Alexander Thomson, c. 1850

Alexander “Greek” Thomson (April 9, 1817, March 22, 1875) was a prominent Glaswegian architect and architectural theorist. Thomson’s work was confined to Glasgow and the Firth of Clyde. Although his work was sometimes published in the architectural press of his day, it was little appreciated outside of his adopted city during his lifetime. It has only been since the 1950s and 60s that his critical reputation has revived -- not least of all in connection with his possible influence on Frank Lloyd Wright.^[1] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Glaswegian redirects here. ... Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867—April 9, 1959) was one of the most prominent and influential architects during the first half of the 20th century. ...

Henry-Russell Hitchcock wrote of Thomson in 1966: “Glasgow in the last 150 years has had two of the greatest architects of the Western world. C.R.Mackintosh was not highly productive but his influence in central Europe was comparable to such American architects as Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. An even greater and happily more productive architect, though one whose influence can only occasionally be traced in America in Milwaukee and in New York and not at all as far as I know in Europe, was Alexander Thomson.”^[2] Henry-Russell Hitchcock (1903-1987) was an American architectural historian and professor at Smith College. ... For the chemist and inventor, see Charles Mackintosh. ...

Thomson was born in the village of Balfron in Stirlingshire. The son of a bookkeeper, he was one of seventeen children. Orphaned at 13 he was eventually apprenticed to Glasgow architect Robert Foote, ultimately gaining a place in the office of John Baird as a draughtsman. In 1848 Thomson set up his own practice Baird & Thomson that lasted 9 years. In 1857 he entered into practice with his brother George where he was to enjoy the most productive years of his life. He served as president of both the Glasgow Architectural Society and the Glasgow Institute of Architects. He was an elder of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland and his deep religious convictions informed his work. There is a strong suggestion that he closely identified Solomon’s temple with the plan of the Greek basilica. Balfron, is a village in Stirling council area, Scotland. ... The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (1847-1900) was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. ... A drawing of Ezekiels Visionary Temple from the Book of Ezekiel 40-47 The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple (Hebrew: בית המקדש, transliterated Bet HaMikdash) was located on the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) in the old city of Jerusalem. ...

Caledonia Road UP Church, Glasgow.

He produced a diverse range of buildings including homes, warehouses and churches. Of the latter of these, Hitchcock stated “[Thomson has built] three of the finest Romantic Classical churches in the world”.^[3] Thomson developed his own highly idiosyncratic style from Greek, Egyptian and Levantine sources and freely adapted them to the needs of the modern city. Later in his career he would abandon his eclecticism and adopt the purely Ionic Greek style for which he is best known, as such he is perhaps the last in a continuous tradition of British Greek Revival architects. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 430 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (843 × 1174 pixel, file size: 143 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) {{Information File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Alexander Thomson... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 430 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (843 × 1174 pixel, file size: 143 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) {{Information File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Alexander Thomson... From ancient Greece (Ionic) An Ionian is a member of one of the four great divisions of the ancient Greek people. ... Personal residence of Catherine the Great Greek Revival was a style of classical architecture which became fashionable in Europe in the 18th century, and in the United Kingdom and United States in the early 19th century. ...

Thomson's published writings include the Haldane lectures on the history of architecture (1874) and the Inquiry as to the Appropriateness of the Gothic Style for the Proposed building for the University of Glasgow (1866) which attempted to refute Ruskin and Pugin’s claims for the superiority of Gothic. Ruskin may be one of two places in the United States: Ruskin, Florida Ruskin, Nebraska John Ruskin was an English author, poet and artist, although more famous for his work as art critic and social critic. ... People named Pugin include: Augustus Charles Pugin (1768/9 to 1832): French born English artist and architectural draftsman Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-1852): son of the above, architect and advocate of the gothic style Edward Welby Pugin (1834-1875): eldest son of the above and also an architect This... Victoria Tower at the Palace of Westminster, London: Gothic details provided by A.W.N. Pugin The Gothic revival was a European architectural movement with origins in mid-18th century England. ...

Thomson was perhaps the pre-eminent architect of his era in Glasgow, yet his buildings and his reputation have been largely neglected since his death. Of his three most important churches only one is intact, one is demolished and the other at Caledonia Road, Gorbals, (right) is a ruined shell.

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Alexander Thomson

• "Greek" Thomson, Ed. Gavin Stamp and Sam McKinstry, Edinburgh UP,1994
• Architecture of Glasgow, Andor Gomme and David Walker, Lund, 1987, 2nd. ed.
• Early Victorian Architecture in Britain Henry-Russell Hitchcock, Yale, 1954
• The Life and Work of Alexander Thomson, Ronald MacFadzean, London, 1979
• Alexander "Greek" Thomson, Gavin Stamp, 1999
• The Greek Revival, J Mourdant Crook, 1972.

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

Notes

1. ^ Andrew MacMillan in "Greek" Thomson, Stamp et al., p.207
2. ^ Letter by Hitchcock published in the Glasgow Herald, 4 March 1966, on the occasion of the proposed demolition by the City council of the Caledonia Road Church
3. ^ H.R. Hitchcock, Architecture:Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 1963, p.63

External links

• The Alexander Thomson Society - contains an extended biography of Alexander Thomson
• Alexander Greek Thomson - Architect
• Photo Guide to some of Thomson's best known buildings
• Webpage on Holmwood House
• St Vincent Street Free Church of Scotland, Glasgow
• Craig Ailey Villa, Cove, Firth of Clyde