Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates/Frank Matcham/archive1

TFA blurb review

Frank Matcham (1854–1920) was an English theatre architect and designer. During his 40-year career, he was responsible for the design and construction of over 90 theatres and the redesign and refurbishment of a further 80 throughout the United Kingdom. Matcham was best known for his work in London, under Moss Empires, which included the designs of the Hippodrome (1900), Hackney Empire (1901), London Coliseum (1903), London Palladium (1910), and Victoria Palace (1911). According to the dramatist Alan Bennett, there was a Matcham theatre in every corner of the UK. Matcham's use of cantilevers for the galleries allowed him to discontinue the use of columns, which would otherwise obstruct the audience's view of the stage. The auditorium decorations were often mixed with Tudor strap-work, Louis XIV detail, Anglo-Indian motifs, naval and military insignia, rococo panels, classical statuary, and baroque columns. (Full article...)

Just a suggested blurb ... thoughts and edits are welcome. - Dank (push to talk) 15:21, 21 July 2019 (UTC)

Addressed comments moved from main page

Addressed comments from Iridescent

• in the 1880s when he was employed to design and refurbish theatres belonging to the Revill family who owned many of the Victorian theatres throughout the United Kingdom—does this specifically mean that the Revills only owned theatres built in Victoria's reign (e.g. since the 1830s)? Obviously, every theatre in the UK in the 1880s was technically a Victorian theatre otherwise.
  • Changed "Victorian to "at that time". Cassianto^Talk 13:43, 13 June 2019 (UTC)
• manager of a Brewery and a Malthouse—I've not fixed this in case they're a proper name, but I assume they should be in lower case.
  • Fixed. Cassianto^Talk 21:45, 12 June 2019 (UTC)
• in nearby Babbacombe—Babbacombe nowadays is a district of Torquay; was it a separate town then?
  • Clarified. Cassianto^Talk 21:45, 12 June 2019 (UTC)
• introduced him to calculations, something which he was unlikely to have been taught at school seems a bit odd to me. Obviously go with what the source says, but surely even the most basic education would cover arithmetic?
  • I've added "complex" here as I think that is more accurate. Architecture requires more than basic arithmetic and you're right, he would've been taught this at school. Cassianto^Talk 21:45, 12 June 2019 (UTC)
• The success of the Paragon allowed Matcham to open up his own office in Belfast in 1884 and Outside of London, and prior to 1886, Matcham had had only two designs commissioned … both in Glasgow don't seem to tally—if his only work was in London and Scotland, why did he open an office in Ireland? None of the buildings mentioned in the following sections appear to have been in or near Belfast, either.
  • Still to do. I will have to wait for the books. Cassianto^Talk 13:46, 13 June 2019 (UTC)
• The Legacy section should probably give some indication of how many of his theatres survive.
  • 35 was my count, taken from a book I no longer have. It was £3 on Amazon to re-buy, which I've done. I will add the page number when it arrives. Cassianto^Talk 22:14, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

These are all quibbles, and nothing I'd oppose over; I assume the relative scarcity of information about his personal life reflects its absence from the sources rather than any omission. The one thing I would suggest is to put a couple of photographs of his surviving theatres in, as at the moment there's only the rather gloomy County Arcade which doesn't really give a feeling for what his designs looked like. (I'd strongly suggest the interior of the Tower Ballroom; thanks to Strictly being filmed there it's by far the best known of his designs.) ‑ Iridescent 16:42, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

Thanks Iri. Indeed, information on his life outside his theatres is pretty scant. I've tried everything; books, online, and Frank's legion of loyal followers over at the Matcham Society, but they have all only been able to provide me with what we have here. I am in the process of adding some more images and have already added back his ballroom in Blackpool, which I temporarily deleted until I could find somewhere more suitable for it. The County Arcade is gorgeous in the flesh, trust me, but I would agree, the picture doesn't do it justice. The councils in the UK don't seem to like Frank very much: they have destroyed most of his plans held in county records, have approved the demolition of nearly all of his theatres, and to add insult to injury, built the bloody eyesore that is the Cliffs Pavilion right opposite his house in Southend (the house in white, to the right, in the Cliff's lead image photo). Quibbles will be dealt with imminently, thank you very much for the taking the time to look at this, and the support. Images have since been expanded on. Cassianto^Talk 19:22, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

Comments from Gerda Arendt

If this was "my" article it would have an infobox, but it isn't. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 22:59, 12 June 2019 (UTC)

It's nice to see it’s a subject you still don’t talk about. - SchroCat (talk) 06:44, 13 June 2019 (UTC)

"lol"  :) ——SerialNumber54129 12:44, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

Thank you for your comments at the PR and your support here. Cassianto^Talk 14:07, 13 June 2019 (UTC)

Thank you for a comment that has to do with this article. I talk about infoboxes as I talk about images, - just not where I think to cause stress. I remember that you even asked me about an infobox for an architect. Right? - I will look eventually, but sit at an airport. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 14:38, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

Are you talking to me? Please keep infobox nonsense off this page, Gerda, I'm trying to get this through FAC. If it matters to you that much, take it to the talk page, but I would request that you didn't. Cassianto^Talk 15:06, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

I supported as it is, and thanked you for a comment. My memory can be bad. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 22:04, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

Thank you for the expansion, I support that as well. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 22:07, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

Addressed comments from Tim Riley

Just bagging a place in the queue. I'll need a good, slow scrutiny of this, and will be back with comments a.s.a.p.– Tim riley talk 19:08, 13 June 2019 (UTC)

First batch of comments, down to the end of "Work under the Revills". I have a horrid feeling I may have missed some or all of these points at PR, and my apologies for bringing them up now rather than then.

• "the eldest son to Charles Matcham" – slightly unexpected pronoun. One might expect "of".
• "tight schedules imposed by strict customers" – "strict" seems an odd word here. I wonder if "demanding" would do the job better? Just a thought.
• "a normal sized theatre" – I'd hyphenate "normal-sized", though don't take me for any sort of authority on hyphenation.
• "it was not uncommon for an amateur architect to take up to six years to become qualified" – I touched on this at the PR, and the present version strikes me as better, but I still wonder about "amateur". Perhaps "aspiring" or even no adjective at all – just "it was not uncommon for an architect to take...."?
• "The theatrical author Görel Garlick estimated" – you generally use the present tense when you quote writers (as do most of us, I think) and I'd make this "estimates"
• "The Grand was an important project for Matcham as it was the first to be designed using unobstructed sight lines to the stage..." – I don't think this quite works. Perhaps something on the lines of " The Grand was an important project for Matcham: it was the first to be designed using unobstructed sight lines to the stage and was notable for its holding capacity, and prompt construction, something for which he latterly became known in architectural circles.'
• "Matcham's improvement on sight lines" – "of" rather than "on"?
• "The Paragon in Mile End, East London, in 1882, was to be Matcham's next major project." – You might lose "to be" – doesn't seem to add anything.
• "a great emphasis towards the ventilation system" – "on" rather than "towards"?
• "The finished structure was considered to be "state of the art" by the town's magistrates" – I see why you've put "state of the art" in quotes, but it does rather give the impression here that you're quoting the magistrates, which I'm sure you aren't. I think I'd chance it and leave the quotation marks out.
• "Matcham received instruction in 1888" – might be clearer as "... was commissioned in 1888"
• "received another instruction from Elliston" – does one "instruct" architects? I know one instructs lawyers, but I don't recall seing the term applied to architects. But if it's customary, then fine.
• "the large numbers of people who perished – "died"?

Here endeth the first round. More to come. – Tim riley talk 08:29, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

All fixed, thanks very much. Cassianto^Talk 08:48, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

Good grief! You don't let the grass grow under your feet! I'll be back with batch two later today I hope. Tim riley talk 08:49, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

Concluding batch:

• "or it's possible" – MOS:N'T
• "1886, after which time" – you could lose the "time" perhaps.
• "Matcham employed, he worked" – stronger stop than a comma wanted here. (I'd make it a semicolon, but my addiction to them is notorious and I don't want to be had up for pushing Class A punctuation under the Misuse of Stops Act, 1971.)
• "Certainly by 1880" – wouldn't hurt to lose "certainly"" – a touch of WP:EDIT about it I think.
• "aging halls" – "aging" is not wrong according to the OED, but it is more AmE than the usual BrE "ageing". (Our spelling is wholly illogical, but when is it anything else?)
• Moss Empires and Oswald Stoll section – you and I have discussed this IRL off Wiki, and I expressed the view, which I repeat here, that although this section is fine as it stands it would nevertheless add to the excellence of the article if it were expanded. I have clocked the draft in your sandbox and at 500 or so words it seems pretty much ideal to me, filling out to just the right degree this key aspect of Matcham's work. If you decide to add it, you might let the three editors above know that you have made such a substantial addition after they supported.
  • Since expanded. Iridescent, SchroCat, Gerda Arendt, please check and confirm if you're happy with this expansion. What I have added can be found here in a more concise form. Cassianto^Talk 14:15, 14 June 2019 (UTC)
• "Blackpool Tower Company, a London-based Standard Contract & Debenture Corporation" – does it add anything to know that it was London-based?
• "decoration for the ballroom which formed part" – I'd put a comma after "ballroom"
• "which are a number of shops and offices made within County Arcade development" – reads rather strangely. I think perhaps something on the lines of "which consist of shops and offices within the County Arcade development"?
• "Together with a small amount of public houses" – "a few"?
• "Matcham's only other non-theatrical commissions include..." – I don't think you can have it both ways here: either his only other commissions were x, y and z (i.e. all of them) or else drop the "only" and leave "include". [Afterthought: another way might be to say "M's few other non-theatrical commissions include..."]
• "however, Matcham's biographer, Brian Mercer Walker, listed the architect ahead of Matcham's contemporaries..." – it wouldn't hurt to lose the "however", and I think the sentence would flow better as "Matcham's biographer Brian Mercer Walker lists him ahead of his contemporaries..." N.b. that you ought to lose the commas round BMW's name: without them he is one of any number of biographers; with them, he is the only one, which he ain't. (It's the restrictive/non-restrictive thing: my brother, Tom, is here – he is my only brother; my brother Tom is here – my other brothers aren't.)
• "Bertie Crewe and W.G.R. Sprague had started to make a name for themselves" – would it be intolerably pedantic of me to suggest that they made a name apiece: "...make names for themselves"?
• Note 5: I'd hyphenate "purpose built".

Sorry, just another quibblette: "The stage also featured a revolving stage, revolutionary for its time" – a revolving stage is ipso facto revolutionary. Perhaps something on the lines of "The theatre featured a revolving stage, the first of its kind in London..." Tim riley talk 17:57, 21 June 2019 (UTC)

Got that, Tim, thanks. Now changed. Cassianto^Talk 18:34, 21 June 2019 (UTC)

That's all from me. I'll be supporting but will wait till you decided how to proceed with the expanded Moss and Stoll section before I sign on the dotted line. – Tim riley talk 12:55, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

• Now amended. Thanks very much for taking the time to review this Tim, much appreciated. Cassianto^Talk 15:02, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

Addressed comments from KJP1

Marker from me also. Will comment this weekend. KJP1 (talk) 07:22, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

One immediate, minor thought. The lead opening calls him an "English theatrical architect and designer". Should this be a "theatre architect", rather than a "theatrical" one? Tim will know. KJP1 (talk) 07:34, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

Ha, thanks, now amended. Cassianto^Talk 08:22, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

"Theatrical architect" seemed OK to me (though so, I hasten to add, does "theatre architect"). Possibly a generational thing. Adjectival job-titles were more the thing when I was young, e.g. "musical director", which is now almost always "music director". Tim riley talk 08:48, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

They both seem ok to me too, but actually saying them makes "theatre architect" seem the more correct of the two. Cassianto^Talk 08:56, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

Personally, I prefer "theatre architect". I think the Blessed One could rightly be termed a "theatrical architect" - Lady Bute's bedroom at Castell Coch has been described as looking like a scene from an Aladdin pantomime! - but theatres were one of the few architectural types he didn't try. KJP1 (talk) 21:10, 14 June 2019 (UTC)

I see the plaque at the London Coliseum calls him a "theatre architect". KJP1 (talk) 10:11, 20 June 2019 (UTC)

Already adjusted. Cassianto^Talk 22:45, 21 June 2019 (UTC)

Sorry - this is going to come in dribs and drabs.

Lead

• "and the redesigns and refurbishments of a further 80" - should these be singular, "redesign and refurbishment"?
• "the architect's personal archives that the he was "a man of remarkable vigour..." - stray "the".

Early life

• "Matcham was born in Newton Abbot, Devon, in 1854" - give the birth date for completeness?

Entry into the family business

• The title threw me a little. It wasn't his family's business, but rather his wife's. Perhaps, "Entry into the Robinson family business"?
• "because of them, the Elephant and Castle Theatre project had to be increased by six months" - "extended"?
• "for the audience to view the entertainment more freely" - wasn't quite sure what was meant here. "for the audience to gain/have better views of the entertainment"?

Work under the Revills

• "The Royalty took just four weeks to complete and was largely inexpensive" - "largely inexpensive" reads a little oddly to me. "Relatively inexpensive", "comparatively cheap"?
• "two things that helped enhance his reputation"- "factors"?
• "According to the biographer Michael Sell, Matcham's relationship with Elliston" - should this be "Revill", Elliston being the focus of the paragraph above?
  • No, it's certainly Elliston...William J Revill is mentioned in the above paragraph, towards the end.

Moss Empires and Oswald Stoll

• The first two para.s are duplicate, I think a cut-paste error.
  • I think I caught this yesterday.
• "Matcham rushed together a secondary, more cheaper design of the Empire's façade" - don't think the "more" is necessary.

Other works

• "and included the building of a number of shopping arcades to accompany the existing Thorntons Arcade, which was completed in 1878" - perhaps, "which included the building of a number of shopping arcades to accompany the existing Thorntons Arcade, completed in 1878"?
• "At the same time to his work with the County Arcade, he designed the Empire Palace, for Moss, which was located further down Briggate,[72] and 49–51 Vicar Lane; 2–24 King Edward Street and 115–120, Brigatte, which consist of shops and offices" - perhaps, "At the same time as his work on the County Arcade, he designed the Empire Palace, for Moss, which was located further down Briggate, and 49–51 Vicar Lane; 2–24 King Edward Street and 115–120, Brigatte, which consisted of shops and offices"?
• "Either way, Mercer Walker considered the project to be completely out of character for Matcham who had previously displayed such energy and enthusiasm for all his designs" - Not quite getting this. It seems to be implying that his characteristic energy and enthusiasm was absent from the Leeds designs, but the text above doesn't seem to say this. Is something missing?

• I don't think it was a secret that MW was more of a fan of Matcham's theatres than he was of his random wanders into civvy street. I happen to disagree, of course. Cassianto^Talk 22:22, 21 June 2019 (UTC)

Retirement and death

• "Matcham was also working alongside Crewe" - have we met Crewe previously? If so, I've forgotten where.
• "Chancellor retired and moved to the English countryside" - is "English" necessary?
• "Briggs held the business in a dormant state until after the war when the business was sold to a property agency in Covent Garden" - replace the second "business" with "it" to avoid duplication?

Legacy

• "and has been open to much speculation" - "and has been the subject of much speculation"?
• "and the remodelling and restorations of 58 others" - superfluous "s"?
• "From the start of the 1900s Bertie Crewe" - here we meet Crewe again, with a link (see above). Should he be introduced, and linked, earlier?
• "he describes the former as being more suave compared to Matcham" - this reads a little oddly to me. "suaver/more sophisticated than Matcham"?
• "a blue plaque at the site of his London home, 10 Haslemere Road, Hornsey" - in the para. above, Matcham's doing am dram at his London home in Dollis Avenue. Was Hornsey his last London home, or the London home in which he resided the longest?

• To confirm either would be speculative with sources giving no indication as to the longevity of his stay in either house. I've adjusted it slightly to take out the insinuation that this was their only London home. Cassianto^Talk 22:43, 21 June 2019 (UTC)

Notes

• -Note 1 "Charles's desire to capitalise from the increase in tourism" - "capitalise on" or "benefit from"?
• -Note 2 - "The Bridgemans were also neighbours to the Matcham's in Union Street, Torquay" - don't think the apostrophe is needed?
• -Note 9 - "In Victorian England, theatrical architects were not taken seriously in architectural circles and were often looked upon as being the lesser of a kind" - Not quite getting "the lesser of a kind". Perhaps, "theatre architects were not taken seriously in architectural circles and were often looked upon as being of inferior status"?

• KJP1, all carried out, unless where I've replied. Thank you for the quotes; The Everyman quote from Pevsner I've not incorporated as that was for something else. The ones I've crossed out have been included. Please check to confirm if you're happy with this. Thanks again for a great set of comments. Cassianto^Talk 21:28, 23 June 2019 (UTC)

Pevsner - some possibly useful gleanings

Work under the Revills

• Kings Theatre, Southsea - "In Albert Road, the splendid King's Theatre of 1906-7 by Frank Matcham, restored in 2007-9 by Tim Ronald Architects. Prominent hexagonal tower with Ionic columns and lion finials around a broad spire-like top crowned by a cupola with a replica statue of Aurora. (sounds like a wedding cake!) The interior is charming and richly detailed, making full use of the tight space. Plaster figures and mouldings in Matcham's full-blown Baroque." {O'Brien/Bailey/Lloyd/Pevsner, Hampshire: South, 2018, Yale, pp=531-532}

Matcham & Co.

• Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham - "the Everyman Theatre of 1891 by the theatre specialist Frank Matcham. Its brick façade was mostly rebuilt c. 1986 but the splendidly sugary Rococo interior, with two slightly curved galleries, is unaltered, probably the earliest by Matcham to survive complete". {Verey/Brooks, Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and the Forest of Dean, 2002, Yale, p=264}

Moss Empires and Oswald Stoll

• London Coliseum - Appreciate you may think it's too much but Pevsner has some good stuff: the colossal cost, £250,000, "box-to-box telephones" and "changing rooms so that evening dress could be donned 'on site'". {Bradley/Pevsner, London 6: Westminster, 2003, Yale, p=386}
• Hackney Empire - ditto the "splendidly confident" Hackney Empire, "among the best-surviving Edwardian variety theatres". {Cherry/Pevsner, London 4: North, 2002, Yale, p=496}

Other works

• Tower Circus - "When it opened it was the largest and most elaborate theatre of its type in England, providing a permanent setting for a circus not available in any other resort."
• Tower Ballroom - "What a room. The palette is rich cream, gold and brown. The proscenium is framed by glorious turret-like boxes topped with onion domes, while the top is crowned by enormous figures representing the Three Graces. The Wurlitzer organ faces a backdrop of a romantic seaside scene (wholly unlike Blackpool)." Both - {Hartwell/Pevsner, Lancashire: North, 2009, p=143} This one might make rather a good quote box? KJP1 (talk) 17:09, 21 June 2019 (UTC)

Done, thanks. Cassianto^Talk 20:58, 23 June 2019 (UTC)

Any others you'd particularly like me to check out? KJP1 (talk) 08:59, 21 June 2019 (UTC)

Some other critics

• "The most consistent and prolific architect of the later music halls was Frank Matcham. His buildings, mostly in the provinces and the suburbs of London, equal or exceed in splendour the metropolitan theatres and opera houses." {Roger Dixon/Stefan Muthesius, Victorian Architecture, 1985, Thames and Hudson, p=93}
• "The extraordinary concoctions of Frank Matcham such as the Belfast Grand Opera House of 1895 and the Empire at Hackney of 1900, both weirdly festive in a somewhat vulgarly overblown manner that incorporates debased motifs from many sources." {James Stevens Curl, Victorian Architecture, David & Charles, 1990, p=254}
• "With his two pupils, W. G. R. Sprague and Bertie Crewe, Matcham was the most successful of the late Victorian and Edwardian Theatre architects". {Alastair Service, Edwardian Architecture, Thames and Hudson, 1977, p=205}

Sources

• Matcham's Revills by Michael Sell - just a thought, and MoS is not my forte, but any reason why this isn't listed in the Sources?

• It's kind of a book within a book - a huge chapter and one not by Wilmore, hence the combined credit. Cassianto^Talk 21:24, 23 June 2019 (UTC)

• Cassianto - Apologies for the delay, days were busier than I'd hoped,although the punting brought back great memories. Very pleased to add my Support; a fine article on a significant architect, even if his output is a little gaudy for my refined palate! And good to seeing you editing again, although you've returned at a rather tempestuous time for the 'Pedia. KJP1 (talk) 19:10, 26 June 2019 (UTC)

Refs Cassianto - I'm afraid I've used sfn for so long, I've forgotten how to do it any other way. I've therefore listed them as I'd put them, and hopefully it'll be a fairly easy job to refactor them to match your approach. Didn't know whether you'll need the "Other critics", but I've given them anyway. Give me a shout if there are issues. KJP1 (talk) 08:24, 22 June 2019 (UTC)

• Bradley, Simon; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2003). London 6: Westminster. The Buildings Of England. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-09595-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Cherry, Bridget; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2002). London 4: North. The Buildings Of England. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-09653-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Curl, James Stevens (1990). Victorian Architecture. Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-715-39144-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Dixon, Roger; Muthesius, Stefan (1985). Victorian Architecture. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-20160-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Hartwell, Clare; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2009). Lancashire: North. The Buildings Of England. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-12667-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• O'Brien, Charles; Bailey, Bruce; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Lloyd, David W. (2018). Hampshire: South. The Buildings Of England. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-22503-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Service, Alastair (1977). Edwardian Architecture. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-20155-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Verey, David; Brooks, Alan (2002). Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and the Forest of Dean. The Buildings Of England. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-09733-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)

Addressed comments from RL0919

Thought I should give this a look since it relates to theatre. Generally it looks quite good, but I have some notes for minor improvements.

Descriptions of "theatrical" individuals – seeing the discussion earlier about changing "theatrical architect" to "theatre architect" caused me to notice various other uses of "theatrical", which in turn led me to question some of the uses:

• Note 3: "Robinson was one of the leading theatrical architects" – should probably be "theatre architect" to match Matcham
• Early life: "theatrical author Görel Garlick" – I think she could be more precisely described as a "theatre historian"
• Moss Empires and Oswald Stoll: "the theatrical author, Brian Walker," and later "theatrical historian Brian Mercer Walker" – aside from his book on Matcham, Walker has no particular specialization in theatre or architecture; I would say "historian" or "Irish historian" if he needs to be described here at all, since he's already called "Matcham's biographer" in the lead – also, the first mention doesn't need the commas and the second mention doesn't need the full name, and for the references, I believe his last name is "Walker" not "Mercer Walker"
• Legacy: "theatrical author Victor Glasstone" – Glasstone was a practicing architect who also wrote about architecture; "architect" or "architectural author" would be more apt

Lead:

• In the list of theatres in the first paragraph, the year of each is in parentheses, except the last one. Is there a reason for the variation?
• "Matcham formed his own practice, Matcham & Co. in the 1880s" – unless I've forgotten some special rule for appositives that contain other punctuation, there should be a comma after "Co."
• "theatres throughout the United Kingdom" – the full name of the country and the "UK" abbreviation have been used previously; would think it should consistently be "UK" thereafter – neither one appears frequently, but it goes back and forth throughout the article

Early life:

• "had come to hear of the architect" – "had heard of the architect" seems sufficient
• "to design a new theatre on some land that he had purchased" – could be shortened to "to design a new theatre on land he had purchased"
• "the unusual feature of its own retiring rooms" – "retiring room" has had a few different meanings, from ranging from a sleeping room to a lounge to (euphemistically) a toilet – if it is clear from the source, it might be good to specify since it is called out as an unusual feature

Theatre boom years:

• 'called the Empire's interior "the most perfect Matcham interior in Greater London' – the close quote seems to be missing
• "Matcham was concerned that the vast size would cause a reduction in sound quality and accordingly gave particular attention to the theatre's acoustics and sight lines." I'm not sure I follow the relationship between sound quality and sight lines. Did he fear a reduction in visibility as well?
  • Please check. Cassianto^Talk 15:51, 7 July 2019 (UTC)

Other works:

• "According to Brian Mercer Walker, Matcham's biographer" – this is the fourth mention of Walker in the article and the third in the space of six paragraphs, so just "According to Walker" is probably sufficient; and just "Walker" later, not "Mercer Walker".
• "Matcham designed his, the Cross and County Arcades, for the Leeds Estate Company, between 1898 and 1900, at the northernmost part of the street." I think one or both of the latter two commas could be dropped. Or if you dropped the word "his" you could omit the first two commas.
• Note 12: "The works have since been converted into flats, but the facade remains to the original designs." The phrasing "remains to" seems odd to me here; I would think "remains from" (unless this is a Britishism that I've not encountered before).

Personal life:

• "The author Brian Marcer Walker notes, from Matcham's personal archives, that..." Aside from having the full name and description for Walker again, the quote following seems more like an analytical conclusion than something he could just "note". Perhaps it should be introduced more like this: "From a review of Matcham's personal archives, Walker concludes that ..."

Legacy:

• I would expect Legacy is its own section rather than a subsection of Biography.
• "According to the author and historians, Roger Dixon and Stefan Muthesius," – the mix of singular and plural here confuses me

I'm about halfway through but wanted to save my notes before I get caught up in other activities. I made a couple of very minor changes myself; as always with such things, please undo me if one of those seems wrong. --RL0919 (talk) 16:16, 4 July 2019 (UTC) Had a bit more time, so I was able to finish my notes. --RL0919 (talk) 17:28, 4 July 2019 (UTC)

• Thanks for this, RL0919, and sorry for the delay. I will get these comments addressed in the next couple of days as RL has suddenly gone mad. Many thanks. Cassianto^Talk 19:29, 6 July 2019 (UTC)

• RL0919, your comments have been addressed. Thank you so much for taking the time to give this review, and for your adjustments, all of which I agree with. I very much appreciate it. Cassianto^Talk 17:32, 7 July 2019 (UTC)

I believe there is one noteworthy unaddressed item: the references to Brian Mercer Walker as "Mercer Walker" should just be "Walker". "Mercer" is a middle name, not part of his last name. (See how he is named for the publications listed here for example.) That's not something I would consider a fatal deficiency, so I am still willing to support based on the changes already made, but it really should be fixed. --RL0919 (talk) 01:03, 9 July 2019 (UTC)

• • RL0919, sorry, I must've missed this one. This is now done. Thanks again. Cassianto^Talk 07:56, 9 July 2019 (UTC)