Basic Biographical Details

Name: Alexander Whitelaw Jardine
Designation:  
Born: 20 March 1913
Died: July 1968
Bio Notes: Alexander Whitelaw Jardine was born in Cambuslang on 20 March 1913, the son of James Moyes Jardine, a civil engineer who worked in India, and his wife, Christina Fraser Blacklay. He was educated at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh and attended day classes at the School of Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art under James Macgregor and at Heriot-Watt College from October 1930. Whilst there he travelled to Yorkshire in 1931, to East Anglia in 1932, and to Cambridge in 1933; spent the month of July 1934 at the Studio für Arkitektur Summer School in Vienna; travelled to Germany and again Vienna in July-August 1935; and worked in the office of J B Dunn & Martin from 1 September 1935 to 31 August 1936. He obtained his diploma and an exemption from the final exam in June 1937, travelled to Paris in July, and was admitted ARIBA on 6 December that year, his proposers being John Fraser Matthew, James Macgregor and Charles Johns Mole of H M Office of Works, Storey's Gate, London, where Jardine had found employment by that time. Jardine's nomination papers give his private address as 39 Pentland Terrace, Edinburgh, which was his mother’s address, even though he was in London at the time. This was presumably because he did not yet have a permanent address in London. He was also an Associate of the Edinburgh Architectural Association.

Jardine married Joyce Anier Gale on 15 April 1944 at Wimbledon and they had one son and one daughter. Jardine remained with the Office of Works, working in London for the rest of his career, apart from moving round the country as directed during World War II. He was particularly involved with the design of post offices though he undertook a wide range of jobs, from work at Buckingham Palace to Holloway Prison where he made alterations after the abolition of the death penalty. He joked that the title of his autobiography should be ‘From Throne Room to Condemned Cell’.

Jardine died in July 1968.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 31, Kingsdown Road, Epsom, Surrey, EnglandPrivate 1968 
Item 2 of 339, Pentland Terrace, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1937After 1939Living address in 1937, and 'permanent' address in 1939 although in London at that time
Item 3 of 315, Gloucester Street, London, EnglandPrivate1939  

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 2J B Dunn & Martin9 January 193531 August 1936Apprentice 
Item 2 of 2H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency)1937 * AssistantIn London office (Storey's Gate)

* earliest date known from documented sources.

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3James Macgregor6 December 1936for Associateship
Item 2 of 3John Fraser Matthew6 December 1936for Associateship
Item 3 of 3(Sir) Charles Johns Mole6 December 1936for Associateship

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2Gail Frampton via websiteInformation courtesy of Gail Frampton, Jardine's daughter Sent August 2008
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers A no6524 (combined box 144)