Cranborne Chase Pictures
Copyright Cranborne Chase Pictures 2005-2008©
Kit Nicholson
Kit Nicholson was born in 1904 in Hampstead, the son of two painters William Nicholson and Mabel Pryde, who nearly died in giving birth. He was too young to fight in the First World War.
He may have had early ambitions to be an artist - there is a letter from his father William to his elder brother Ben, saying - ‘please don’t encourage Kit to become a painter as I simply can’t afford him as well....’ (or words to that effect). However the drawings of Cumberland landscape by Kit that survive are highly accomplished.
In the event he decided to become an architect.
Perhaps influenced by his father’s friend Edwin Lutyens - whose architecture he greatly admired.
Kit set up in practice in London in 1931 taking on the young Hugh Casson as an assistant.
One of his most striking commissions was for a studio for Augustus John - one suspects that John wanted a ‘modern movement’ studio to show that he wasn’t an old fuddy-duddy.
He other great enthusiasm was for gliding. He held the British distance record for one single day (his friend Philip Wills flew further the next day!) In 1948 he was a member of the British Gliding team for the World Gliding championships which took place in Switzerland. Kit and another team member were killed in the Alps on the same day - he was only 43.