Born: 5 November 1864, United Kingdom
Died: 7 January 1933
Country most active: United Kingdom
Also known as: Margaret Macdonald
The following is excerpted from Infinite Women creator Allison Tyra’s book Uncredited: Women’s Overlooked, Misattributed, and Stolen Work.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh has been called Scotland’s most famous architect, while his wife, artist Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh, has been relegated to the role of supportive spouse by art historians. Yet even Charles acknowledged that he owed Margaret much of his professional success as a partner and collaborator, telling her in 1927 that, “You must remember that in all my architectural efforts you have been half if not three-quarters of them.” He also asserted that while he had “talent,” she had “genius.” As the BBC notes, “Margaret’s influence on Charles’s life and work would prove to be one of the greatest partnerships in art history.” Although they jointly won awards for their work during their lives, her 1933 death (five years after his) barely made the news, and her contributions have been significantly downplayed in the decades since.