Basic Biographical Details Name: | Walter Alison | Designation: | | Born: | 1887 | Died: | 16 September 1950 | Bio Notes: | Walter Alison was born in Kirkcaldy the son of a Dysart master joiner and whose family was well-known in Dysart. He was articled to William Birrell of Kirkcaldy on 10 August 1903, and attended classes in Kirkcaldy. After completing his apprenticeship he worked for two years as a draughtsman with J W & J Laird, Glasgow, spending July and August 1909 travelling in the East Riding of Yorkshire. On leaving the Lairds' firm he joined Charles Jean Menart as draughtsman for another two years. During those years he studied at Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Technical College. He passed the RIBA qualifying exam in June 1912 and in the following month became a draughtsman to the firm of Cullen, Lochhead & Brown in Hamilton. There he worked mainly on hospitals and schools. He remained with them until April 1915, when he was called up for war service joining the Highland Light Infantry. He returned to the practice of Cullen Lochhead & Brown after the war and was belatedly admitted ARIBA on 3 March 1919, his proposers being James Lochhead, John Watson and John Wilson.
He commenced practice on his own account in 1920. His entered the competition for Kirkcaldy Technical School and won both first and second prizes. He was later architect of the Cameron Bridge Maternity Home and as such provided the layout plans for a complete set of new hospital buildings there - the scheme included a nurses' home, recreational accommodation for nurses' and domestic sraff, general hosptial, hospital for chest diseases, hospital for the aged and infirm and for children, X-ray, physiotherapy and occupational departments and administration block - of which the Maternity Hospital and the nurses' home were to be given priority. It is unclear if any of these plans were ever executed.
Alison was a Mason and a Rotarian. He died in a Kirkcaldy nursing home on 16 September 1950. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | The Croft, Dysart, Fife, Scotland | Private | Before 1919 | After 1926 | | | 27, Kirk Wynd, Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland | Business | Before 1926 | After 1950 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Robert Forbes Hutchison | 12 January 1925 | July 1930 | Apprentice | |
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | James Lochhead | 3 March 1919 | for Associateship | | John Watson | 3 March 1919 | for Associateship | | John Wilson | 3 March 1919 | for Associateship |
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | British Architectural Library, RIBA | 2001 | Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 | | | | | Kirkcaldy Directory | 1924 | The Kirkcaldy Directory 1924-25 | | Kirkcaldy: The Advertiser Office | | | RIBA | 1950 | The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | | | Who's Who in Architecture | 1926 | | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | RIBA Journal | November 1950 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | Obituary - p35 | | Scotsman | 18 September 1950 | | | p3 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | British Architectural Library, RIBA | RIBA Biographical Files | | | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A v24 no2709 (microfilm reel 23) |
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