Basic Site Details

Name: Scottish Ideal Home Exhibition, Daily Mail competition, Model/demonstration house
Town, district or village: Kelvin Hall
City or county: Glasgow
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status: Demolished
Grid ref:
Notes: Featured at the Scottish Ideal Home Exhibition 5-29 October 1932. Exhibition sponsored by the London Daily Mail newspaper.

Named ‘the House that Jean Built’, as a generic Scottish woman’s name, in contradistinction to the ‘House that Jack Built’ in the popular nursery rhyme. The London Daily Mail sponsored the second Scottish Ideal Home Exhibition, and in spring 1932 ran a contest open to all women of Scottish birth. Entrants had to submit ideas and ‘rough sketch plans’ for their ideal £1500 home, to be erected at the show in October. The winners announced in June were first, Mrs Elizabeth M Reid, 21 Crosbie St, Maryhill, prize £250; second jointly, Mrs A Anderson, Lerwick, Shetland, and Miss C Sutherland, Edinburgh. John McDonald (Contractors) Ltd built the house, ‘a somewhat daring modern design’, with 2 living rooms, 3 bedrooms, sun-porch and for Glasgow, ‘sun bathing facilities on the roof’. Mrs Reid, a teacher, acted as guide or hostess ‘to explain and defend her unconventional ideas’ to visitors during the run of the exhibition. The ‘small details often overlooked in man-designed homes’ included no mouldings to dust, generous wardrobes, sliding doors to join reception rooms, and electric fires. Some aspects resemble McDonald’s other designs, such as the large Vitaglass windows, and pillared verandah. Furnished by Wylie & Lochhead Ltd.

Amateur designer Mrs Elizabeth May Reid of Maryhill acted as a guide to the house, which incorporated her ideas rather than being her exact specified plan.

McDonald offered to construct similar design in Bearsden, Burnside or Hillfoot for £1000 but it is not known if these were commissioned.

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 1House that Jean Built  

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1House  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 21932 Build/construction 
Item 2 of 25 October 193229 October 1932 Open to the public during this period.

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 3(Sir) John McDonald A1932  
Item 2 of 3John McDonald Contractors (or J M Contractors) A1932  
Item 3 of 3John Robert Harrison McDonald A1932  

References

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Edinburgh Evening News6 October 1932  p3 Review of visit to exhibition describing the house.
Item 2 of 3Motherwell Times26 August 1932  Competition winners announced. Article entitled 'The House that Jean Built: Scottish Women win £350'.
Item 3 of 3Motherwell Times21 October 1932  p6 Review of visit to the house