Basic Biographical Details | Name: | Arthur Victor Lobban | | Designation: | | | Born: | 20 June 1892 | | Died: | 1970 | | Bio Notes: | Arthur Victor Lobban was born on 20 June 1892 and was articled to James Kennedy Hunter of Ayr in 1910, studying at Ayr Academy Continuation School. He joined the armed forces at the outbreak of the First World War, serving in Egypt and Palestine, but briefly returned to Hunter's office on his demobilisation in 1919, leaving after eight weeks to attend classes in civil engineering at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow.
His subsequent career was spent in various county council offices. In 1921 he joined the Dumbartonshire Education Committee in Glasgow as an architectural assistant under the Master of Works A M Samson, working on a new school in Helensburgh and on numerous alterations and reconstructions to existing schools which had suffered neglect during the war years. During the years 1922 to 1925 he attended evening classes in architecture at the Technical College. He moved to Gloucester in 1925 to work under the Gloucestershire County Education Architect, R S Phillips, and moved again in August 1930 to enter the Hertfordshire County Surveyor's Office as senior assistant. He was admitted LRIBA late the following year, his proposers being Hugh Patrick Guarin Maule of London, his connection with whom is unknown, and Duncan Walter Clark, president of the Essex, Cambridge & Hertfordshire Society of Architects. His nomination papers are accompanied by reference letters from his former employers, Hunter stating that he was a 'diligent student … most trustworthy … his moral character is very good', and Samson describing him as 'an ideal colleague, gentlemanly in manner, fruitful in suggestion, deliberate in judgment, and always reliable, obliging and tactful', and 'systematic and … thorough' in his efforts to keep up to date with new developments in school architecture and construction.
In 1933 he moved to Ipswich where he joined the staff of the East Suffolk County Council architect, E J Symcox, as chief assistant. He acted as Symcox's deputy until 1945 when he was promoted to the newly created post of Deputy County Architect. He was elected FRIBA on 9 December 1952, his proposers being E J Symcox, Martin J Slater and J A Sherman.
Lobban died between April and June 1970, his death being registered in this period. | Private and Business Addresses| The following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | Vanadium, Vanda Crescent, St Albans, Hertfordshire, England | Private | 1931 * | | | | The Laurels, Chelmondiston, nr Ipswich, Suffolk, England | Private | 1952 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA Proposers
Buildings and Designs| This 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 | | 1925 | Hermitage Primary School | Helensburgh | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | as architectural assistant to Dumbartonshire Education Committee, working under A M Samson |
ReferencesArchive References| The following archives hold material relating to this : | | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | L no3988 (box 19); F no4752 (combined box 33) |
|