Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 44.djvu/341

 position in the thoroughfare he had projected from the east to the west of London. But a very modified scheme for the Record Office was adopted in 1850, and only portions of that were subsequently executed. In 1848 he removed the colonnade of the Quadrant, Regent Street, and ingeniously contrived a balcony and mezzanine story, to obscure the mean appearance of the small shops previously concealed under the colonnade. Between 1852 and 1856 he completed the west wing of Somerset House, and caused it to harmonise, with conspicuous success, with the beautiful work of the original architect, Sir William Chambers [q. v.] In July 1856 seventy-five of the leading architects signed an address of congratulation on the completion of this great undertaking; and a gold medal was presented to him by Earl de Grey, the president, at a meeting of the Royal Institute of British Architects on 18 May 1857 (Builder, 1857, xv. 287–366). In 1852 Buckingham Palace and the neighbouring district of Pimlico between St. James's Park and the Royal Mews were improved from his designs. The works carried out at the palace included the ball-room, supper-room, and connecting galleries, and on the south side of the palace he erected the Duchy of Cornwall office, the district post office, and other buildings. The west wing of the Ordnance Office, Pall Mall, which is only a small portion of a great scheme; extensive alterations, both of the central portion of the National Gallery in 1861 and of Marlborough House; the library of the Patent Office; and the new Stationery Office, were all due to Pennethorne. In 1865 the Royal Institute of British Architects, of which he had been a fellow since 1840, conferred on Pennethorne the high honour of its royal gold medal (Building News, 1865, xii. 396).

His last and his most successful work was the University of London in Burlington Gardens. The adjoining Burlington House, Piccadilly, had been acquired by the government under his advice, and had been appropriated for the accommodation of the learned societies removed from Somerset House, and for the Royal Academy, removed from Trafalgar Square. The plans for the University of London were approved in 1866, but underwent some modification. The interior arrangements are convenient and admirable in every way, and the façade exhibits the sister arts of architecture and sculpture in graceful combination. The sculptures commemorate the objects of the institution, and are not merely decorative (Builder, 1869, xxvii. 303). Pennethorne was knighted, in recognition of his public services, in November 1870.

Among designs for public buildings elaborated by Pennethorne, but not carried out, were some for the great public offices in Downing Street and Pall Mall. He also suggested many alterations and extensions for the National Gallery, so as to incorporate with its present site that of the adjoining barracks and workhouse. He also prepared drawings for a new public picture gallery, to be erected on a new site.

Pennethorne died suddenly from heart disease, on 1 Sept. 1871, at his residence, Worcester Park, Surrey, and was buried at Highgate. He left a family of four sons and three daughters.

As a servant of the government, Pennethorne was subjected to continual disappointment in his capacity of artist. Few of his numerous designs was he allowed to execute on the scale on which he projected them; and most of the works with which his name is associated represent mere fragments of his original schemes. Under great discouragements he faithfully performed his public duties, and won general respect.

[Cates's Biogr. Dict.; Biographical Notice of the late Sir James Pennethorne, Transactions Royal Institute of British Architects, 1871–2, pp. 53–69, read 18 Dec. 1871; Builder, 1866 pp. 877–98, 1871 p. 77, 1872 p. 22; Dictionary of Architecture of the Architectural Publication Society, vol. vi. s.v.; Pennethorne and Public Improvements, a Retrospect, in the Mechanics' Magazine, vol. xcv. (new ser. vol. xxvi.), 7 and 14 Oct. 1871, pp. 272 and 285; T. M. Rickman on Metropolitan Improvements, Transactions R.I.B.A., 1858–9, pp. 71–4.]  PENNETHORNE, JOHN (1808–1888), architect and mathematician, son of Thomas Pennethorne and younger brother of Sir James Pennethorne [q. v.], was born at Worcester on 4 Jan. 1808. At an early age he entered the office of John Nash [q. v.] in London, and became the favourite pupil of his master. In 1830 he began a five years' tour of professional study in Europe and Egypt, visiting Paris, Milan, Florence, Venice, Rome, Athens, and Thebes. On his first visit to Athens in 1832 he observed the curvature of the horizontal lines of the Parthenon, and other deviations from recognised rules. While spending the winter of 1833 at Thebes he made careful studies of the mouldings and coloured decorations of the temples and tombs, and particularly of the curved lines of the great temple at Medinet Haboo. Returning to Athens in 1834, he renewed his study of the Parthenon, taking wax moulds of the mouldings and ornaments. He returned to England in 1835,