About George Aitchison
Lived 1825 – 1910 (aged 84). George Aitchison was a British architect, examiner, traveler, surveyor and lecturer.
George Aitchison Jr. RA (London 7 November 1825 – 16 May 1910) was a British architect and academic of "considerable reputation".
He was the son of architect, civil engineer, and surveyor George Aitchison (1792–1861), and educated at Merchant Taylors' School then University College London, obtaining a first class Bachelor of Arts degree (with honours in animal physiology) in 1850.
His best-known work is Leighton House in Kensington, described by architectural historian J. Mordaunt Crook as "one of the most innovative houses of the Victorian period", which he designed for his friend, the artist Frederic Leighton. This generated a number of commissions from well-heeled clients and "established him as a master of decoration and ornament". Moncure D. Conway considered the house of Frederick Lehman in Berkeley Square to be Aitchison's "chef-d'œuvre", noting that the rooms he completed "would fein see themselves hung upon the walls of the Royal Academy, and not merely the designs of some of them, which were, indeed exhibited there".
Aitchison became an associate member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1881 and a full member in 1898, and was Professor of Architecture there from 1887 to 1905. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1862, and after serving as its vice-president from 1889 to 1893, succeeded Francis Penrose as president from 1896 to 1899. He was awarded their Royal Gold Medal in 1898.
Publications
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
more
Jr. George AitchisonPeople in George Aitchison's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped George Aitchison's
Frequently asked questions
Who was George Aitchison?
British architect (1825-1910)
When was George Aitchison born?
George Aitchison was born on 7 November 1825 in London.
When did George Aitchison die?
George Aitchison died on 16 May 1910 in London, Harley Street.
What was George Aitchison's occupation?
George Aitchison was an architect, examiner, traveler, surveyor and lecturer.
What nationality was George Aitchison?
George Aitchison was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). George Aitchison. https://biography.guide/george-aitchison-architect/
MLA: "George Aitchison." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/george-aitchison-architect/.
Chicago: "George Aitchison." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/george-aitchison-architect/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:21 UTC