Basic Biographical Details Name: | John Bryan Nisbet | Designation: | | Born: | 1862 | Died: | 18 January 1930 | Bio Notes: | John Bryan Nisbet was born in Kilmaurs, Ayrshire in 1862. He was articled to Sutherland & Walker of Edinburgh from 1876 until 1881, during which period he attended Heriot-Watt College and Edinburgh School of Art and spent his holidays measuring and sketching cathedrals and abbeys of Scotland, and also visited Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels. At the end of his apprenticeship he obtained a place as an assistant with Kinnear & Peddie. Thereafter he moved to the office of Clarke & Bell in Glasgow for three years and spent a further three years (probably 1890-1893) in the office of John McLachlan in Edinburgh before becoming an assistant in the office of Robert Morham, Edinburgh City Architect for five years (the record in his LRIBA nomination paper appears to be incomplete and precise dates cannot be established). He commenced practice on his own account in Edinburgh in 1905, his business being chiefly concerned with domestic buildings, shops and structural alterations to existing properties.
Nisbet was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, proposed by James Bow Dunn and the Edinburgh Architectural Association, which he had recently joined. At that date his house and office was at 110 Polwarth Gardens, although he had moved to 50 Montpelier Park by 1914. In the words of his RIBA Obituary, 'he began to build up a business of his own but the outbreak of the Great War for the time being blotted out his prospects and he became a Supervisor under the war office. When peace came he undertook the supervision of the erection of several of the housing schemes under the East Lothian County Council. Resuming the threads of the connection he had been building up before the War, he acquired the business of an old, well-known Edinburgh firm, Messrs. Cousin, Ormiston and Taylor. Physical disability finally necessitated the disposal of such business as he had acquired. He died on 18 January 1930, at the age of 67. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 130, George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1889 * | c. 1898 | Problem | | 158, Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1891 | | | | 86, Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | c. 1892 | c. 1895 | | | 19, Young Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1899 | | | | 110, Polwarth Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | c. 1902 | c. 1910 | | | 50, Montpelier Park, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business | c. 1911 | c. 1914 | | | 28, West Savile Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1915 | c. 1929 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | James Bow Dunn | 20 July 1911 | for Licentiateship - as president of the Edinburgh Architectural Association |
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | British Architectural Library, RIBA | 2001 | Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 | | | | | Post Office Directories | | | | | | | Who's Who in Architecture | 1914 | | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | RIBA Journal | 24 May 1930 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | Obituary p525 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | L v19 no1484 |
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