Basic Biographical Details Name: | John Nisbet | Designation: | | Born: | 9 December 1868 | Died: | 29 October 1951 | Bio Notes: | John Nisbet was born at 118 Dale Street, Glasgow on 9 December 1868, the son of James Nisbet, grocer and his wife Ann Cassells. The practice to which he was articled is not known for certain but he studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1887 to 1891 and was assistant to Burnet & Boston from at least the latter year, commencing practice on his own account in 1900-01 and taking further classes at Glasgow School of Art in 1901-02. By that date he was married to Jessie Maxwell, daughter of Charles Edward Maxwell, the ceremony having taken place at the Windsor Hotel, St Vincent Street on 2 June 1898.
Nisbet's main clients were the property companies established by John Auld McTaggart, for whom he built a great many tenements of some refinement with understated Glasgow-style decorative elements, the better ones having stained glass by Oscar Paterson. The most remarkable of these was Camphill Gate, built wholly of fireproof materials with a roof garden. His best individual building was McTaggart's own house, Kelmscott in Pollokshields, quite stylish Arts and Crafts with some Glasgow-style details.
Like all other tenement specialists, Nisbet suffered the almost total loss of his practice as a result of the Finance Act of 1909: and again like many others he sought employment as one of the Inland Revenue's valuers. He was appointed District Valuer for Dunbartonshire and District and never practised architecture again, passing what was left of his practice to his senior assistant Charles James McNair.
Nisbet continued to exhibit as an etcher and painter at the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts until 1922. He died of prostate cancer at 52 Kersland Street on 29 October 1951. His profession was given as land surveyor and valuer. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 85, Dundas Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1887 * | | | | 93, Gloucester Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1888 * | | | | 112, Bath Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | Before 1900 | After 1910 | | | 1, Doune Quadrant, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1901 * | | | | 50, Kersland Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1911 * | | | | 7, Dundonald Road, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1919 * | | | | 53, Kersland Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1951 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersThe following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Frank Burnet & Boston | Before 1891 | Before 1900 | Assistant(?) | Unclear |
Employees or Pupils
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | RCAHMS | 1999 | Homebuilders: Mactaggart & Mickel and the Scottish housebuilding industry | | RCAHMS | p14 | | www.glasgowsculpture.com | 2005 | www.glasgowsculpture.com | | Website of 'Glasgow - City of Scultpure', co-produced by Gary Nisbet and Tim Gardner | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Research by Iain Paterson |
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