Pritchard, John Craven, 1899-1992

Jack Pritchard described himself as an entrepreneur, although he trained at Cambridge as an engineer and economist.

Born in Hampstead in 1899, he served as a midshipman in WWI. In 1924 he married Molly Cooke, who became a practicing psychiatrist. They had two sons born in 1926 and 1928. Jack also shared a daughter with Beatrix Tudor Hart.

In 1925 Jack joined the Venesta Plywood Company and in 1928 he designed, with E.A. Brown, a sideboard in Plymax. He became deeply involved in reforming the British furniture industry, in new design and architecture developing on the Continent, education, and much else. He commissioned Le Corbusier to design a stand for Venesta at the Building Trades Exhibition in September 1930. At around this time he met the engineer/architect Wells Coates and also made several trips abroad. As a result of these trips and the contacts he made, Jack was one of the most informed people on international style architecture and design. His introduction of Henry Morris to Walter Gropius lead to Gropius's involvement in the design of Impington Village College.

Pritchard was a leading member of the Design and Industries Association, and he was also involved with Political and Economic Planning. The Pritchard's set up two companies in the 1930s: Isokon Ltd which was the umbrella body for architectural ventures in London, Birmingham and Manchester and which included Wells Coates's Lawn Road Flats which was opened in 1934; and Isokon Furniture Company which manufactured furniture and household equipment.

During the war Pritchard worked for the Ministries of Information, Supply and Fuel and Power. From 1949 until his retirement in 1963, he directed the Furniture Development Council.

Published works: View from a Long chair: the memoirs of Jack Pritchard . 1984 . London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

From the guide to the The Pritchard Papers, 1829-1996 (predominantly 1925-1985), (University of East Anglia)