Basic Biographical Details Name: | James Taylor | Designation: | | Born: | 3 June 1890 | Died: | 9 January 1977 | Bio Notes: | James Taylor was born on 3 June 1890, the son of Charles Taylor, boot and shoe manufacturer, and his wife Jane Drummond Schawbe. He was articled to William Craig Boyd in Glasgow from August 1904 until 1910, studying at Glasgow School of Art (1907 to 1910 and 1911 to 1913), Glasgow School of Architecture and the Royal Technical College. Thereafter, in the years leading up to the First World War, he was a draughtsman with John Melvin & Son in Alloa and with structural engineers A & J Main in Glasgow. In 1917 and 1918 he worked as a draughtsman for Glasgow reinforced-concrete consultants F A MacDonald & Partners, and in the following year he set up practice on his own account at 166 Buchanan Street, moving to 220 West Regent Street in May 1928. He gained a reputation in the 1930s for bold modernist designs which reflected his engineering background. He was admitted LRIBA in early 1931, proposed by John Watson, John Keppie and George Arthur Boswell, and had been elected FRIBA by the end of the same year, again with Watson's support but his other proposers this time being Andrew Balfour and David Salmond. Despite this he refused to become a registered architect. Like several other architects with large fee accounts still outstanding at the beginning of the Second World War, he found himself threatened with virtually no return for his work in the previous two years because of the increase in the top rate of income tax to 19s 6d in the pound. Imprisonment for tax evasion after the Second World War brought his previously successful practice to a close.
Taylor died aged 86 on 9 January 1977 at Clydeview Eventide Home, Helensburgh which was his usual address. His wife Lalla Fitch had predeceased him. A daughter who lived in Helensburgh survived him. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 242, Crown Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | Before 1907 | After 1913 | | | 166, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1919 | May 1928 | | | 220, West Regent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | May 1928 | After 1939 | | | Rolyat/90, Kilmarnock Road, Giffnock, Renfrewshire, Scotland | Private | 1930 * | | Corner with Kilmarnock Road | | Rolyat/7, Mulberry Road, Newlands, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1931 * | | Corner with Mulberry Road | | 196, West Regent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1948 * | | Builder 5 March 1948 p293 |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or Pupils
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA Proposals
Buildings and DesignsThis was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | | | Housing, Carolside Park | | | Glasgow | | | | After 1919 | Dunmorlie | Pollokshields | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension and alterations | | After 1919 | Garage for Ayr Motor Company | Ayr | | Ayrshire | Scotland | | | After 1919 | Garage for Messrs Armour & Melvin | Newlands | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | After 1919 | Govan Combination Poorhouse and Asylum | Govan | | Glasgow | Scotland | Nurses' home, alterations to houses, new office and dayrooms | | After 1919 | Govan District Asylum | Govan | | Glasgow | Scotland | Eight houses, enteric carriers pavilion and solarium | | After 1919 | Houses | Newlands | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | After 1919 | Mental Defective Institution | Govan | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | After 1919 | Offices for Lambhill Ironworks Ltd | Lambhill | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | After 1919 | Offices for Messrs Armstrong, Siddeley, Motors Ltd | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | After 1919 | School | Ruchill | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | After 1919 | Scottish Clerks Association offices | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | After 1919 | Showroom for Messrs Armour & Melvin | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | After 1919 | Sighthill UF Church Hall | Sighthill | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | After 1919 | Towerwood | Patterton | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Lodges, garage, tennis court, curling rink, rock garden, and alterations to mansion house | | 1925 | King's Park house types | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1925 | Single storey and mansard attic experimental house types | Langlands | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1927 | Houses, Carntyne Housing Development | Carntyne | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1929 | Aikenhead Estate, house types | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1929 | Southhampton Drive, housetypes | Kelvinside | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1930 | British Silk Dyeing Company model factory | Balloch | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | | | 1931 | Housing development, Broom Estate, Areas A and B | Whitecraigs | | Glasgow | Scotland | Cubist and period houses. | | 1934 | 'Colour Home' housetype in Central Station | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1934 | 'Colour Home' housetype, Carolside Park | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1935 | Broom Estate housing development | Newton Mearns | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | | | 1935 | Crook Inn | Tweedsmuir | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | Remodelling | | Late 1935 | 'Super Colour Villa' house type | | | | | | | 1936 | Convalescent Home for the Ancient Order of Foresters | Stirling | | Stirling | Scotland | Extensions | | 1936 | Dalziel Iron Works Head Offices | Motherwell | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1936 | Homeopathic Hospital | Kirklee | | Glasgow | Scotland | Design only | | After 1936 | Marine Hotel | Oban | | Argyll | Scotland | Renovation of interior | | 1939 | Super Cinema, Paisley Road | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1939 | Thornwood Public House | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1944 | First Aid Post, Blochairn Road | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1948 | Glasgow Cabinet Works | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations | | 1948 | McGreggor & Co Ltd, Pitt Street | | | | | | | 1954 | Premises of William L Thomson & Son Ltd, Union Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1955 | Hillhead Primary School | Hillhead, Kirkintilloch | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | RCAHMS | 1999 | Homebuilders: Mactaggart & Mickel and the Scottish housebuilding industry | | RCAHMS | p 32, 41, 43-4, 52, 56, 69, 86, 89-92 Image of mid-1920s design for houses at Kings Park p44 Image showing 'unit' showhouse at Glasgow's Central Station promoting the Carolside Park development (1934) p68 Image showing 'Colour Home' showhouse at Glasgow's Central Station promoting the Carolside Park development (1934) p69 Elevation detail and plan of deatched villa proposed for Broom Estate (1936) p90 Three alternative elevations for proposed bungalows for the Broom Estate (1937) p91 | | RIBA | 1930 | The RIBA Kalendar 1930-1931 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | | | RIBA | 1939 | The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 4 June 1954 | | | p1007 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | H M Register House | Death Register | | | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Information on studentship dates from research by Iain Paterson | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | L no3845 (box 17); F no2971 (box 15) |
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