DAVID, Charles (1890-1962) of Montreal, Que. was born there on 5 April 1890 and educated at the Ecole Polytechnique where he graduated in 1914. He spent a year studying at the University of Pennsylvania and worked for Ross & MacDonald in Montreal (in 1916), and for Thomas W. Lamb, the prolific theatre architect from New York City (in 1916-17). He joined the Canadian Engineers during WWI and commenced practise in 1919, specializing in the planning of schools and other institutional buildings. His designs were cautiously modernist; he never employed the mannered styles such as neo-Georgian or Collegiate Gothic which his peers in Toronto and Ottawa frequently used in designs for schools. One of his outstanding works is that of the Ecole Louis Hebert (1933-34), a mature and sophisticated Art Deco composition with bold brick massing and elegant detailing.
David was highly regarded by his professional colleagues; he was appointed President of the Province of Quebec Assoc. of Architects in 1942 and was nominated President of the R.A.I.C. in 1946. He later served on the National Capital Commission and was elected alderman on the Outremont City Council for the term from 1951 to 1960. During this period his son Jacques L. David (1921-1993), a partner in the firm of David & David, handled the affairs of his practice. At the time of his death on 23 November 1962 he was consultant to the Montreal firm of David, Barott & Boulva (obit. Le Devoir [Montreal], 24 Nov. 1962, 15; Montreal Star, 24 Nov. 1962, 52; La Presse [Montreal], 26 Nov. 1962, 2; R.A.I.C. Journal, xl, Feb. 1963, 89; biog. and port. Biographies Francaises d'Amerique, 1942, 530; National Reference Book, ix, 1951, 151; inf. Prov. of Quebec Assoc. of Architects). A photographic portrait of David was published in the Daily Commercial News [Toronto], 24 Feb. 1936, p. 1. A detailed biography of David can be found in The Financial Post [Toronto], 16 March 1946, p. 6.
C. DAVID (works in Montreal unless noted)
(with L.A. Amos) ST. THOMAS AQUINAS ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Convent Street, n St. Henry, 1919-20 (Montreal Daily Star, 28 Oct. 1919, 23, t.c.)
VILLE EMARD ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, between Dumas Street and d'Aragon Street, 1920 (Montreal Daily Star, 25 Oct. 1920, 21, t.c.)
ST. CLOTHILDE ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Cote St. Paul Road, 1922 (C.R., xxxvi, 12 July 1922, 52, t.c.)
ACADEMIE ST. ZOTIQUE, Cartier Square at St. Ambroise Street, 1922 (Montreal, Les Edifices Scolaires, 1980, 266-7, illus.)
(with R.A. Brassard) ST. AUGUSTIN ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Cote St. Antoine Road, 1924 (C.R., xxxviii, 23 April 1924, 50)
(with L. Venne) ECOLE STE. CROIX ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Jolicoeur Street near Dubois Street, in Ville Emard, 1926-27 (C.R., xl, 1 Sept. 1926, 49; Gazette [Montreal], 28 Sept. 1927, 5; inf. Scott Edwards)
CITY HALL AVENUE, residence for M. St. Louis, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 3 Oct. 1928, 61)
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE, St. Denis Street, addition of upper floor, 1928; additions along Sanguinet Street, 1930, 1942 (C.R., xliv, 7 May 1930, 66; Montreal, Les Edifices Scolaires, 1980, 184-7, illus.)
(with J.L. Deshaies) ACADEMIE STE. CUNEGONDE, Albert Street at Delisle Street, 1927-28 (Gazette [Montreal], 23 Dec. 1927, 4; C.R., xlii, 4 Jan. 1928, 47; inf. Scott Edwards)
ARCHAMBAULT LTD., Clark Street, auto showroom, 1929 (C.R., xliii, 6 March 1929, 51)
(with R.R. Tourville and J.J. Perrault) OUTREMONT, St. Germain Roman Catholic Church, Cote Ste. Catherine Road, 1930-31; presbytery, 1936 (Outremont b.p. 2709, 17 Oct. 1930; Montreal, Les Eglises, 1981, 214-17, illus.)
ROMAN CATHOLIC BOYS SCHOOL, D'Aragon Street, 1932 (C.R., xlvi, 6 Jan. 1932, 45)
LAVAL DES RAPIDES, QUE., Roman Catholic Convent for the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus & Mary, 1932 (C.R., xlvi, 29 June 1932, 61)
(with J.J. Perrault) MONTREAL CITY HALL, Gosford Street at Champ de Mars, major addition, 1932 (C.R., xlvi, 26 Oct. 1932, 41-2)
ECOLE LOUIS HERBERT, 6th Avenue near Beaubien Street East, 1933 (C.R., xlvii, 4 Oct. 1933, 34, t.c.; R.A.I.C. Journal, xiii, July 1936, 143, illus.; and xiv, March 1937, 43-4; xviii, April 1941, 66-7, illus.)
SOEURS FRANCISCAINES MISSIONAIRES DE MARIE, Laurier Avenue East near St. Dominique Street, a Roman Catholic convent, 1936-37 (C.R., vol. 50, 1 Dec. 1937, 29)
LAVAL DES RAPIDES, QUE., major addition to novitiate for the Christian Brothers, 1940 (C.R., liii, 31 July 1940, 18)
ST. LAURENT, Federal-Provincial Aircraft Training School, 1943 (C.R., lvi, 17 Feb. 1943, 27)
CURRIE HOSPITAL, on the Benny Farm, Sherbrooke Street West, a 7 storey hospital block, 1945 (Montreal Daily Star, 12 April 1945, 3, illus. & descrip.; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxii, Nov. 1945, 234, illus.)
BERTHIERVILLE, QUE., major addition to warehouse for Melcher's Distilleries, 1946 (C.R., lix, Nov. 1946, 104)
(with Victor Depocas) SENNEVILLE, QUE., War Veteran's Hospital, 1947 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xxiv, March 1947, 88, illus.)
DAVID & DAVID (works in Montreal unless noted)
ST. HYACINTHE, QUE., Bell Telephone Building, 1950 (C.R., lxiii, April 1950, 130)
ALFRED LAMBERT INC., St. Paul Street West, shoe factory, 1950 (C.R., lxiii, July 1950, 128)
L.H. PACKARD & CO., Boyce Street near Letourneau Street, shoe factory, 1950 (C.R., lxiii, Dec. 1950, 110)
TROIS RIVIERES, QUE., major addition to Bell Telephone Exchange, 1950 (C.R., lxiii, May 1950, 148)