Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | George Ferguson Smellie Shanks | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 15 May 1898 | Died: | 2 August 1985 | Bio Notes: | George Frederick Smellie Shanks was born at Partick on 15 May 1898, the son of George Ferguson Smellie Shanks, engine patternmaker and his wife Eliza Jane Borthwick. In July 1915 he began as an articled pupil with Honeyman & Keppie while attending classes in building construction. In September 1916 he started the architecture course at the Glasgow School of Art. However his studies were interrupted when he was called up in World War 1 and from December 1916 to January 1919 he served with HM Forces in the United Kingdom, Palestine and France. After demobilisation he returned to Honeyman & Keppie’ s office and resumed his studies at the Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Technical College.
He completed his apprenticeship in January 1921, remaining with Honeyman & Keppie as assistant. In March 1923 he moved to a similar post with Wright & Wylie, being promoted to chief assistant in March 1924. He was awarded his diploma in January 1924 and was elected ARIBA on 5 January 1925, his proposers being Andrew Graham Henderson John Watson and John Keppie.
Shanks had travelled widely by the time of his election to Associateship. During the war he had visited France, Italy, Egypt and Palestine. In 1921 he visited Oxford and London, in 1922 Winchester, York & Durham and in 1924 Canterbury and Liverpool. In 1923 he had been awarded the Bowden Travelling Scholarship from the School of Architecture and in 1924 the John Keppie Travelling Scholarship. This enabled him to spend two weeks in Paris and four weeks in Italy in 1925 visiting Genoa, Pisa Lucca, Rome, Naples, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Ravenna, Venice, Vicenza, Verona and Milan.
Shanks remained with Wright & Wylie which became Wylie Wright & Wylie in 1928 after Frederick Robert Wylie joined as partner and after Wright withdrew in 1935, Shanks became a partner, the practice title becoming Wylie Shanks & Wylie.
By 1939 Shanks had become a Fellow of the Glasgow Institute of Architects and in 1947 FRIBA, proposed by George Arthur Boswall, Andrew Graham Henderson and Thomas Johnston Beveridge.
In 1946 Walter Underwood was taken into partnership, but the firm name was not changed to Wylie, Shanks & Underwood until sometime between October 1956 and April 1957. Underwood left in 1960 and the practice title then became Wylie Shanks & Partners.
Shanks retired in 1963. He died of heart disease on 2 August 1985 at Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock. He was survived by his wife Jeannie Ritchie Kennedy.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 198, Berkeley Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | Before 1914 | After 1919 | |  | 164, Nithsdale Road, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1936 * | | |  | 204, West Regent Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1939 or 1940 * | After 1947(?) | |  | 7, Lubnaig Road, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1946 * | 1947 | |  | Summerlee [sic]/19, Summerlea Road [sic], West Kilbride, Ayrshire, Scotland | Private | 1985 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA Proposals
Buildings and DesignsThis architect 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 |  | 1928 | Scottish Legal Life Assurance Society Office | | | Glasgow | Scotland | As chief assistant |  | 1931 | House for John M Ross Esq | Giffnock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Mainly responsible |  | 1934 | House for Frank M Marshall Esq | Whitecraigs | | Glasgow | Scotland | Mainly responsible |  | 1935 | Messrs McKean's building (pork factory) | Port Dundas | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1936 | Wylie & Lochhead, new shop front | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1937 | Hillington Industrial Estate | Hillington | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1937 | Holm Foundry Administration Building and Amenity Building | Cathcart | | Glasgow | Scotland | Amenity block |  | 1937 | Premises for George Miller & Son | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations - mainly responsible |  | 1937 | Premises of Messrs Newman Ltd | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations - mainly responsible |  | 1937 | Premises of Messrs Spencer Ltd | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations - mainly responsible |  | 1937 | Weir's Welfare building | Cathcart | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1938 | Carfin Industrial Estate | Carfin | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1938 | Factory of Messrs Anderson & Robison (or Robertson) | Motherwell | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Extension - mainly responsible? |  | 1938 | Funeral office for Wylie & Lochhead | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Mainly responsible |  | 1938 | Larkhall Industrial Estate | Larkhall | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1938 | Modiste Establishment for Renee Eme Ltd | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Mainly responsible |  | 1938 | Office block for the Law Union and Rock Insurance Co | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1938 | Office building for the Yorkshire Copper Works Ltd | Barrhead | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Mainly responsible |  | 1942 | Service flats | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1944 | Factory or factories | Carfin | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1944 | Factory or factories | Chapelhall | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1944 | Factory or factories | Newhouse | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1947 | Biscuit Factory, Finnieston | Finnieston | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension |  | 1947 | Carruthers & Sons Limited Premises | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations and additions |  | 1947 | Glasgow Maternity Hospital | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations and additions |  | 1947 | Malcolm Campbell Ltd, Paisley Road | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1947 | Simpson Ltd Factory Larkhall Insustrial Estate | Larkhall | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | Before 1947 | Engineering works of Rankin & Blackmore | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | Before 1947 | Factory or engineering works for James P McPhie | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | Before 1947 | House for Abraham Russell Esq | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | Before 1947 | House for J Russell Leng Esq | | | Glasgow | | |  | Before 1947 | House for John McKean Esq | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | Before 1947 | House for William McPhail | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | Before 1947 | Rutherglen Town Hall | Rutherglen | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Scheme for restoration - or proposal for new building? |  | Before 1947 | Stonefield House and estate | | | Argyll | Scotland | Work on estate |  | Before 1947 | Works for Lobnitz & Co, shipbuilding | Renfrew | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | |  | 1948 | Factory Block No 111 | | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1948 | Factory Block No 123 | | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1948 | Factory Block No 19, Bothwell | Bothwell | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1948 | New Buildings, Industrial Estate | Newhouse | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1949 | National Cash Registers (NCR) Factory | | | Dundee | Scotland | Extension |  | 1949 | Royal College of Science and Technology, James Weir Engineering Building | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1950 | Colston Milton Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1951 | Rolls Royce Factory | East Kilbride | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1952 | Cranhill Parish Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1952 | Newhouse Industrial Estate buildings | Motherwell | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1953 | Hillington Industrial Estate | Hillington | | Glasgow | Scotland | To re-erect two factories destroyed by fire |  | 1954 | Killearn Hospital | Killearn | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | Alterations and extension to wards, labs and X-ray and operating theatres |  | 1954 | Royal College of Science and Technology Students Union | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1954 | Scottish Industries Exhibition, 1954 | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1957 | Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Pathology Department | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension and alterations |  | 1957 | Royal College of Science and Technology, James Weir Engineering Building | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1957 | Scottish Industrial Estate, Euclid (Great Britain) Ltd, plant at Newhouse | Newhouse | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1957 | St Paul's Parish Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Subdivision |  | 1958 | Scottish Widows Fund and Life Assurance and Junior Conservative Club | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations - three balconies removed from front, attic added and interior reconstructed. |  | 1959 | Scottish Industries Exhibition 1959 | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Plan |  | Late 1950s | Glasgow Western Infirmary, Radiotherapy Building | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1960s | Euclid/Terex factory | | | | Luxembourg | Involved if before 1963 |  | 1960s | Factory for National Cash Registers | Wester Gourdie | | Angus | Scotland | |  | 1960s | Factory for Wrangler | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1961 | Factory for National Cash Registers | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1962 | Office block for Colvilles | Motherwell | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | 1962 | Warehouse for William Collins Sons & Co, Publishers | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1970 | Water Department Headquarters | | | Glasgow | Scotland | With W T Deveney, engineer. |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | Post Office Directories | | | | | |  | 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 | |  | RIBA | 1950 | The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | 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 | | Birth, death and education dates and addresses from research by Iain Paterson |  | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A no3784, F no4239 (Combined Box 3) |
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