DESCRIPTION

Architectural drawings documenting ten projects of the practice of the Montreal architect John Smith Archibald are found in this collection, along with photographs and postcards assembled by Archibald and his associates.

John Smith Archibald (1872-1934) received his early architectural training in the office of William Maclntosh in his native town of Inverness, Scotland. In 1893 he emigrated to Canada and found employment at the firm of Edward Maxwell (1867-1923) in Montreal, working as a draughtsman and assistant to Maxwell. Archibald stayed at the firm until 1897 when he formed a partnership with another former Maxwell draughtsman, Charles Jewett Saxe (1870-1943). This partnership continued until 1915 at which time Archibald began to practise alone. He designed a variety of structures including a number of stations and hotels for the Canadian National Railway; he designed several sports buildings including the Montreal Forum, a number of schools, churches, commercial buildings, and hospitals, as well as residential buildings in Montreal and Kingston. Noteworthy among his many projects is the Masonic Memorial Temple in Montreal (1928). Upon his death in 1934, Archibald's practice was continued by his son Ian T. Archibald (1903-71) and Hugh Percival Illsley (b.1896). They were later joined by Francis Orr Templeton (1904-72) to form the firm of Archibald, Illsley and Templeton which practised architecture in Montreal until 1950.

For further information, see the CAC's publication, John S. Archibald and His Associates: A Guide to the Archive=John S. Archibald et ses associés: Guide du fonds. Montreal: Canadian Architecture Collection, Blackader-Lauterman Library of Architecture and Art, McGill University, 1990. Also see Irene Puchalski. An Analysis of Four Building Types by John S. Archibald, Architect (1872-1934). M.A. Thesis. Montreal: Concordia University, 1991.