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Architects

Basic Biographic Details

Thomas Raffles Davison
Architect - Artist
Year Only
1853
Exact Date
05/05/1937
Thomas Raffles Davison was born in Stockton-on-Tees in 1853, the second son of a Congregational minister. Educated privately at Shrewsbury, he showed a rare talent for drawing from an early age and it was partly for this reason that he was articled to the architect W H Spaull in Oswestry. On completion of his articles he worked for a time as architectural assistant in offices in Nottingham and in the office of H J Paull of Manchester.

Although he subsequently carried out some minor architectural commissions on his own account, it was his drawing skills that would lead him to become the leading architectural illustrator of his generation. His attractive presentation of architect’s designs, particularly in competition drawings, made his services much sought after and in this way Davison made the acquaintance of many of the county’s leading architects. Writing in 1927, Sir Aston Webb commented “To architects he has been known for nearly half a century for his peculiar power in transferring their elevations and sections into perspective form, not only understandable by the layman but truthfully portraying the design of the architect.” His work was exhibited at the Modern Gallery in 1907, at some point after 1919 in New York and in the RIBA Galleries in 1924.

Davison’s arrival in Manchester in the 1870's coincided with a move by a number of leading Manchester architects to set up an architectural magazine to rival the Builder which they perceived (probably correctly) as purely the mouthpiece of the London architectural profession. Thus in 1874 “The British Architect and Northern Engineer” was born, to act, initially at least, as a showcase for the work of Manchester architects. Davison soon became a major contributor to the magazine, followed by his appointment as editor in 1878, a position he held for almost forty years until its merger with the Builder in 1916. However, it proved impossible to sustain a purely provincial architectural magazine. The first company was wound up in 1876 and within a few years publication was transferred to London.

His connection with the magazine provided Davison with the opportunity, unusual at the time, to travel widely in the United Kingdom and Europe while providing the opportunity to indulge his love of sketching. During his professional life Davison made thousands of such drawings, many of which were published in the British Architect, under the title “Rambling Sketches.” Whilst editor of of the British Architect, Davison also published a number of books including “Pen and Ink Notes, Glasgow Exhibition\" dedicated to Queen Victoria, and his work was frequently exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions. In 1896, his contribution to the profession was recognised when Raffles Davison he became an Honorary Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Following the merger with the Builder, Raffles Davison continued to act in a consultative capacity for some years, his retirement marked by the publication in 1927 of his “Record of Life and Work from 1870 to 1926,”with a forward by Sir Aston Webb and introduction by Sir Reginald Blomfield RA. The guarantors for this book included many of the leading architects of the day.

Raffles Davidson died on 5 May 1937, aged 84. at his home, “Whistler’s Hollow,” Woldingham, the house he had designed over thirty years earlier. Perhaps speaking of his own career, Davison had commented, “It would be idle to deny that to an architect the allurement of the art of drawing is sometimes divergent from his architecture. The consolation is that some men are so allured that they end up making very good drawings which are stimulative and useful, whilst they are saved from doing some very bad architecture.”

Publications:

'Rambling Sketches'

'Modern Homes' (Bell & Company)

'Pen & Ink Notes, Glasgow Exhibition' (dedicated to Queen Victoria, published by Virtue & Co.)

'Memorials of the Past'
'Port Sunlight'
The Arts Connected With Building: Lectures On Craftsmanship And Design Delivered At Carpenters Hall (1909) Editor T Raffles Davison.
Lectures Delivered By R. W. Schultz, C. F. A. Voysey, E. Guy Dawber, Laurence A. Turner, F. W. Troup, A. Romney Green, M. H. Baillie Scott, Charles Spooner and J. Sharkie Gardner.

Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this person:

Private Addresses

Private Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From CharDate From TypeDate To CharDate To TypeNotes
372 Great Cheetham Street East Higher Broughton Lancashire EnglandPrivate
Kingshaw Woldingham Surrey EnglandPrivate
Whistlers\' Hollow Woldingham Surrey EnglandPrivate

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
1 St Peter\'s Square Manchester EnglandBusinessDescribed as \'artist\'
7 Cross Street Manchester EnglandBusinessOffice address of \'The British Architect\' (of which Raffles was editor)
114 Fleet Street London EnglandBusinessOffice address of \'The British Architect\' (of which Raffles was editor)
15 King William Street Strand London EnglandBusinessOffice address of \'The British Architect\' (of which Raffles was editor)
22 Bedford Street London EnglandBusinessOffice address of \'The British Architect\' (of which Raffles was editor)
33 King Street Covent Garden London EnglandBusinessOffice address of \'The British Architect\' (of which Raffles was editor)
4 Catherine Street, Strand London EnglandBusinessAddress of \'Builder\'
35 Bouvrie Street, Fleet Street London EnglandBusinessAddress of \'British Architect and Northern Engineer\'

Buildings and Designs

This person was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):

Buildings and Designs2 classic

Building NameDate StartedTown, District or VillageIslandCity or CountyCountryNotes
Stornoway Town Improvement SchemeIn year 1920StornowayLewisRoss and CromartyScotland
King's College, Elphinstone HallIn year 1926AberdeenScotlandPrepared perspective exhibited at Royal Scottish Academy later reproduced in the Builder
Stornoway War MemorialIn year 1927StornowayLewisRoss and CromartyScotlandIn conjunction with Viscount Leverhulme

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Raffles Davison, ThomasRaffles Davison: Hon Associate of the RIBA: a record of his life and work from 1870 to 19261927Hon editors: Maurice E Webb and Herbert Wigglesworth (Foreword by Sir Aston Webb)
British Architectural Library, RIBADirectory of British Architects 1834-19142001
Who's Who in Architecture1926

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this person:

Period ref classic

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
RIBA Journal1937/05/22v44p753 - memoir of Davison by W T Plume
Builder1937/05/14Obituary p1024
Builder1937/05/07Obituary, p967

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuilding IdItem NameNotes
Information sent via DSA websiteCourtesy of Neil Darlington200960Biography and other information sent September 2009.
RIBA Drawings CollectionRIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum200010Mainly drawings of English and Continental subjects but a at least one Scottish subject (Trinity Hall, Aberdeen, sketch of a mahogany chair).