James Miller (architect)

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For other persons named James Miller, see James Miller (disambiguation).

James Miller (1860-1947) was a Scottish architect and artist. He is noted for his many buildings in Glasgow and for his Scottish railway stations. Among these are the heavily American-influenced Union Bank building at 110-20 St Vincent Street; his 1901-1905 extensions to Glasgow Central railway station;[1] and the spectacular Wemyss Bay railway station on the Firth of Clyde.[2] He also produced a number of Arts and Crafts designs.

Miller moved to Stirling in 1911, at Randolphfield, and died there on 28 November 1947.

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[edit] Early life

James Miller was born in Auchtergaven, Perthshire, in 1860.[3] Soon after his birth, his father moved to Little Cairnie, Forteviot, where he spent most of his childhood. He was educated at Perth Academy.[4]

After finishing his school education, he undertook an apprenticeship with the Perth architect, Andrew Heiton, a former employee of Norman Shaw, in London; who had links with Scottish railway companies.[3] Upon completion of his apprenticeship, he worked for Hippolyte Blanc, in Edinburgh.[3]

[edit] Career

[edit] Summary

In 1888, he joined the Caledonian Railway's Drawing Office in Glasgow.[3] There, where he designed a number of railway stations under the supervision of the engineer-in-chief, George Graham, and his successor Donald Alexander Matheson.

In 1892 he set up in full-time practice on his own, renting an office at 223 West George Street, Glasgow; where he continued to do work the Caledonian Railway, as well as other Scottish railway companies. In 1894 he gained commissions for stations on the West Highland Railway.[4]

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[edit] Railway architecture

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[edit] Competitions

Miller won the following competitions, among others:[4]

  • in 1898 for the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1901;
  • in 1901 for the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, although the assessor, Rowand Anderson, had recommended another architect, Henry Edward Clifford;
  • in 1903 for the Materia Medica and Physiology buildings and Natural Philosophy Buildings at the University of Glasgow;
  • in 1908 for the museum in Bombay but the commission was given to the runner-up, George Wittet;
  • in 1910 for the Institution of Civil Engineers in Westminster (One Great George Street), and for the extension of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers to match it on the opposite side of Great George Street;
  • in 1924 for the Union Bank of Scotland in St Vincent Street;

[edit] American influence

Miller was influenced by his long-standing friend and supporter, Donald Alexander Matheson, the Chief Engineer of the Caledonian Railway, who in 1902 made a fact-finding visit to the USA. Among his buildings showing American influence are:[4]

  • Olympia House in Queen Street (1903);
  • Turnberry Hotel (begun in 1904);
  • Peebles Hydropathic (begun in 1905);
  • Cranston's Cinema building in Renfield Street (1914-15);
  • the McLaren warehouse in George Square (1922);
  • Union Bank of Scotland in St Vincent Street (inspired by York & Sawyer's 1913 Guaranty Trust Building and McKim Mead & White's National City Bank of 1903-10, both in New York);
  • James Woodhouse & Son, 28-36 Renfield Street (1929-31);

[edit] External links

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Paton (2006)
  2. ^ Walker (1986), p 146.
  3. ^ a b c d Sloan & Murray (1993), Introduction.
  4. ^ a b c d Dictionary of Scottish Architects biography

[edit] Sources

[edit] Gallery

Interior of Wemyss Bay railway station

booking office for St Enoch subway station (1896)

Institution of Civil Engineers, One Great George Street, London