Theatre Architects

Born: 1848 (Airdrie, Scotland)

Died: 1923 (Glasgow, Scotland)

James Davidson was born in Airdrie in 1848, the son of a weaver. He was educated at Airdrie Academy and initially trained as a joiner. In his teens he moved to Glasgow to attend the classes in the Athenaeum in Ingram Street, and while acting as foreman joiner on Flowerhill Parish Church in 1875 he impressed sufficiently to be made master or works for other Baird Trust church building projects. This enabled him to be articled to Hugh Hough MacLure from 1875 to 1882 when he commenced practice on his own account in Coatbridge, immediately becoming architect to Coatbridge School Board and a prominent local mason achieving the position of master of St John’s Lodge within a very few years. He was elected a councilor in Coatbridge in 1889, became a Baillie, and by 1911 provost.

Davidson was elected FRIBA on 3 December 1906, his proposers being James Milne Monro, Alexander Cullen and Davis Barclay. He was a very competent free Renaissance designer and a specialist in the design and construction of theatres.

Davidson died in April 1923. The practice was continued by his son Alexander, born 1879, who was articled to him and studied at Coatbridge Technical school from 1894 to 1899 and at Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College from 1899 to 1902. He became his father’s partner in August 1908 and was elected LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911, his proposers being his father, David Bateman Hutton and James Campbell Reid.

The practice name became James Davidson & Partners in the 1940s. In 1949 Alexander Smart Todd was taken into partnership. In 1953 on the death of the practice George Bruce Scotland, the practice J Scotland & Sons which was based in Airdrie was taken over by James Davidson & Son. The office in Airdrie was maintained until 1978. In 1960 Robert Robertson was taken into partnership and Robert William Marwick in 1966. At some point prior to 1957 the name of the practice changed again, this time becoming James Davidson & Son.

Information in part sourced from the Dictionary of Scottish Architects .

Theatres on this website in which this architect was involved:

King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

(exterior)