PERCY
ERSKINE NOBBS PROFESSIONAL AND
PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE AND OTHER PAPERS
The Percy Erskine Nobbs
papers in the Canadian Architecture Collection constitute only a portion of
the architect's professional and personal records, as neither Nobbs and his
associates' office files nor Nobbs's private correspondence are represented
in their entirety. Existing office files are noted under the appropriate operation
numbers in the body of the inventory as are photographs from the office records.
An inventory of Nobbs and Hyde drawings by operation number (1907-45) also
survives. The papers listed here do, however, have considerable interest for
the researcher, since they span much of Nobbs's adult life (c 1895-1960) and
illustrate the tremendous range of his activities.
In order to arrange these
fragmentary records, an artificial system was devised based on their function.
The six categories into which the papers were sorted are: a) personal projects;
b) McGill University; c) addresses, reports and papers; d) city planning activities;
e) professional associations; and f) personal correspondence.
SERIES
A. Personal projects (1906-55) 7 file folders.
Manuscripts, typescripts
and correspondence regarding various projects undertaken by Nobbs out of his
own interest, in particular the design of his northern lighting system.
SERIES
B. Project files by operation number
SERIES
C. McGill University (1904-60) 16 file folders.
Correspondence relating
to Nobbs's activities as a professor of architecture at McGill University
(1904-40) and details of his subsequent pension arrangements, as well as the
honorary Doctor of Letters awarded him by McGill in 1957. Included are student
design problems assigned by Nobbs during his years as Professor of Design
at the School of Architecture (1928-40).
SERIES
D. Addresses, reports and papers (1899-1957) 11 file folders.
Manuscripts and typescripts
of forty-seven articles, addresses, reports and papers on art, architecture
and related topics, some of which were published. The titles, in chronological
order, are as follows:
[Address to Pen and Pencil
Club] (n.d.) Typescript.
The Grand Manner in St.
Petersburg and Chicago, (n.d.) Typescript.
The English Tradition
in Canadian Architecture, (n.d.) Typescript.
The Arts of Russia, (n.d.)
Typescript.
[On old English crafts]
(n.d.) Manuscript.
[On the arts and crafts
movement] (n.d.) Manuscript.
Gothic Sculpture, (n.d.)
Manuscript.
English Church Building
in the XIV Century, (n.d.) Manuscript.
Some Points about the
Newly Granted Royal Arms of Canada (n.d.) Typescript.
[On art and the state].
(1899) Manuscript.
Why we go to Italy. Paper
read before the Edinburgh Architectural Society. (1901) Manuscript.
[Art in the modern state:
introduction]. (c1904) Typescript.
Art in the Modern State.
(1904) Typescript. Notes on the Gothic Revival. (c1907) Manuscript.
The Architectural Revivals
of the XIX Century in England. For the Ontario Architectural Association and
the P.Q.A.A. Sketching Club, January 1907. Typescript.
The Bishop's Penny. (1906)
Manuscript.
The University Lecture:
Art in its Lowest Terms.(I906) Typescript.
Architectural Education
in Canada. (1909) Manuscript.
Art Education in the British
Commonwealth. (1909) Typescript.
[On art and architecture].
(1910) Manuscript.
On English Architecture.
(1910) Manuscript.
Report on the Proposed
Type Collection of British Art. To Sir Cecil Smith, Director, Victoria and
Albert Museum. (1911) Typescript.
Draft article for Graduates
Magazine. (1920) Typescript.
On War Memorials. (1921)
Typescript.
The Architects. (c1921)
Typescript.
Art Gallery, October 8th
1921. Typescript.
Literature and Architecture.
(1922) Typescript.
[On sunshine]. (c1922)
Typescript.
On Sunbeams. (c1922) Typescript.
Canadian Architecture.
(1922) Typescript.
Planning for Sunlight.
(1922) Typescript (2), blueprint.
Wall Textures (c1923).
Typescript (2).
Sir William Macdonald.
Some Reminiscences. (1923) Typescript.
On the Appreciation of
Things Made to be Seen. (c1923) Typescript.
[Tribute to Monseigneur
de Laval]. (1924) Typescript.
Report re. the State and
art in Canada [Ottawa Museum] (1907-15)
Reports, correspondence,
blueprint.
An Address to the Province
of Quebec Association of Architects on Town Planning Effort in Montreal. (1934)
Typescript.
A Metropolitan System
of Water Side Parks for Montreal. (1934) Typescript.
Recent Architecture in
Canada. (1936) Typescript.
Latter Day Architecture.
(1937) Typescript.
Design and Art at the
Mechanics Institute. (1937) Typescript.
At the Erskine and American
United Church- "Your Church". (1939) Typescript.
Canadian Flag Problems.
(1940) Typescript. [On interior decoration], (1941) Typescript.
Art Association of Montreal:
Mr. Jacks Exhibition. (1943) Typescript.
Notes on colour and form:
[McGill] extension course 1939. 9 lectures, manuscripts.
The Remuneration of Architects.
15th International Congress of Architects, Washington, D.C. (1939) Typescripts.
The Sliding Scale of Remuneration.
(1939) Typescript.
Those Russians. (1957)
Typescript, correspondence.
SERIES
E. City planning activities (1926-50) 12 file folders.
Reports, notes and correspondence
stemming from Nobbs's involvement in the Montreal City Improvement League
Committee on Town Planning and the Montreal Committee on Housing and Slum
Clearance.
SERIES
F. Professional associations (1916-55) 5 file folders.
Correspondence relating
to Nobbs's participation in several professional organizations, specifically
the Art Association of Montreal (1916-33), the Royal Institute of British
Architects (1927-29), the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (1928-39), the Royal
Society of Arts (1938-40) and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
(1955).
SERIES
G. Private correspondence (1893-1953) 8 file folders.
Letters from several of
Nobbs's friends and colleagues, among them Sir Raymond Unwin (1934-40), Professor
G. Baldwin Brown (1893-1926), Auckland C. Geddes (1909-53), Bertram Goodhue
(1906-35), R.S. Lorimer (1904-24) and Noulan Cauchon (1935).
SERIES
H. Photographs
SERIES
I. Published materials
SERIES
J. Sketchbooks
SERIES
K. Miscellaneous files
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