Basic Biographical Details Name: | James Hendry Langlands (senior) | Designation: | | Born: | 27 September 1861 | Died: | 9 June 1932 | Bio Notes: | James Hendry Langlands was born in Dundee on 27 September 1861, the son of James Langlands and his wife Elizabeth McIntosh Henderson. He was articled to Ireland & Maclaren, remaining as assistant and later undertaking most of the work of the practice from 1884 when Maclaren fell ill and totally from 1886 when Ireland died. On Maclaren's death in December 1887 Langlands succeeded to the practice and took over the office at 31 Murraygate having secured the confidence of the Dundee School Board Management.
Langlands worked in a style deriving from Ireland & Maclaren's until 1904 when William Gillespie Lamond, previously of Thomas Martin Cappon's office, became chief assistant. The work of the practice then assumed a bold Harrison Townsend-derived character.
In June 1912 Lamond died and the design work then fell chiefly into the hands of Langlands's son, also James Hendry Langlands, born c.1894. J H Langlands Junior was educated at Dundee High School and articled to his father c.1908, working under Lamond's supervision. While an apprentice he studied architecture at Dundee Technical College under Patrick Hill Thoms and concurrently qualified as a surveyor and structural engineer. He took over the detail design work of the Eastern School, Broughty Ferry and largely designed the Morgan Academy extension before seeking wider experience in London at an office which has yet to be identified.
As architect to Dundee School Board and several other boards, the elder Langlands became extremely prosperous and lived in some style in a late Georgian mansion at Cunmont, Newbiggin. But in 1919 as a result of local government changes Dundee School Board was absorbed into the Corporation of the City of Dundee and the schools were taken over by the City Architect's Department. The Langlands practice was almost wholly dependent on school work and as some of the School Board architects had retained office in Aberdeen and other places, Langlands unsuccessfully sued for the loss of office, an action which alienated the Town Council and caused further damage to the practice.
James H Langlands Senior died in a Dundee nursing home on 9 June 1932, leaving moveable estate of £264 18s 8d. His main interest was bee-keeping. His son built little, specialising in structural engineering, particularly shop alterations. He is recorded in his obituary as having designed the 23 bridges on the Kinlochleven Road but whether on his own account or as an assistant in a practice to which he had gone to gain experience has still to be established.
James Hendry Langlands Junior closed the practice in the mid-1960s, by which date it was at a very low ebb; the office was still at 31 Murraygate and had remained unchanged since the First World War. His last major work was the extensive stone repairs of St Mary's Parish Church, Dundee, work which he carried out with great care and skill without losing the original coursing or the polished face of the ashlars. He died in April 1992 at the great age of 98, still living in the house built by his father for his aunts. He never married, the great interest of his life being motorcars: because of their home at Cunmont, outside the city, the Langlands family had acquired a motorcar very early.
The practice archive which had remained complete was unfortunately destroyed, although a few framed presentation drawings were deposited with the buildings. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 31, Murraygate, Dundee, Scotland | Business | 1887 | After 1930 | Some handwritten documents (including ames Lowe's and A Lawrence Chapman's LRIBA papers) appear to give the address as 81 Murraygate, but printed RIBA Kalendars give number as 31. |
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or Pupils
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | RCAHMS | 1992 | Dundee on Record | | RCAHMS | Drawing of Eastern School by D M Walker (1955) p44 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Architectural Review | April 1958 | | | pp269-271 | | Dundee Courier and Advertiser | 16 April 1992 | | | Obituary |
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 | | Personal information from J H Langlands and Robert Dron, who worked in the office in 1913-14 |
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