Croft, Catherine F. A.2020-05-292020-05-291991http://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/27187This thesis analyzes British architectural criticism of the 1930s in both specialist and general-interest books and periodicals. It concentrates on the reactions to European modernism, noting that the evident split between modernists and traditionalists is symptomatic of a universal polarity of opinion during this decade. ☐ Both modernist and traditionalist critics reinforce their arguments through the deliberate exploitation of linguistic style, paralleling the stylistic diversity of built form. The humor of architectural criticism and its intended audience are examined. It is concluded that both traditionalists and, more surprisingly, modernists were writing for a middle-class intellectual elite. ☐ It is proposed that the discontinuity of architectural discourse caused by World War II allowed for a subsequent de-contextualized reading of 1930s criticism. Two myths were thus established--that modernism was understood and admired by the whole population during the 1930s, and that modernism was perceived as suitable for domestic buildings.Architectural criticism -- Great BritainInternational style (Architecture)Architecture, Modern -- 20th centuryThesis1155807267