Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Biographical Details Name: | George Arthur Boswell | Designation: | Architect | Born: | 1879 | Died: | 15 January 1952 | Bio Notes: | George Arthur Boswell was born in 1879, the son of James Boswell, draper, and Isabella Vallence. In June 1895 he was articled to William Edwards of Wolverhampton, remaining there as assistant until 1901. In the latter year he moved to the office of Messrs Welman and Street (Samuel Welman) of Godalming, Surrey, and finally in 1902 to James Miller's in Glasgow before setting up in practice at that city in 1905. In the following year he was working in partnership with James Macintyre (or McIntyre - sources vary), of whom no details are known. The partnership appears to have been short-lived, their only known work being the reconstruction of the former Britannia Music Hall in Trongate, Glasgow to form the Panopticon. The client for this was the building's new owner A E Pickard - "a 'character' who drove a Buick with a windscreen which could only be seen out of so that the car apparently travelled along Sauchiehall Street driverless… he discharged his accounts in threepenny pieces in canvas bags". Within a few years Boswell had established himself as a cinema specialist, with Pickard as his main client. Boswell's early work was strongly influenced by Miller, particularly in the use of faience, his best cinema being the La Scala in Dundee which had a tower surmounted by a golden globe. Boswell apparently continued to assist Miller during his earliest years of independent practice as Ninian Rutherford Jamieson Johnston, who joined the practice c.1934, knew that Boswell had been largely responsible for James Miller's New Savoy Theatre in Hope Street (1911), also carried out in faience.
Boswell was elected LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, proposed by John Bennie Wilson and the Glasgow Institute of Architects. He was admitted FRIBA in late 1920 or early 1921, his proposers being John Watson, William Brown Whitie and John Keppie. By this time he was designing industrial buildings and his FRIBA nomination papers state that his practice was occupied with factory contracts during the First World War.
Boswell was President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects c.1930. During the following decade he became one of Glasgow's most accomplished modernist designers as at the 1934 and 1936 blocks at Templeton's Carpet Factory, but he was an equally accomplished designer of period detail as can be seen in the refined metal work of Ciro's shopfront on Buchanan Street of 1926-27. From October 1931 onwards he also ran a branch office in Wolverhampton, of which the English architect Albert Hartwell was in charge.
Boswell was slightly eccentric wearing yellow clothes and hand-made leather shoes. In August 1985 Ninian Johnston recalled that 'he sketched, freehand, on any old piece of paper, which he then gave to an assistant to develop. He supervised the development of the assistant's board with attention to detail and construction (he had a wide knowledge of construction and many original ideas)'. The drawings in the office were 'done in ink in the crisp style of that period'. The best presentation drawings were the work of Archibald Paton, later County Architect of Inverness-shire.
After the Second World War the practice became George A Boswell & Partners when Ninian Johnston and Peter Mitchell were taken into partnership. Boswell died of prostate cancer on 15 January 1952 at White House, Milliken, which he had converted for his own use. He was survived by his wife Margaret Louise Napier whom he had married in 1910. The firm was continued by the surviving partners as Boswell, Mitchell & Johnston. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes |  | 6, Doune Quadrant, Kelvinside, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1911 * | | |  | 53, Bothwell Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1911 * | | |  | 19, Waterloo Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1911 | 1915 | |  | 256, West George Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1917 * | 1952 | |  | White House, Milliken, Renfrewshire, Scotland | Private | 1920 | 1952 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or Pupils
RIBARIBA ProposersThe following individuals proposed this architect for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes |  | John Keppie | Late 1920 or early 1921 | for Fellowship |  | John Watson | Late 1920 or early 1921 | for Fellowship |  | William Brown Whitie | Late 1920 or early 1921 | for Fellowship |  | John Bennie Wilson | 20 July 1911 | for Licentiateship - as President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects |
RIBA Proposals
Buildings and DesignsThis architect was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | | Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes |  | | Ranfurly | Scotstounhill | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1902(?) | Central Station Hotel | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension - as assistant to James Miller |  | 1902(?) | Glasgow Central Station | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension - as assistant to James Miller |  | 1902(?) | Glasgow Royal Infirmary | | | Glasgow | Scotland | As assistant to James Miller |  | After 1902 | Mansion Houses of Lord Inverclyde | | | | Scotland | Reconstruction - as assistant to James Miller |  | After 1905 | Cinema | Dumbarton | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | |  | After 1905 | Cinema | Carlisle | | Cumberland | England | |  | After 1905 | House for George H Halley | Scotstounhill | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | After 1905 | House for J Campbell Fyfe Esq | Kilmacolm/Kilmalcolm | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | |  | After 1905 | House for William McCulloch Grant | Creetown | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | |  | After 1905 | Houses | Whitecraigs | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | After 1905 | Shops and houses for Co-Operative Society | Uddingston | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | After 1905 | Shops and houses for Co-Operative Society, Tannochside | Uddingston | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | |  | After 1905 | Skating Rink | Govan | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | After 1905 | Skating Rink | Falkirk | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | |  | After 1905 | Tenements | Kilbowie | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | |  | After 1905 | Tenements | Port Glasgow | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | |  | 1906 | Campbell's Music Salon | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations for cinema use. Proposed new staircases - plans submitted to Dean of Guild 1906 |  | 1909 | Bridgeton Cross Picture Theatre | Bridgeton | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1909 | Charing Cross Picture Theatre | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1909 | Dennistoun Roller Skating Rink | Dennistoun | | Glasgow | Scotland | Roller skating rink |  | 1910 | Argyle Picture Theatre | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1911 | Casino Cinema | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1911 | Dennistoun Roller Skating Rink | Dennistoun | | Glasgow | Scotland | Conversion of roller skating rink into dance hall and cinema |  | After 1911 | Halley's Industrial Motor Works and offices | Yoker | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | After 1911 | Parkhead Forge, office blocks for William Beardmore & Company | Parkhead | | Glasgow | Scotland | (also other work for same company) |  | After 1911 | Woodside Engineering Works | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1912 | Paisley Picture House | Paisley | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | |  | 1913 | La Scala Cinema | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1913 | La Scala Picture Theatre | | | Dundee | Scotland | |  | 1913 | St Enoch Picture Theatre | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1914 | Seamore Cinema | | | Glasgow | Scotland | With R A Thomas |  | 1916 | Savoy Music Hall | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Reconstruction as New Savoy |  | 1919 | New Grand Cinema | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1920 | Black Cat Cinema | Bridgeton | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | c. 1923 | The White House of Milliken | Brookfield | | Renfrewshire | | Orginally factor's house, bought by Goerge Arthur Boswell and enlarged using the materials from Milliken House. |  | 1924 | Mount Florida Parish Church, War Memorial hall | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1926 | Ciro Shopfront and fittings | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1927 | Templeton's Carpet Factory | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Various additions (see events) including 'new factory' in Craignestock Place |  | 1930 | Goldberg's Warehouse | | | Glasgow | Scotland | New warehouse? |  | 1931 | Templeton's Carpet Factory | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Offices and warehouse for James Templeton & Co |  | 1934 | Hydepark Bakery | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1934 | Templeton's Carpet Factory | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Railway Mill, Bridgeton, extension |  | 1935 | Goldberg's Warehouse | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension? |  | 1936 | Ard Luss | Helensburgh | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | Maids' quarters |  | 1936 | Confectionery works at Anniesland for Birrell Ltd | Anniesland | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1936 | St Enoch Picture Theatre | | | Glasgow | Scotland | New building on same site proposed but scheme may have been abandoned. |  | 1936 | Williamfield | | | | Scotland | |  | 1937 | Eastwood Secondary School | Giffnock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | |  | 1938 | Argyle Picture Theatre | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Rebuilding as Argyle Picture House. |  | 1939 | Abercorn School | Paisley | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Annexe |  | 1939 | Dalmuir Trading Estate | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1939 | Newall Ltd Engineering Works | Possil | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension |  | 1939 | Perryston house and farm buildings | Fisherton | | Ayrshire | Scotland | With Ninian Johnston as assistant |  | 1940 | Newall Ltd | Possil | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1941 | Country House at Miliken Estate | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1945 | Balmore Road | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Extension |  | 1945 | Queenslie Industrial Estate | Queenslie | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | 1947 | Richard Crittall Ltd Premises | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations and additions |  | 1948 | Lomond Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Alterations and additions |  | Before 1951 | Bellsmyre site development | Dumbarton | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | |  | Before 1951 | Castlehill site layout with houses, schools, shops, churches etc | Dumbarton | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | |  | Before 1951 | Crosslet Residential Nursery | Dumbarton | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | |  | Before 1951 | Ferguslie School | Paisley | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | Additions |  | Before 1951 | Milton Primary School | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |  | Before 1951 | Milton Secondary School | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this architect: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | British Architectural Library, RIBA | 2001 | Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 | | | |  | RIBA | 1939 | The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |  | Walker, Frank Arneil | 1986 | South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew | | | p14, p78 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this architect: | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes |  | H M Register House | Death Register | | |  | National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS | NMRS Architects Index | | |  | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Recollections by Ninian Johnston, August 1985 |  | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | L v16 no1132; F no1756 (microfilm reel 14) |
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