Dossier 1 - Lansdowne Walk Correspondence: purchase and insurance

Maggie Keswick Jencks, Charles Jencks’ wife and collaborator, was a Scottish writer, artist and garden designer. She collaborated on the design of The Cosmic House and helped shape the intellectual life that unfolded there until her untimely death in 1995 at the age of 54.

She was born on the 10th of October 1941, the only child of Sir John Keswick and Lady Clare Keswick. As Sir John was the head of the Asian conglomerate Jardine Matheson, Maggie was brought up travelling to China, Hong Kong and South-East Asia at a time when few foreigners visited. During her visits, she developed a love for Chinese culture, in particular the highly designed classical gardens of Suzhou and Hangzhou in Western China. Her book *The Chinese Garden* (first pub 1978) was one of the most respected books on these intensely designed gardens for many years, and the first book of its kind written in English. Maggie and Charles met when she studied at the Architectural Association where Charles was teaching, and they married in 1978. Maggie and Charles travelled extensively together and sometimes lectured in the same venue (she on Chinese Gardens, and he on Post Modernism). This is also the year they purchase the building that would become The Cosmic House. Maggie was particularly influential in the design of the garden, although she was involved in every decision about the design of the house. Maggie was influential in Charles’ ideas on Post-Modernism, being a demanding debate partner on cultural issues and a keen editor of his manuscripts. She had an excellent hand at drawing and painting and produced many beautiful sketchbooks.