Basic Biographical Details Name: | Henry Wylie (or Harry Wylie) | Designation: | | Born: | 25 April 1914 | Died: | 24 August 1996 | Bio Notes: | Henry (Harry) Wylie was born on 25 April 1914, the son and fourth of the five children of Henry Wylie, civil engineer, and his wife Janit Capie. He was educated at george Watson's College where he excelled in rugby. He was also a dilgent pupil. He trained as an architect in the 1930s at the School of Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art and also studied there for the diploma in Town Planning. He was Hew Lorimer's brother-in-law. Whilte studying at the College he worked in the office of Rowand Anderson Paul & Partners. In September 1937 he spent a month travelling through France, Swu]itzerland and Italy. The following year he spent another month in France in the chateaux district at the Loire and in 1939 he travelled in England studying town planning and was in Paris for a week for the same purpose. In 1939-40 he was a member of the Edinburgh Architectural Association and had an address at 29 Barnton Gardens, Davidsons Mains, Edinburgh. In 1940 he was admitted ARIBA, proposed by Alexander Alan Foote, Thomas Forbes MacLennan and Frank R Mears.
During the years 1940-46 he served with the Royal Engineers and reached the rank of Captain. He was posted to Rangoon in January 1942. When it was realised that the city could not withstand the Japanese he and his small band of engineers were tasked with destroying the docks and oil terminal to prevent them from being captured. After leaving Rangoon, the Royal Engineers began the long retreat north on foot. Many including, Henry Wylie, were seriously ill on arrival in India and spent many months in hospital before being sent home.
After demobilisation he took a post as exhibitions' manager, Council of Industrial Design (Scottish Committee). He was always particularly interested in interior design. Between 1948 and 1957 he had a post as senior assistant instructor at Edinburgh College of Art while at the same time working as an 'associate partner' with Leslie Grahame Thomson. In 1957 he set up practice on his own account as Henry Wylie & Partners in which he was senior partner. Concurrently he ran another firm, Design and Industrial Styling Consultants, in which he was Principal Consultant Designer. Showrooms, shops and interiors were executed (by Henry Wylie & Partners?) on behalf of Design & Industrial Styling Consultants.
Wylie was elected FRIAS in 1954 and FRIBA on 2 October 1968, his proposers being Robert Hogg Matthew (who described Wylie as a personal friend), Andrew Renton and William Hardie Glover. During the 1960s the practice undertook a wide range of work. Alongside those listed individually they designed a housing development of 150 houses, extensions to a school building, imrpovements and alterations in offcies, as well as an improvement and interior scheme elsewhere and new houses to the value of £9,000.
Outwith his professional life, Wylie was a founder member of the Scottish Arts Club and served as lay president. He was also a keen golfer and member and past captain of Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society, a member of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and a member of the Senior Golfers Society. He had the reputation of being the best dressed member of the Bruntsfield Club.
He died in Murrayfield Nursing Home on 24 August 1996. His wife Ethna West Little, consultant gynaecologist, had predeceased him but he was survived by his son, a potter, and his daughter, a graphic artist. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 15, Moray Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | | 1996 | | | 29, Barnton Gardens, Davidsons Mains, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business(?) | 1939 * | After 1950 | | | 19, Douglas Crescent, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1954 | | It is not clear if this is an error for ( Douglas Crscent or 19 rather than 9 was his address. | | 9, Douglas Crescent, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1968 * | | | | 15, Moray Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | Before 1968 * | After 1970 | Became home address |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA Proposers
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 | | After 1957 | Eglinton Hotels | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Interior upgrade and installation of bathrooms | | After 1957 | Leith Public Health Hospital | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Upgrading of three wards | | 1959 | British Olivetti Company Showroom | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1959 | Kellie Castle | Pittenweem | | Fife | Scotland | Restoration | | 1959 | McCallum Advertising Showrooms | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1959 | Office premises for Equity & Law | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1960s | Bank of Scotland, New Town Branch | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Interior reorganisation and improvement scheme - in full charge. | | 1960s | British Olivetti Showroom | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1960s | Cator Consolidated Properties Ltd office | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Partnership responsibility. | | 1960s | Falkirk Metropolitan Hotel | Falkirk | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | Complete interior design | | 1960s | Hydropathic Institution | North Berwick | | East Lothian | Scotland | Swimming pool, recreation rooms, and banqueting rooms - in full charge | | 1960s | J C White Ltd office development | | | | Scotland | In full charge | | 1960s | John Menzies & Co Ltd despatch depot | | | Aberdeen | Scotland | in full charge | | 1960s | Kames Development Scheme | | Bute | Bute | Scotland | | | 1960s | Office premises for JW and RN Oswald CA | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1960s | Private house | | | | Scotland | | | 1960s | Private house | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1960s | R & W Advertising premises | | | | Scotland | Alterations and improvements - in full charge | | 1960s | Union Bank of Scotland | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Interior reorganisation and improvement scheme - in full charge | | 1960 | Craiglynne Hotel | Grantown-on-Spey | | Morayshire | Scotland | Extension and improvements | | 1960 | Dano Plant Buildings (Municipal Refuse Disposal) | East Calder | | West Lothian | Scotland | In full charge | | 1960 | University of Edinburgh, royal dispensary | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Interior reorganisation | | 1961 | Sandersons wallpaper showrooms | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1962 | British Linen Bank | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Internal remodelling - in full charge | | 1962 | Showrooms for Justerini & Brooks | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1963 | Caledonian Insurance Company | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Development of hotel including 7-storey extension at east to contain 100 bedrooms, banqueting room and kitchen services - Wylie in full charge | | 1963 | Dano Plant buildings (Municipal Refuse Buildings) | Paisley | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | in full charge | | 1966 | Stock Exchange premises | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Rehousing, planning and interior design fo Exchange Hall and offices | | 1967 | Office block for Naviewland Properties Ltd | | | Glasgow | Scotland | May be retired by this date. | | 1968 | Despatch depot building for John Menzies | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Probably retired by this date and not involved. | | 1968 | Despatch depot building for John Menzies | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Probably not involved by this date | | 1968 | Despatch depot building for John Menzies | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Porbably not involved by this date. | | Before 1968 | Edinburgh Life Assurance Company | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Interior reorganisation and improvement scheme. | | Before 1968 | Trefoil School | Gogarburn | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Recreation room and theraputic swimming pool - in full charge. | | After 1969 | World Tavern | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | Early 1960s | Offices for Thomson McLintock | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Office premises for Thomson McLintock CA | | 1970s | Café Royal | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Staff accommodation | | 1970s | Commercial depot for H G Bremner | | | | Scotland | | | 1970s | Conservation Study, Melville Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Conservation report | | 1970s | Forth Bridge Lodge Hotel | South Queensferry | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1970s | Housing, Forth Street and East Road | North Berwick | | East Lothian | Scotland | | | 1970s | Luxury flats | Dalkeith | | | Scotland | | | 1970s | Office and workshops for D Fisher & Son | Balerno | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1970s | Scheme of housing for the elderly | | | | Scotland | | | 1970s | St Ermin's Hotel | | | London | England | | | 1970s | Wallace Arnold housing | | | | Scotland | | | After 1972 | Offices for Sedgwick Forbes, insurance brokers | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Suite of interiors | | 1973 | Sunbury Works, office and showroom for Whytock & Reid | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1975 | Lennox Tower Gardens housing | Balerno | | Midlothian | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | 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 | | | RIBA | 1970 | RIBA Directory 1970 | | | | | Willis, Peter | 1977 | New architecture in Scotland | | | p11 George Hotel/Caledonian Insurance, Edinburgh p12 Showrooms for Justerini & Brooks |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | RIAS Newsletter | November 1996 | v7, no9 | | Death notice |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS | NMRS Manuscripts | | Office papers - fairly complete. Acc No 1997/94 | | RIAS, Rutland Square | Records of membership | | Obituary written by his grandson and other records. | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A no7425 (Combined Box 190); F no 6138 (Combined Box 139) |
|