TRAQUAIR, Ramsay (1874-1952), an influential lecturer, historian, educator, architect and painter, and head of the School of Architecture at McGill University from 1913 to 1939. Born at Edinburgh, Scotland on 29 March 1874, he was educated at the Edinburgh Academy (in 1884-91), and at the Edinburgh College of Art (in 1891-95). He articled there with Stewart H. Capper from 1894-97, and it was Capper who was later appointed as the first Director of the School of Architecture at McGill University (1896 to 1903). The connection with Capper was to prove useful in 1913 when Traquair himself was appointed to the same position at McGill University. When Capper left for Montreal, Traquair remained in Edinburgh and joined the office of Peddie & Sir G. Washington Browne (1897-98), then moved to London to work as assistant to S.B. Russell. He later returned to Edinburgh to work under Sir Robert Lorimer, a leading figure in Scottish architecture, and with the architect A.G. Sydney Mitchell of Edinburgh.
His interest in archaeology and Byzantine architecture led him to several study trips to Greece and Turkey, and he opened his own architectural practise in Edinburgh in 1905. Only a few of his designs for buildings have been located there, but he was a talented delineator who often employed a modern Scottish Baronial style for his works. He supplemented his income by teaching at the Edinburgh College of Art (1904-13), and took charge of the architectural programme there in 1908. When Percy Nobbs, another Scottish architect and friend of Traquair, relinquished his position as head of the School of Architecture at McGill Univ. in 1913, it was Traquair who accepted the offer of the posting in Canada in June 1913, and he arrived in Montreal in September 1913. Within months of his arrival he began to develop a keen interest in the rich architectural heritage of both Montreal and surrounding towns and villages of rural Quebec. This was to become a lifelong fascination, resulting in dozens of written articles and public lectures not only at the School at McGill, but also for cultural groups, and even radio audiences.
Traquair's interest in Quebec vernacular architecture influenced a whole generation of his architectural students from McGill University, particularly evident in their re-interpretations of traditional forms in the modern designs for sumptuous houses executed by Harold E. Shorey, S. Douglas Ritchie, A.T. Galt Durnford, A. Leslie Perry and Morley Luke, all of whom had trained under Traquair. He retired from his post at McGill University in the autumn of 1938, and on 29 May 1939 he was honoured with a rousing send-off by members of the P.Q.A.A. who gathered at Bonaventure Station to see him off to the home of his retirement in Gusyboro, Nova Scotia (R.A.I.C. Journal, xvii, July 1939, 171). The prominent modernist architect Marcel Parizeau wrote a tribute to Traquair the following year (R.A.I.C. Journal, xvii, Oct. 1940, 186), and he was elected to a Life Fellowship in the R.A.I.C. in July 1941.
Traquair used his retirement productively, writing and publishing two important books, one entitled The Old Silver of Quebec (reviewed in the R.A.I.C. Journal, xviii, March 1941, 46), and his opus magnum, called The Old Architecture of Quebec, 1947, reviewed in the R.A.I.C. Journal, xxiv, Sept. 1947, 335 and called '....the first important book on Canadian Architecture ever published'. This highly influential work, which incorporated many of his illustrated essays published earlier in the issues of the R.A.I.C. Journal from 1927 to 1939, has now become a standard reference work on the historic ecclesiastical and residential architecture of Quebec from the 17th C. to the 19th Century. Traquair died at Guysboro, N.S. on 26 August 1952 (obit. Gazette [Montreal], 29 Aug. 1952, 24; Montreal Star, 28 Aug. 1952, 30; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxix, Nov. 1952, 344; biog. Who's Who and Why in Canada, 1921, 286; Who's Who in Canada, 1936-37, 1079; biog. and port. R.A.I.C. Journal, xvi, June 1939, 147-8; I. Gournay & F. Vanlaethem, Montreal Metropolis 1880-1930, 1998, 207; R.I.B.A., Directory of British Architects 1834-1914, 2001, ii, 828). The Canadian Architecture Collection at McGill University in Montreal holds an extensive collection of over 500 measured drawings and nearly 8,000 photographs and glass slides owned by, or taken by, Traquair. A two-volume Finding Aid to this collection was published in 1987 entitled 'Ramsay Traquair and His Successors: A Guide to the Archive', and includes an extensive bibliography.
SCOTLAND
GLENFINCASTLE, PERTH, major additions and alterations to "Balavoulin", a large country house formerly called Milton Lodge, 1905 (John Gifford, The Buildings of Scotland: Perth & Kinross, 2007, 403, descrip.)
BANNOCKBURN, SCOTLAND, a group of 6 cottages, 1908 (see competitions list below)
SKIRLING, PEEBLESSHIRE, reconstruction and major additions to residence for Sir. Thomas D. Gibson-Carmichael, 1908-12 (Academy Architecture [London], xxxiv, 1908, Part Two, 65, 71, illus.; Builder [London], cii, 2 Feb. 1912, 113, 118, illus. & descrip.; K. Cruft et al, The Buildings of Scotland: Borders, 2006, 686-87, descrip.)
EDINBURGH, Mackenzie Boarding House, for Edinburgh Academy, Kinnear Road, Inverleith, 1910 (Academy Architecture [London], xxxviii, 1910, Part Two, 83, 92, illus.; John Gifford et al, The Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, 1984, 580; dwgs. at R.I.B.A. Drawings Collection, London)
EDINBURGH, First Church of Christ Scientist, Inverleith Terrace, 1910-11 (Architects' & Builders' Journal [London], xxxi, 18 May 1910, 504, descrip.; J. Gifford et al, The Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, 1984, 570-71, descrip.; RIBA Fellowship Application, 20 July 1920, list of works)
(with Frank C. Mears & James S. Ferrier) EDINBURGH, proposal for the Abbey Gateway at Holyrood Castle, Abbey Strand, 'to be built as a Memorial to King Edward VII', 1911 (Builder [London], c, 7 April 1911, 433, descrip.; 5 May 1911, 550-51, illus.)
BRIDGE OF WEIR, RENFREWSHIRE, Freeland United Church, remodelling and renovation, with addition of new chancel, 1912-13 (Building News [London], civ, 30 May 1913, 767; RIBA Fellowship, Application, 20 July 1920, list of works; John Gifford et al, The Buildings of Scotland: Lanarkshire & Renfrewshire, 2016, 495, descrip.)
COMPETITIONS
BANNOCKBURN, SCOTLAND, a group of 6 model cottages, 1908. Traquair won First Prize in this architectural competition (Architect & Contract Reporter [London], Vol. 80, 10 July 1908, 32). It is unclear if any of the cottages were built.
EUROPE, Canadian Battlefields Memorial Competition, 1921. Traquair was among over one hundred competitors who submitted designs in a two-stage competition for battlefield memorials to be built in France and Belgium. His proposal was selected as a finalist and was advanced to the second stage (Gazette [Montreal], 26 April 1921, 10; C.R., xxxv, 4 May 1921, 452; Const., xiv, June 1921, 167, illus.), but his drawings were later set aside in favour of the winning schemes by F.C. Clemesha and by Walter S. Allward.
SELECTED ESSAYS
'The Education of the Architect', in Const., xii, Oct. 1919, 315-17;
'The Old Architecture of the Province of Quebec', in R.A.I.C. Journal, ii, Jan-Feb. 1925, 25-30, illus.;
'The Building of McGill University', in R.A.I.C. Journal, ii, March-April 1925, 45-63, illus.;
'Church of the Visitation, Sault-au-Recollet, Quebec' in R.A.I.C. Journal, iv, Dec. 1927, 435, 437-50, illus. & descrip.;
'Old Churches and Church Carving in the Province of Quebec' in R.I.B.A. Journal [London], xxxv, 25 Feb. 1928, 247-62, illus.;
'The Old Cottages of Quebec' in House Beautiful [New York], lxiii, May 1928, 612-13, 649-50, 652-4, 656, illus.;
'Church of Saint Pierre, Island of Orleans, Quebec' in R.A.I.C. Journal, vi, Feb. 1929, 51-64, illus. & descrip.;
'Church of Saint Jean, Island of Orleans, Quebec, in R.A.I.C. Journal, vi, June 1929, 223-32, illus. & descrip.;
'Chapel of Mgr. Olivier Briand in the Seminary of Quebec' in R.A.I.C. Journal, Dec. 1929, 433-38, illus. & descrip.;
'The Panelled Room in the Presbytery of the Basilica, Quebec' in R.A.I.C. Journal, vii, Feb. 1930, 48-50, illus. & descrip.;
'No. 92 St. Peter Street: A Merchant's House of the XVIII Century', in R.A.I.C. Journal, vii, May 1930, 166-72; July 1930, 264-71, illus. & descrip.;
'The Huron Mission Church and Treasure of Notre Dame de la Jeanne Lorette, Quebec' in R.A.I.C. Journal, vii, Sept. 1930, 337-45, Nov. 1930, 415-21, illus. & descrip.;
'The Old Architecture of French Canada' in Queen's Quarterly [Kingston], xxxviii, Autumn, 1931, 589-608, illus.;
'The Architecture of the Hopital General, Quebec' in R.A.I.C. Journal, viii, Feb. 1931, 61-9; April 1931, 160-66; July 1931, 271-81; Aug. 1931, 290-93, illus. & descrip.;
'The Church of Ste. Jeanne Francoise de Chantal on the Ile Perrot, Quebec' in R.A.I.C. Journal, ix, May 1932, 124-31; June 1932, 147-52, illus. & descrip.;
'The Education of the Architect', in R.A.I.C. Journal, ix, Nov. 1932, 248-50;
'The Old Presbytery of Batiscan' in R.A.I.C. Journal, x, Jan. 1933, 13-20, illus. & descrip.;
'The House of Simon McTavish, No. 27 St. Jean Baptiste Street, Montreal' in R.A.I.C. Journal, x, Nov. 1933, 188-92;
'The Old Church of St. Charles de Lachenaie' in R.A.I.C. Journal, xi, Nov. 1934, 164-68, illus. & descrip.;
'The Church of St. Etienne de Beaumont, Quebec' in R.A.I.C. Journal, xiii, Oct. 1936, 183-90, illus. & descrip.;
'The Church of St. John the Baptist at St. Jean Port Joli, Quebec' in R.A.I.C. Journal, xvi, Feb. 1939, 26-34, illus. & descrip.;