Jack Pritchard

John Craven (Jack) Pritchard (Hampstead, London, 8 June 1899 – Blythburgh, Suffolk, 27 April 1992) was a British furniture designer, who was very influential between the First and Second World Wars. His work is exhibited in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of London.

Life

In 1924 he married Rosemary (Molly) Cooke born 1900 - died 1985; they had two sons Jonathan and Jeremy born in 1926 and 1928. Jack also had a daughter Jennifer with Beatrix Tudor Hart.

His daughter Jennifer and her husband Colin Jones designed Jack and Molly’s house “Isokon” in Dunwich Road, Blythburgh, although it was controversially called 8 Angel Lane, where they moved to in retirement after living for many years in his famous Lawn Road Flats.

Designs

The house was named after Isokon Jack’s business established in London, 1931 where he worked with some of the finest furniture designs. His most famous products being the Long Chair designed by Marcel Breuer, 1936 and the Penguin Donkey designed for Pritchard's friend Allen Lane by Egon Riss, 1939 both of which are still in production and made using shaped multi-ply (plywood) construction.

References

*Grieve, Alastair. 2004. "Isokon: For Ease, For Ever." London: Isokon Plus. ISBN 0-9548676-0-2
* [http://www.lib.uea.ac.uk/lib/libinf/find/archives/pritchard/ppframe.htm Jack Pritchard] — The Pritchard Papers, UEA Norwich
* [http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/jun03.shtml John Craven Pritchard (Jack)] — Archives Hub
* [http://www.blythweb.co.uk/blythburgh/isokon.htm Isokon at Blythburgh] — Alan Mackley
* [http://www.isokonplus.com Isokon Designers] — Isokon Plus