Basic Biographical Details

Name: James Morrison
Designation:  
Born: 5 April 1905
Died: 1937
Bio Notes: James Morrison was born on 5 April 1905 and was articled to T G Archibald of Huntly, Aberdeenshire in June 1920. He attended Aberdeen School of Architecture from August 1923, receiving his diploma in 1925 and his post-diploma in 1926 and reputedly being regarded by the headmaster as one of the most promising pupils. By July of the latter year he had moved to London, passing the qualifying exam in that month and joining Alexander George Robertson Mackenzie of A Marshall Mackenzie & Son as assistant in September. It was also at that time that he was awarded a silver medal by the Board of Architectural Education.

Morrison's RIBA nomination papers are anomalous. He was first elected ARIBA on 29 November 1926, his proposers being AGR Mackenzie, Herbert Hardy Wigglesworth and Alexander Marshall Mackenzie; but somehow his admission at this point appears to have slipped through the net as he did not appear in the ensuing RIBA Kalendars and applied for Associateship a second time in September 1928. His re-application, again with the support of AGR Mackenzie and Wigglesworth but this time with Thomas Smith Tait as his third proposer, was accepted late that year or early the next. The later nomination papers show that after only seven months with Mackenzie he had transferred to the office of William Edward Trent.

Morrison designed a number of cinemas in London and throughout England for the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation, Bernstein Cinemas and Gaumont Super Cinemas, some in conjunction with William Thomas Benslyn. He died in 1937.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 223, Upperkirkgate, Huntly, Aberdeenshire, ScotlandPrivate1926 *  
Item 2 of 295, Lonsdale Road, Barnes, London, EnglandPrivate1928 *  

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 4Thomas George ArchibaldJune 19201926Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4Alexander George Robertson MackenzieSeptember 1926April 1927AssistantIn London office
Item 3 of 4A Marshall Mackenzie & SonSeptember 1926April 1927AssistantIn London office, under AGR Mackenzie
Item 4 of 4William Edward TrentApril 1927After 1928Assistant 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 6Alexander George Robertson Mackenzie29 November 1926for Associateship
Item 2 of 6Alexander George Robertson MackenzieLate 1928 or early 1929for Associateship - re-application or reinstatement?
Item 3 of 6Alexander Marshall Mackenzie29 November 1926for Associateship
Item 4 of 6Thomas Smith TaitLate 1928 or early 1929for Associateship - re-application or reinstatement?
Item 5 of 6Herbert Hardy Wigglesworth29 November 1926for Associateship
Item 6 of 6Herbert Hardy WigglesworthLate 1928 or early 1929for Associateship - re-application or reinstatement?

References

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Builder24 December 1937  p1147

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers A no4000 (box 5); A no4268 (combined box 4)