Ethel Mary Charles was born into a wealthy English middle-class family in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, in 1871. Aged 20, in 1891, Charles moved to Oxford, England, with her sister Bessie Charles, to undertake a course in modern languages at Somerville College, Oxford. In 1892, Charles obtained an apprenticeship with the highly influential British architects Ernest George and Harold Peto, based in Mayfair, London. In 1898, Charles became the first woman to be made an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). In 1902, she campaigned against the discrimination of women in architectural institutions, seeking women's inclusion in the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA). Producing designs for Letchworth Garden City, Charles remained a pioneering figure and activist for future generations of women architects. Ethel Charles died in Haverthwaite, Cumbria, England in 1962.
Architect Ethel Mary Charles was born into a wealthy British upper-middle-class family in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, in 1871. Charles' early childhood was spent with her siblings amongst the elite 'expat’ community, living a privileged and segregated life. Her parents chose to homeschool Charles and her sister, Bessie, ensuring they received a British education. The British community had very little contact with the Indian population, remaining tightly knit within its elite circles. The local people remained at a distance, living under Imperial rules and laws of racial segregation set by the British colonial administration. Calcutta was a bustling city, typical of Indian cities during British colonial rule and was characterised by a 'high rate of segregation of its European and Indian residents (Robert Lewis and Richard Harris, 2013, p.2). In 1877, Charles' father relocated the family to Europe, settling in Cannes, France, from where they would travel throughout the continent, with family holidays spent in Rome, Italy, and in the Swiss Alps. Charles's secondary education continued with private tutors; however, she subsequently sought specialist training across the Channel in England.
In 1891, aged 20, Charles moved to Oxford, England, with her sister Bessie, to attend a year's course in modern languages at Somerville College, Oxford, until 1892. However, it was at this point that Charles began to focus on architectural design, having a talent for technical drawing and artistic creativity. In 1892, Charles obtained an apprenticeship with the highly influential firm of architects, Ernest George and Harold Peto, based in Mayfair, London, where she would develop her professional acumen. During this time, Charles attempted to enrol at the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) but faced overt discrimination as a woman (Walker, 1986, p.16). Charles would continue to gain qualifications independently through part-time study, including at the Bartlett School of Architecture (BSA) University of London, to maximise the impact of her portfolio before leaving George and Peto in 1895 (Walker, 1986, p.16). Charles was an exemplary student at BSA and subsequently secured an assistant position with the English architect, Walter Cave, a specialist in Arts and Crafts and Classical Revival designs, with whom Charles gained exposure to different forms of historical styles, including Greek and Roman, featuring columns and pillars, with heavy structural forms, derived from antiquity.
Charles remained steadfast in seeking recognition as a qualified architect. In 1898, after rigorous scrutiny of her technical ability and professional skills, and despite opposition to her membership from the male-dominated organisation, Charles passed the RIBA examination, securing an historic achievement as the first woman to be made an Associate. In 1902, Charles continued her campaign for women's inclusion in the AA, galvanising greater support against sex discrimination in the years that followed. In 1904 Charles' in-depth essay won her a Silver Medal from RIBA; this accolade reflected the changing times and recognised her intellectual and specialist knowledge, Nevertheless, it was not until 1917 that women were eventually admitted to the AA.
As a professional architect, however, Charles was unable to secure larger scale commissions, due to discrimination, and thus spent several years working on smaller projects. She was involved with the Garden City Movement, designing several workers' cottages for the original model at Letchworth Garden City; her orthographic projections from 1895, held by RIBA, demonstrate how the Old English style was gradually evolving towards an Arts and Crafts idiom (see Blue Willow Heritage). Constantly facing professional barriers, Charles lived a nomadic existence, moving between lodgings for single women in Marylebone, London, the family home in Camberley, Surrey, and Flushing, Cornwall. where she set up an architectural practise with her sister, and where the pair supported one another as equally talented architects. Notable works by the duo include a Bible Christian Chapel at Mylor Bridge, near Falmouth, Cornwall (1907).
In c.1918, after the First World War, Charles became a housekeeper for her brother, Ronald Charles, a former serving officer in the British military. Charles was no longer able or willing to continue working as an architect, perhaps financially dependent on her brother and facing societal stigma as an unmarried woman. Ethel Mary Charles died in Haverthwaite, Cumbria, England in 1962. Charles will be remembered as a pioneering female architect and activist who paved the way for future generations of women. In the UK public domain, Charles donated her portfolio of drawings and sketchbooks to RIBA archives. Her legacy remains celebrated locally and internationally.
Joy Onyejiako.
Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Ethel Charles]
Publications related to [Ethel Charles] in the Ben Uri Library