | 2 |
Relatives | Olga Lehmann (sister) Andrew George Lehmann (brother) Rebecca Pidgeon (granddaughter) |
Monica Pidgeon (born September 29, 1913 – died September 17, 2009) was a talented British interior designer and writer. She is best known for being the editor of Architectural Design magazine. She led the magazine for many years, from 1946 to 1975.
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Early Life and Education
Monica Pidgeon was born Monica Lehmann in 1913 in Catemu, a town in Chile. Her father was a French mining engineer, someone who designs and manages mines. Her mother was from Scotland.
In 1929, her family moved to London, England. This move allowed Monica and her siblings to finish their schooling in English schools. She went to St Martin-in-the-Fields High School for Girls.
After high school, Monica wanted to study architecture. However, the head of the architecture school at University College London (UCL) did not think women should be architects. So, her father encouraged her to study interior design instead. She took a two-year course in interior design at The Bartlett School of Architecture at UCL.
A Career in Architecture and Design
After finishing her studies at UCL, Monica Pidgeon worked for a furniture company. When that business closed, she started working on her own. She became a freelance writer and illustrator, meaning she wrote and drew for different clients.
In 1941, she joined the staff of Architectural Design magazine. She started as an assistant to the editor, Tony Towndrow. When he moved away in 1946, Monica was promoted to editor. The magazine's owners were not sure about having a female editor. They thought readers and advertisers might not like it. So, they made sure male architects' names were also listed as "consultants" in the magazine. Monica herself rarely wrote articles for the magazine, except for a few book reviews early on.
Leading Architectural Design
Under Monica's leadership, Architectural Design became very popular. It featured both famous and lesser-known architects. The magazine also showed new buildings that were part of rebuilding after World War II. Monica also promoted "sustainable design." This means designing buildings in a way that is good for the environment.
Monica had a special rule: she preferred not to publish bad reviews. She believed it was better to say nothing about poor designs than to criticize them. In the late 1960s, the company that owned the magazine wanted to stop printing it. But Monica convinced them to keep going. She suggested they only use money from subscriptions, not advertising, to pay for it.
She left Architectural Design in 1975. She then became the editor of the RIBA Journal, another important architecture magazine. She stayed there until 1979.
Architectural Photography
Monica Pidgeon was also an amazing photographer. Her black and white photos were a big part of an exhibition in 2018. This show was called "Eternal City: Rome in the Photographs Collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects." It was held in Rome, Italy.
One of Monica's photos was the main image for the exhibition's advertising. It showed four stylish young Italian men walking away from St. Peter's Church. Her skill in architectural photography was as good as other famous photographers in the show. Most of her photos in the exhibition were taken in 1961. Monica's pictures bravely showed the lives of Italian people. She included children, women, and older people. She showed them living among some of the world's greatest buildings.
Pidgeon Audio Visual
Monica Pidgeon retired in 1979. After retiring, she started a project called Pidgeon Audio Visual. This was a collection of recordings where architects and designers talked about their work. These recordings were meant to be shown in architecture schools. She continued to collect these recordings until she was in her late eighties.
Honours and Awards
Monica Pidgeon received several special awards for her work.
- In 1970, she became an honorary fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects. This means she was given a special membership without having to meet all the usual requirements.
- In 1979, she was made an honorary fellow of the Architectural Association School of Architecture.
- In 1987, she became an honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects. This was for her great work on the Pidgeon Audio Visual project.
Family Life
Monica Pidgeon had a creative family. Her sister, Olga Lehmann, was a visual artist. Her brother, Andrew George Lehmann, was a literary critic, someone who reviews books and literature.
Monica met Raymond Pidgeon when they were both students at University College London. They got married in 1936. They had two children, a daughter named Annabel and a son named Carl. They divorced in 1946. Her granddaughter is Rebecca Pidgeon, who is an actress and singer.