Archibald Dawson

Last updated

Archibald Dawson
Born
Archibald C. Dawson

16 April 1892
Scotland
Died15 April 1938
Scotland
NationalityScottish
Known forSculpture
AwardsHaldane Trust Award

Archibald C. Dawson ARSA (16 April 1892 – 15 April 1938) was a Scottish sculptor, specialising in architectural carving. [1] Two of his most noteworthy works include wood and stone carvings for the University of Glasgow Memorial Chapel and sculptures for the Russell Institute in Paisley, featuring images of his wife and two sons.

University of Glasgow University located in Glasgow, Scotland and founded in 1451.

The University of Glasgow is a public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in 1451, it is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Along with the universities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and St. Andrews, the university was part of the Scottish Enlightenment during the 18th century.

Russell Institute hospital

The Russell Institute is a building in Paisley, Scotland.

Paisley, Renfrewshire town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in Scotland

Paisley is a town situated in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Located on the northern edge of the Gleniffer Braes, the town borders the city of Glasgow to the east, and straddles the banks of the White Cart Water, a tributary of the River Clyde.

Contents

Personal life and career

He was born in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire at 23 High Partick Street.

Hamilton, South Lanarkshire town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland

Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It sits 12 miles (19 km) south-east of Glasgow, 35 miles (56 km) south-west of Edinburgh and 74 miles (120 km) north of Carlisle. It is situated on the south bank of the River Clyde at its confluence with the Avon Water. Hamilton is the county town of the historic county of Lanarkshire.

Dawson's father, Mathew Dawson, was also an architectural carver [2] who was in partnership with the Glasgow sculptor, James Milne Sherriff (1861–1904)

Glasgow City and council area in Scotland

Glasgow is the most populous city in Scotland, and the third most populous city in the United Kingdom, as of the 2017 estimated city population of 621,020. Historically part of Lanarkshire, the city now forms the Glasgow City council area, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland; the local authority is Glasgow City Council. Glasgow is situated on the River Clyde in the country's West Central Lowlands. Inhabitants of the city are referred to as "Glaswegians" or "Weegies". It is the fourth most visited city in the UK. Glasgow is also known for the Glasgow patter, a distinct dialect of the Scots language that is noted for being difficult to understand by those from outside the city.

From 1911 to 1913 he attended the Glasgow School of Art and received the Haldane Trust Award. In his final year, he taught stone carving. Dawson then served during World War I in the Glasgow Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry. [1]

Glasgow School of Art Scottish fine art school

The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) is Scotland's only public, self-governing art school offering undergraduate degrees; post-graduate awards and PhD's in architecture, fine art and design.

World War I 1914–1918 global war originating in Europe

World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.

Highland Light Infantry

The Highland Light Infantry (HLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881. It took part in the First and Second World Wars, until it was amalgamated with the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1959 to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers which later merged with the Royal Scots Borderers, the Black Watch, the Highlanders and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland, becoming the 2nd Battalion of the new regiment.

From about 1920 to 1938, Dawson directed the design, modelling and stone carving classes at the Glasgow School of Art. Around 1926, Dawson taught a class in bronze casting in San Diego, California's Santa Barbara School of the Arts. He became the head of the Modelling and Sculpture and Ceramics Department in 1929. Dawson was in 1936 elected Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy. The same year he became a member of The Scottish Modern Arts Association. It was at about that time he also was a partner at Dawson & Young, after first working for James Young & Son. [1] [2]

San Diego City in California, United States

San Diego is a city in the U.S. state of California. It is in San Diego County, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, approximately 120 miles (190 km) south of Los Angeles and immediately adjacent to the border with Mexico.

Santa Barbara School of the Arts was a college of art founded in Santa Barbara, California, by artist Fernand Lungren (1857–1932) in 1920. It closed in 1933.

Royal Scottish Academy

The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art.

He married Isabell (Isa) Wharrie Nelson on 3 July 1920. They had two sons, Alistair and Hamish. [2] They lived first at 69 Minard Street and later at 56 Kelvingrove Street.

He died on 15 April 1938, the day before his St. Andrew figure was installed for the 1938 Empire Exhibition Scottish Pavilion, also the day before what would have been his 46th birthday. [1] He is buried in the Glasgow Necropolis in an unmarked grave. [2]

Works

Wooden carving in Port Glasgow town hall. An adjacent plaque reads "These carvings were designed and crafted in 1936 by the head of Glasgow School of Sculpture, Archibald Dawson, as part of a church improvement scheme which was funded by the members of Newark Parish Church and Sir James Lithgow." Wooden carving in Port Glasgow town hall - geograph.org.uk - 360920.jpg
Wooden carving in Port Glasgow town hall. An adjacent plaque reads "These carvings were designed and crafted in 1936 by the head of Glasgow School of Sculpture, Archibald Dawson, as part of a church improvement scheme which was funded by the members of Newark Parish Church and Sir James Lithgow."
The Russell Institute features Dawson's sculptures The Russell Institute - Paisley - Desaturated.jpg
The Russell Institute features Dawson's sculptures

Notable works

One of his noteworthy works was the carving of stone and wood mouldings as designed by Sir John Burnett for Glasgow University's Memorial chapel, [1] [3] [4] between 1923–1927. He worked on several churches by Jack Antonio Coia and the Ross Memorial Church in 1927. [2]

Another important work was the Russell Institute in Paisley, Scotland where he created between 1927 and 1929 groups and figures in bronze and other materials. His wife and two sons were models for the large sculpture over the entrance. [2]

Aside from his works for churches, Dawson also created the following works in Glasgow: [2]

His final work, created in 1938, was St. Andrew as a Young Man for the Empire Exhibition's Scottish Pavilion in Bellahouston. Due to his sudden death, the work became his memorial during the Empire Exhibition. [2]

Other works

The following is a partial list of Dawson's works [1]

Exhibitions

Dawson exhibited his work many times from 1915 to 1939: [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Archibald C. Dawson ARSA. Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851–1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Nisbet, Gary. Archibald C Dawson (1892–1938). Glasgow – The City of Sculpture. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  3. The History of Glasgow University Chapel. University of Glasgow. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  4. University of Glasgow, War Memorial Chapel and Arts Building. Dictionary of Scottish Architects (DSA) Building/Design Report. Retrieved 3 September 2012.