Shoosmith, Arthur

Arthur Gordon Shoosmith (1888-1974), an English architect who worked in India, was born in St. Petersburg in 1888.

He grew up in Russia and Finland and was educated in England at Haileybury. He served his articles in Reading, and then attended the Royal Academy Schools in 1911. After serving in the war as an interpreter for the Intelligence Corps, he worked for the architectural practices of H.S. Gooodhart-Rendel, and J.J. Burnet. In 1920 he won the Soane Medallion and was appointed as Edwin Lutyens's representative in New Delhi, where he worked from 1920-1931. He was nominated by Lutyens for the commission of the design of St. Martin's Garrison Church in New Delhi (1928-1930), and his other major work is the Lady Hardinge Serai in New Delhi (1931). Shoosmith returned to England in 1931, where he made a career of teaching and as an inspector with the Ministry of Town and Country Planning. He retired in 1957, and died in 1974. Source: Davies, Philip: "Shoosmith, Arthur (Gordon)", The Grove Dictionary of Art Online.