1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Shaw, Richard Norman

SHAW, RICHARD NORMAN (1831-      ), British architect, was born in Edinburgh on the 7th of May 1831. At the age of

sixteen he went to London and became a pupil of William Burn. In Burn's office he formed that friendship with William Eden Nesfield which so profoundly influenced the careers of both, and was thoroughly grounded in the science of planning and in the classical vernacular of the period. He also attended the architectural schools of the Royal Academy, and devoted careful study both to ancient and to the best contemporary buildings. In 1854, having finished his term of apprenticeship with Burn, he gained the gold medal and travelling studentship of the Royal Academy, and until 1856 travelled on the continent, studying and drawing old work. On his return in 1856 he was requested by the Council of the Royal Academy to publish his drawings. This work, entitled Architectural Sketches from the Continent, was issued in 1858. In the meantime Nesfield was continuing his studies with Anthony Salvin; Mr Shaw also entered his office, and remained there until 1857, when he widened his experience by working for three years under George Edmund Street. In 1863, after sixteen years of severe training, he began to practise. For a short time he and Nesfield joined forces, but their lines soon diverged. Mr Shaw's first work of importance was Leyes Wood, in Surrey, a building of much originality, followed shortly afterwards by Cragside, for Lord Armstrong, which was begun in 1869. From that time until he retired from active practice his works followed one another in quick succession. In 1872 Mr Shaw was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy, and a full member in 1877; he joined the &ldquo;retired&rdquo; list towards the end of 1901.