Basic Biographical Details Name: | John Ballantine | Designation: | | Born: | 1874 | Died: | | Bio Notes: | John Ballantine was born in 1874, the son of John Ballantine, joiner from Ayrshire and his wife, Janet Sharp, from Greenock. He was articled to John Campbell McKellar in 1889. He studied at Glasgow School of Art for six years and at the Technical College for four years, and in 1894 won the Queen's Prize for Architectural Design. He remained as assistant with McKellar until 1902 when he began in independent practice, going into partnership that year with George Sinclair, a former colleague at McKellar's.
The practice was initially fairly successful, partly due to Sinclair's connections in Caithness and Sutherland. It entered a large number of competitions for libraries and public halls in which it tended to come 2nd or 3rd, its more important successes being Rutherglen Public Library and the St Vincent Masonic Halls. The bread and butter aspect of the practice was tenements, work which dried up abruptly with the Finance Act of 1909. In that year the partnership was dissolved, Sinclair having obtained an appointment with the Inland Revenue Valuation Department. Ballantine obtained a job as principal assistant with George Arthur & Son and Sinclair continued the practice alone at 95 Bath Street.
Ballantine was admitted LRIBA on 20 March 1911, his proposers being John Campbell McKellar, George Gunn and David Bateman Hutton. At that time he was still with George Arthur & Son but the event probably marked his intention of returning to private practice. In 1916 he moved back into the office at 95 Bath Street and recommenced practice when Sinclair relocated to Haddington. He remained there until his retirement in 1933 or 1934.
He died at 79 Cartvale Road ion 3 April 1936, from diabetes, arterio-sclerosis and gangrene, survived by his wife, Louisa Mears Boyd. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 21, Rose Street, Garnethill, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1891 | 1908 | | | 95, Bath Street, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1903 | 1933 or 1934 | | | Meldroch, Overtoun Drive, Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Private | 1908 | 1910 | | | 79, Cartvale Road, Langside, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | Before 1911 | After 1914 | |
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA Proposers
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Post Office Directories | | | | | | | Who's Who in Architecture | 1914 | | | | |
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 | | Additional information from Iain Paterson | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | L v12 no723 (microfilm reel 33) |
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