Leonard Rome Guthrie was born at at 595 Suachiehall Street, Glasgow, Scotland on 8 October 1880 and was articled to William Lieper (1839-1916) in Glasgow from 1895 to 1900. He also attended Glasgow School of Art and was awarded the Thomson Studentship in 1899, and the Owen Jones Studentship in 1902.
From 1901 to 1907 Guthrie was employed as chief draughtsman by William Flockhart (1854-1913) in London. After leaving Flockhart he remained in London and set up his own architectural practice at 3 Gray's Inn Square. In 1909 he qualified as an architect and in c.1912-13 was briefly in partnership with Flockhart as Flockhart & Guthrie. In 1913 Guthrie was appointed architect to the Royal Institution.
In 1925, Guthrie joined the London practice of Edmund Walter Wimperis (1865-1946) and William Begg Simpson (1880-1949) to form the partnership Wimperis, Simpson & Guthrie. Following the death of Wimperies in 1946, the practice was continued by Simpson and Guthrie. Simpson retired in 1951, and Guthrie in 1953.
Guthrie was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1910 and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1925. He became a member of the Art Workers Guild in 1925.
He exhibited a sketch for a stained glass window in the 6th exhibition of the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society in London in 1899. He also exhibited at the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts from 1899 to 1905; the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh in 1899; Royal Academy in London from 1909 to 1934; and at Baillie Gallery in London.
His address was given as The Croft, Hairmyres, Lanarkshire in 1899; 385 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow in 1900; The Croft, Hairmyres, Lanarkshire in 1901; 80 Arthur Street, London in 1905; 13 John Street, Adelphi, London in 1911; 10 Conduit Street, London in 1914 and 1915; 37 Bruton Street, London in 1923; and 61 South Molton Street, London in 1934. He died in Blyth, Suffolk in April 1958
Gardens at Chelwood Vetchery, for Sir Stuart M. Samuel. (1907); gardens, etc., at South Stoneham House, Hampshire, for Lord Swaythling (1907); Piper's Corner, Hughenden, High Wycombe, for Hermann Landau, Esq. (1909); Townhill Park House, Southampton (1912); Mill House. Fittleworth, for Sir Frederick Mirrielees (1913); Townhill Park, Hampshire, for Lord Swaythling (1910-22); additions to Corrybrough, Tomatin (1914); alterations, etc., to 24, Queen Anne's Gate, London (1912) for E. S. Montage, M.P.; additions to Boldre Bridge House, Hampshire, for W. Frank Perkins M.P. (1920); Grosvenor House, Park Lane London (1926-31); The University of London Observatory at Mill Hill, London; Winfield House, the official residence of the U.S. Ambassador, in Regent's Park, London (1936); Brook House, Brook Street, London (1939); and several transmitter building for the British Broadcasting Corporation (1930s)
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
Hussey, Christopher. ‘Brook House, Brook Street’. Country Life vol. 85, 24 June 1939 June pp. 682-686.
Marriott, Charles. Modern English Architecture. London: Chapman & Hall, 1924
‘Obituary’. Builder vol. 194, no. 18 April 1958, pp. 722
Who’s Who in Architecture 1923. Edited by Frederick Chatterton. London: The Architectural Press, 1923