© All rights reserved. Bookplate of Alexander McInnes Gardner (Courtesy of Thomas Mann, sent July 2013 Bookplate designed by Allan Douglas (Hunterian Art Gallery). 

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Basic Biographical Details

Name: Alexander McInnes Gardner
Designation: Architect
Born: 21 September 1878
Died: 11 August 1934
Bio Notes: Alexander McInnes Gardner was born at New Kilpatrick on 21 September 1878, the son of Robert Gardner, bleach work warehouseman, and his wife Jane McInnes. He was articled to A Lindsay Miller of Glasgow in 1893, attending classes at Glasgow School of Art and winning a number of prizes and medals. In 1898 he left Lindsay Miller to work with Malcolm Stark in the Glasgow office of Stark & Rowntree as an assistant. The following year Gardner moved to the office of James Miller. After two years there he re-joined Fred Rowntree in London, and after a further two years he returned to work again for James Miller in Glasgow. He commenced practice on his own account in 1905 at 144 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, in partnership with Thomas Andrew Millar, a fellow draughtsman in James Miller's office. Gardner spent two months studying in Italy in autumn 1910 and was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, proposed by John Bennie Wilson and the Glasgow Institute of Architects. In addition to their known works, Millar's nomination papers mention 'a considerabal [sic] amount of remodelling of commercial property in Glasgow'.

The partnership of Gardner & Millar was dissolved in 1912. Gardner then entered into a partnership with Robert Whyte; this appears to have lasted barely more than a year (1913-14). In 1912 Gardner had designed the Clydebank Public Library, won in competition, and about this time became associated in ship work with George A Crawley of London. He had already had considerable experience in ship work in James Miller's office, having designed the interiors of the Lusitania immediately before leaving. In McInnes Gardner's records most of the ships are referred to by their job numbers and not their names. He worked chiefly for Fairfield, Denny, Hawthorn-Leslie and Workman, Clark and Co. His RIASQ obituary mentions, in addition to the ships listed below, the Northern Prince, the Western Prince, the Eastern Prince, and the Queen of Bermuda, and many CPR ships, including, according to the Glasgow Herald obituary, the Empress of Britain. During the war he served in the RFA, attaining the rank of major, and on his return formed a partnership with Crawley, which was terminated by the latter's death, after which he worked alone.

Gardner was a member of council of both the Glasgow Institute of Architects and the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. He also represented the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland on the Board of Governors at Glasgow School of Art and was a member of the Scottish Committee of the Board of Trade Council for Art and Industry.

McInnes Gardner died unmarried at 3 Woodside Terrace, Glasgow on 11 August 1934, leaving moveable estate of £15,864 18s 3d. Electricity House now best preserves his name, a classical-modern design much admired at the time. The practice continued under the title of McInnes Gardner Architects after his death.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this architect:
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 97, Stonebyres Terrace, Partick, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1894 *  
Item 2 of 97, Laurence Street, Partick, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1895 *  
Item 3 of 93, Albion Crescent, Dowanhill, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1904After 1905 
Item 4 of 9144, St Vincent Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1905After 1914 
Item 5 of 917, Kersland Terrace, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1909After 1911 
Item 6 of 98, Sardinia Terrace, Hillhead, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1914After 1920 
Item 7 of 9202, Hope Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessBefore 19251931Still appears at this address in 1931 Kalendar
Item 8 of 9237, West George Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessAfter 1928 *1934 
Item 9 of 911 (or 12)?, Southpark Avenue, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1934 *  

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 8Andrew Lindsay Miller18931898Apprentice 
Item 2 of 8Stark & Rowntree18981899AssistantUnder Malcolm Stark in Glasgow
Item 3 of 8James Miller18991901Assistant 
Item 4 of 8Fred Rowntree19011903Assistant 
Item 5 of 8James Miller19031905Assistant 
Item 6 of 8Gardner & Millar19051912Partner 
Item 7 of 8Gardner & Whyte19131914Partner 
Item 8 of 8Gardner & Crawleyc. 1913c. 1920Partner 

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this architect (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 3Alexander Graham Glen1911 Draughtsman 
Item 2 of 3Arthur Mackenzie Watt-Low (or Watt Low)19111916Apprentice 
Item 3 of 3Alexander Graham Glen1920Before 1934  

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this architect for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1John Bennie Wilson20 July 1911for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects

Buildings and Designs

This architect was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 431896CemeteryKilmacolm RenfrewshireScotlandLayout etc
Item 2 of 43Late 1800sSea MillSeamill AyrshireScotlandPossibly villas by this practice
Item 3 of 431900Glasgow International Exhibition of 1901Kelvingrove GlasgowScotlandAs assistant to James Miller
Item 4 of 431903Turnberry Hotel and Railway StationTurnberry AyrshireScotlandAs assistant to James Miller
Item 5 of 431904Design for a Royal Memorial Chapel     
Item 6 of 431905McGilvray's BuildingsOban ArgyllScotland 
Item 7 of 431905Palace HotelOban ArgyllScotland 
Item 8 of 431905(?)SS Lusitania, ship interior    In Miller's name; Gardner was the assistant responsible, working with Robert Whyte and John Brown, in-house architect; NB Gardner had left Miller's office by 1905
Item 9 of 431905Tenement, 18 Battery PlaceRothesayButeButeScotland 
Item 10 of 431905Woodlands HouseSymington LanarkshireScotland 
Item 11 of 43c. 1905BirkwoodSymington LanarkshireScotlandAttribution on grounds of stylistic similarity to Woodlands, Symington.
Item 12 of 43c. 1905CarltonSymington LanarkshireScotlandAttribution on stylistic grounds - by comparison with Woodlands.
Item 13 of 431906House at Jaegersfontein  Jaegersfontein/JagersfonteinSouth AfricaDesign exhibited
Item 14 of 431906LochgreenSouthwood, Troon AyrshireScotlandExecuted house
Item 15 of 431906Tea House, 144 St Vincent Street  GlasgowScotland 
Item 16 of 431907House for Neil A L McEachranThorntonhall LanarkshireScotland 
Item 17 of 431907Scottish National Exhibition, 1908Saughton EdinburghScotlandCompetition design - unsuccessful
Item 18 of 431910The Meadow, SeamillWest Kilbride AyrshireScotlandAdditions
Item 19 of 431910UF ManseWick CaithnessScotland 
Item 20 of 431912AuchengowerCove ArgyllScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 21 of 431912Clydebank Public LibraryClydebank DunbartonshireScotlandWon competition to secure job
Item 22 of 43c. 1912(?)Unspecified country house and garden    Design exhibited in 1913 but under the name of Gardner & Millar, the practice having been dissolved the previous year
Item 23 of 431913Clydebank Public LibraryClydebank DunbartonshireScotlandExecuted job with Robert Whyte
Item 24 of 431915Interiors for un-named vessel for the US Company of New Zealand     
Item 25 of 431922BB Cinerama No 2  GlasgowScotlandIn conjunction with Campbell Reid & Wingate
Item 26 of 431923Golf Clubhouse, Old Course, RanfurlyBridge of Weir RenfrewshireScotlandAlterations
Item 27 of 431923RMS Aorangi, Ship Interior     
Item 28 of 431924Golf ClubhouseWindyhill/Bearsden Dunbartonshire/GlasgowScotland 
Item 29 of 431924Letitia, Ship Interior     
Item 30 of 431925Ship No 1173, Interior     
Item 31 of 431925Transylvannia, Ship Interior     
Item 32 of 431927House for G I InnesKillearn StirlingshireScotland 
Item 33 of 431927Monarch of Bermuda, Ship Interior     
Item 34 of 431927Premises for the General Electric Co  GlasgowScotlandReconstruction of building as showrooms and offices
Item 35 of 431928Alexandra HotelOban ArgyllScotlandAlterations
Item 36 of 431928Scottish Legal Life Assurance Society Office  GlasgowScotlandCompetition design exhibited (unsuccessful)
Item 37 of 431929Kimberley HouseOban ArgyllScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 38 of 431931Bungalow for J MuirheadGreenock RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 39 of 431932Alexandra HotelOban ArgyllScotlandAlterations and additions
Item 40 of 431932Caledonian Baking Co  GlasgowScotland 
Item 41 of 431932House for W L KerrGreenock RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 42 of 43Before 1934TSS Strathmore, interiors    Date of designs unknown; exhibited in 1935, Gardner having died in 1934
Item 43 of 43c. 1934Gas Department ShowroomsCharing Cross GlasgowScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architect:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4British Architectural Library, RIBA2001Directory of British Architects 1834-1914   
Item 2 of 4Johnston, W T2003Artists of Scotland Officina Publications CDROM 
Item 3 of 4RIBA1930The RIBA Kalendar 1930-1931 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 4 of 4Who's Who in Architecture1914    

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architect:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Builder17 August 1934v147 p272
Item 2 of 3Glasgow Herald13 August 1934  Obituary
Item 3 of 3RIAS Quarterly193447Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this architect:
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 3National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSEmerson Collection (or Elmerson?) Self Portrait on card sent to T A Millar, XSD/246/1
Item 2 of 3Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Dated information supplied from his office records by Alex Graham Glen, formerly of his office, per Alfred G Lochhead's draft, 1960
Item 3 of 3RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L v17 no1281

Images

© All rights reserved. Bookplate of Alexander McInnes Gardner (Courtesy of Thomas Mann, sent July 2013 Bookplate designed by Allan Douglas (Hunterian Art Gallery). 

© All rights reserved. Bookplate of Alexander McInnes Gardner (Courtesy of Thomas Mann, sent July 2013 Bookplate designed by Allan Douglas (Hunterian Art Gallery).