Hippolyte Blanc | |
|---|---|
 Hippolyte Blanc, c. 1890 | |
| Born | 18 August 1844 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Died | 17 March 1917 (aged 72) Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Occupation | Architect |
Hippolyte Jean Blanc (18 August 1844 – 17 March 1917) was a Scottish architect. Best known for his church buildings in the Gothic revival style, Blanc was also a keen antiquarian who oversaw meticulously researched restoration projects.
Hippolyte Blanc was born at 37 North Frederick Street in Edinburgh, third son of four children, to French parents who ran a business on George Street importing and manufacturing ladies' shoes. His father, Victor Jacques Blanc, was from Privas in the Ardèche area of France. He met Hippolyte's mother, Sarah or Sartia Bauress, whilst living in Dublin and moved to Edinburgh around 1840. Their firm "Madame Blanc et Fils" was at 68 George Street immediately opposite a house they moved to later in Hippolyte's life at 69 George Street.
Blanc attended George Heriot's School, winning the dux medal in 1859, and was then articled to the architect David Rhind. While working for Rhind, he attended classes at the School of Art and Design, where he met Thomas Ross, and became interested in medieval architecture. In 1864, after completing his articles, he joined the Government Office of Works under Robert Matheson, where he became a senior draughtsman in 1869. He married Elizabeth Shield on 21 August 1873, and they moved to 12 St Vincent Street. They later moved to the Grange area in south Edinburgh: first to 2 Thirlestane Road and finally to 17 Strathearn Place.
For much of his career Blanc's office was at 40 Frederick Street, extremely close to his parental home and their shop. In 1901 the office moved to 1 Rutland Square.
From the early 1870s, Blanc began to undertake private commissions. In 1875, he won his first architectural competition, for Christ Church, Morningside, and the following year won a second, for Mayfield Free Church. He left the Office of Works in 1878 to concentrate on his increasing workload, and by 1887 he had taken on a partner, James Gordon.
Blanc executed numerous church buildings, including Kirkliston Free Church (1880), St Luke's, Broughty Ferry (1884), Coats Memorial Baptist Church, Paisley (1885), St Matthew's Parish Church (now Morningside Parish Church) (1888, opened 1890) and Morningside Free Church, Edinburgh (1892), now the Church Hill Theatre. He carried out restoration work to Edinburgh Castle (1886), John Knox House (1886), St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh (1892), and St Duthac's Church, Tain (1896). Secular work includes Mayville Gardens in Trinity, Edinburgh, a pleasant and quirky Victorian cul-de-sac with a low terrace of ornate houses on each side (1881). [1] Other major commissions included houses at Eriska, Argyll, and Ferguslie Park, Paisley (1888–91), since demolished. Bangour Village Hospital, West Lothian, was a competition win in 1898, and he designed the former Bernard's Brewery buildings in Gorgie (1887). Blanc also designed several monuments. In 1912 he took his son, Frank Edward Belcombe Blanc, into partnership, and from 1913 his own architectural work drew to a close. His son continued to practice under the name Hippolyte J. Blanc & Son, until around 1950. From 1893 to 1898 his nephew, Louis David Blanc (1877-1944), also trained under him (working largely on the Coats Memorial Church in Paisley). Louis went on to specialise in department store design, being employed by Harrods as their in-house architect from around 1928. [2] Blanc's eldest son, Victor Hippolyte Blanc, chose to be a dentist rather than an architect.
Sir Frank Mears trained under Hippolyte from 1896 to 1901. Alexander Lorne Campbell trained under him in 1897. [3]
In 1871 Blanc was elected president of the Edinburgh Architectural Association for the first of three times. He became a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1879, a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1901, and was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) in 1896. In addition, he was an active member of several other learned societies. He wrote and lectured extensively, largely on the subject of medieval church architecture. Blanc served as president and treasurer of the RSA from 1907–17, and was president of the Edinburgh Photographic Society from 1888 until 1892, and honorary president from 1896 until his death. [4] In 1910 he was appointed to a Royal Commission which oversaw British involvement in International Exhibitions held in Brussels (1910), Rome (1911) and Turin (1911). He was active in encouraging the careers of younger architects, and acted as assessor on several architectural competitions. From 1913 to 1916 he served on the ruling council of the prominent Edinburgh conservationist group the Cockburn Association. [5]
Blanc died, aged 72, from pneumonia at his home at 17 Strathearn Place, Morningside. He was buried in Warriston Cemetery in its lower section, just south of the vaults, southeast of the monument to James Young Simpson. [4]
Broxburn is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It is 12 miles (19 km) from the West End of Edinburgh, 5 miles (8.0 km) from Edinburgh Airport and 5 miles (8.0 km) to the north of Livingston. Originally a village known as Easter Strathbock in the medieval period, by 1600, the village had become known as Broxburn. The area developed rapidly during the Victorian era as a result of industralisation related to shale oil extraction. While much of the industry in the area is now diminished, the town has continued to grow following new residential development, resulting in Broxburn forming a conurbation with neighbouring Uphall.
Newington is a neighbourhood of southern Edinburgh, Scotland. Developed from the early 19th century, it is an affluent, predominantly residential area.
Morningside is a district and former village in the south of Edinburgh, Scotland. It lies alongside the main arterial Morningside Road, part of an ancient route from Edinburgh to the south west of Scotland. The original village served several farms and estates in the area. In the 19th century, it developed as a residential suburb, its growth being stimulated by the arrival of a railway service and other transport improvements.
Newbridge is a village within the parish of Kirkliston, to the west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It originally lay on the western edge of the county of Midlothian; however, local government reforms in the late 20th century placed it within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council.
Mayfield Salisbury Church, formerly Mayfield North Church and also informally known as Mayfield Church, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland. It is located in the Newington district of Edinburgh, approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the city centre. The building was designed by Hippolyte Blanc, with construction taking place between 1875 and 1879. Extensive renovations were carried out in 1969 following a major fire which destroyed most of the roof. The building is noted for the range and quality of its stained glass. The present congregation is the product of several mergers, most recently of Mayfield Church with Salisbury Church in 1993.
Bangour Village Hospital was a psychiatric hospital located west of Dechmont in West Lothian, Scotland. During the First World War it formed part of the much larger Edinburgh War Hospital.
William Birnie Rhind RSA (1853–1933) was a Scottish sculptor.
Sir George Washington Browne was a Scottish architect. He was born in Glasgow, and trained there and in London. He spent most of his career in Edinburgh, although his work can be found throughout Scotland and beyond. He was involved in nearly 300 projects, including many public and commercial buildings. One of his most notable buildings is Edinburgh's Central Library, and he became recognised as an authority on library planning and design. He came to national attention after winning a competition to design a bridge over the River Thames in London, although this was never realised. He was the first architect to be elected as President of the Royal Scottish Academy. He also served as President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association, and was instrumental in setting up the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland.
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Charles George Hood Kinnear FRIBA ARSA FRSE was one half of Peddie & Kinnear partnership, one of Scotland’s most renowned and prodigious architectural firms, famed for their development of the Scots Baronial style, typified by Cockburn Street in Edinburgh which evokes a highly medieval atmosphere. Kinnear was also a pioneer photographer credited with inventing the bellows attachment on early cameras.
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James Graham Fairley FRIBA MSGS (1846–1934) was a 19th/20th century Scottish architect working mainly in the West Lothian area, specialising in churches and schools.
Alexander Ross FRIBA LLD was a 19th/20th century Scottish architect specialising in churches, especially for the Free Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church. He was Provost of Inverness from 1889 to 1895.
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Charles Adamson Salmond (1853–1932) was a Scottish minister of the Free Church of Scotland and ecclesiastical author.
John Ross McKay RIBA (1884–1962) was a 20th-century Scottish architect. He was also President of the Clan MacKay Society. He gives his name to the J R McKay Medal for architectural students.
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