Basic Biographical Details Name: | Victor Daniel Horsburgh | Designation: | | Born: | 1866 | Died: | 12 September 1947 | Bio Notes: | Victor Daniel Horsburgh was born in Edinburgh in 1866, the son of John Horsburgh, artist, but whether his father was the etcher, then aged seventy-six ot the studio photographer who produced portraits in oil on a photographic base from 131 Princes Street has yet to be established. He was articled to Robert Rowand Anderson from 1883 to 1888 (initially in the firm of Wardrop, Anderson & Browne and then of Wardrop & Anderson), remaining as assistant for a further six years after completing his apprenticeship to work on the McEwan Hall at Edinburgh University. Between 1885 and 1890 he spent several months studying medieval and Renaissance buildings in Scotland, and in 1893 he made a three-month study in the South Kensington Museum. In 1894, the year in which he left Anderson's office, he made an exhaustive study of old buildings in Cambridge. In March that year he passed the qualifying exam, and that summer he settled in London where he joined George Lethbridge as chief assistant.
He was admitted ARIBA on 2 March 1896, his proposers being Sir William Emerson, Allan Graham and John Slater, all Londoners with whom he had no known connection. He returned to Edinburgh to commence practice on his own account later that year, and attempted to establish a reputation in open competitions. He shared an office at 63 Frederick Street and then at 23 Rutland Square with Francis William Deas but had very few clients. He was a brilliant draughtsman and made a living chiefly from work farmed out to him by Deas and Lorimer. He won the RIBA Silver Medal essay prize at the late age of forty-one in 1907, perhaps as part of building up a CV for a salaried post.
In 1910 he moved to Toronto and was appointed architect to the Dominion Realty Company Ltd, a subsidiary of the Canadian Bank of Commerce and over the ensuing years he designed numerous branch offices for the company. He was admitted FRIBA on 2 December 1912, his proposers being Thomas Tolmie Paterson, also from Anderson's office, Deas and Hipployte Jean Blanc for whom he had probably also undertaken work at peak periods.
Horsburgh retired to Victoria in 1933 and was briefly in private practice there. He died on 12 September 1947. For the last two years of his life he was cared for by his niece. He was remembered as a 'kindly, courteous and scholarly gentlemen'. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 47, Bernard Street, London WC, England | Private | 1895 * | | | | 63, Frederick Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1899 | c. 1902 | Shared with Francis William Deas | | 23, Rutland Square, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1903 | c. 1909 | Shared with Francis William Deas | | 37, Frederick Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1903 | c. 1909 | | | 21, King Street West, Toronto, Canada | Business | 1912 * | | | | 31, St George Mansion, Toronto, Canada | Private | 1912 * | | | | 11, Jordan Street, Toronto, Canada | Business | 1930 or 1931 * | | | | 31, Colin Avenue, Toronto, Canada | Business | 1933 * | 1939 or 1940(?) | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | David Smith | 1900 | Late 1900 | Draughtsman | |
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA Proposals
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Post Office Directories | | | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 3 October 1947 | | | Obituary | | Journal of the Royal Architectural Inst of Canada | 1947 | v24 | | p447 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A v13 p100 (microfiche 62/C7); F v21 no1473 (microfilm reel 13) |
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