BECK, John Jackson (1882-1957) inherited the legacy of John M. Lyle, with whom he had worked as chief assistant for more than twenty years. Born in Sheffield, Engl. In 1882 he articled with Athron & Beck of Doncaster from 1899 to 1903 and emigrated to Canada in 1905. He settled in Toronto and joined F.S. Baker as chief assistant (in 1905-08), then moved to New York City to work for George B. Post & Son (in 1908-10). After returning to Toronto he rejoined F.S. Baker, remaining there until 1913. After WWI Beck worked in Montreal for Ross & MacDonald (in 1920-23). From 1923 he was employed by J.M. Lyle, a leading figure in the design of bank buildings in Canada. It was there that he met Arthur Eadie, another Lyle employee, with whom he later formed a partnership when Lyle retired from practise in 1941. By the late 1930's Beck was an acknowledged expert on bank architecture, and wrote extensively on the subject (R.A.I.C. Journal, xiv, Sept. 1937, 176-80, illus.). His dedication to the job almost led to his premature death in 1937. While supervising the construction of the Dominion Bank in Sudbury for John Lyle, he was seriously injured when a 2,900 pound steel bank vault door fell on him, pinning the lower portion of his body beneath it (report in the Ottawa Journal, 16 Oct. 1937, 34). It took several months for Beck to recover from this injury.
With Eadie he later completed work on the design of the headquarters tower of the Bank of Nova Scotia in Toronto, a project begun by Lyle in 1930 but shelved before the outbreak of WWII. Other notable works by their firm included the reserved modernist styling to the General Electric Building in Oakville (1946) and George Locke Library in Toronto (1946-48). Beck retired in 1951 and died at Huntsville, Ont. on 14 August 1957 (obit. Telegram [Toronto], 17 Aug. 1957, 10; Globe & Mail [Toronto], 17 Aug. 1957, 4; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxxiv, Jan. 1958, 27-8; biog. R.I.B.A., London, Directory of British Architects 1834-1914, 2001, i, 146-7)
John J. BECK (works in Ontario)
(with Evelyn T. Arnoldi) KITCHENER, ONT., Carnegie Library, Queen Street at Weber Street, major addition of new reading room, and Children’s Wing, 1915-16 (Berlin News Record [Kitchener], 19 March 1915, 1 and 3; and 24 April 1915, 1, illus. & descrip.; and 28 August 1915, 4, Letter to the Editor by J.J. Beck, defending his design for the Library which was based on principles of classical architecture from the Italian and English Renaissance, and 27 Jan. 1916, 1 and 2, detailed architectural descrip.)
BECK & EADIE (works in Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Alberta)
TORONTO, ONT., Canadian General Electric Co. Ltd., Dufferin Street at King Street West, factory, 1943 (Toronto b.p. 78662, 2 July 1943)
PETERBOROUGH, ONT., Canadian General Electric Co. Ltd., Park Street North, factory, 1944; and major addition, 1947 (C.R., lvii, 4 Oct. 1944, 27-8; and lx, May 1947, 128; Financial Post [Toronto], 7 June 1947, 10)
TORONTO, ONT. Canadian General Electric Co. Ltd., a large varnish factory at the CGE Davenport works, 1945 (Financial Post [Toronto], 24 March 1945, 13)
BARRIE, ONT., Canadian General Electric Co. Ltd., Bradford Street, factory, 1945 (C.R., xviii, June 1945, 76; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxiii, Oct. 1946, 254-5, illus.)
TORONTO, ONT., Kingsboro Club, immediately east of the Kingsway Gates, with a frontage on the north side of Bloor Street West, 1945 (Canadian Hotel Review, xxiii, 15 Aug. 1945, 38-9)
TORONTO, ONT., George Locke Public Library, Yonge Street at Lawrence Avenue East, 1946-48 (Toronto b.p. 92039, 5 Nov. 1946; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxiv, Feb. 1947, 52-4, illus.)
OAKVILLE, ONT., Canadian General Electric Co. Ltd., facing the Queen Elizabeth Way near Dorval Drive, large factory, 1946 (C.R., lix, June 1946, 138; Financial Post [Toronto], 28 Dec. 1946, 11, descrip.; and 15 Feb. 1947, 12; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxv, Nov. 1948, 416, illus.)
TORONTO, ONT., Sealite Plastics Ltd., Villiers Street, office and factory, 1946 (C.R., lix, June 1946, 140)
TORONTO, ONT., Benjamin Moore Paint Co., Mulock Street, major addition to factory, 1946 (C.R., lix, June 1946, 141; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxv, Nov. 1948, 426-7, illus.)
PORT ARTHUR, ONT., Dominion Bank, 1947 (C.R., lx, June 1947, 114)
COBOURG, ONT., Canadian General Electric Co. Ltd., large factory for molded plastics production, 1947 (Financial Post [Toronto], 15 Feb. 1947, 12)
OSHAWA, ONT., mausoleum for R.S. McLaughlin, Union Cemetery, King Street West at Thornton Road North, 1947 (dwgs. Parkwood Estate Collection, Oshawa; inf. Joe Marion, Heritage Oshawa)
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I., Bank of Nova Scotia, Water Street, 1948 (Charlottetown Guardian, 20 Jan. 1949, 11, descrip.; dwgs. at Bank of Nova Scotia Archives, Toronto; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxvii, Oct. 1950, 338, illus.)
TORONTO, ONT., Radio Valve Co. of Canada, Dufferin Street near Liberty Street, factory, 1948 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xxv, Nov. 1948, 417, illus.)
(with Mathers & Haldenby) TORONTO, ONT., Bank of Nova Scotia Headquarters, King Street West at Bay Street, 1949-50 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xxvi, Sept. 1949, 286, illus.)
LETHBRIDGE, ALTA., Dominion Bank, 1949-50 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xxvii, Oct. 1950, 353, illus.)
TORONTO, ONT., Central Library, major addition and alterations for Boy's & Girl's Library, St. George Street, north of College Street, 1950; demol. 1995 (Toronto Public Library, Annual Report, 1950, 7-8, descrip.; Annual Report, 1951, 8 ff. and 12 ff, illus.; inf. Barbara Myrvold, Toronto)
TORONTO, ONT., Deer Park Public Library, St. Clair Avenue East at Alvin Avenue, 1950-51 (Globe & Mail [Toronto], 22 Sept. 1950, 4, illus.; Toronto Public Library, Annual Report, 1950, 14 ff, 18 ff, illus.; inf. Barbara Myrvold, Toronto Public Libary)