BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Andrew Dewar

December 10 1846 - September 26 1930

B.C. Society of Fine Arts


Andrew Dewar was born in Edinburg, Scotland, and became an Architect. He travelled widely, and did commissions for a number of major buildings. From 1870 to 1881 he worked in Nova Scotia, then moved to Scotland for ten years, followed by a move to South Africa in 1903.

He came to Vancouver in 1911, and became a partner in MacKay & Dewar, North Vancouver, with Alexander S.W. MacKay. He apparently designed St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in North Vancouver, although a heritage website notes otherwise. Perhaps he did do the design, but its completion was passed to another firm when he left Canada.

He attended a founding meeting for the British Columbia Society of Architects, held in Victoria on June 22 1912.

He had work in the 1912 Annual Exhibition of the B.C. Society of Fine Arts.

He left Vancouver around December 1912, apparently moving to South Africa, where he had previously worked. He returned to Scotland in 1929 or 1930, where he died at Leven, County Fife, where he is buried.

Editor's note: all information on this biography page - except for the information on the 1912 BCSFA exhibition - is from the Dictionary of Architects in Canada, whose Editors did an excellent job tracking him around the world. He didn't stay in Vancouver long enough to be listed in the City Directories.


GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1912 Nov. 25 - 30 BCSFA   Annual Exhibition Design for Jewish Synagogue
Design for Liverpool Cathedral
Church, Edinburgh
Glasgow Municipal Hall
Design for Synagogue

References

Excellent biography and list of architectural works:
     http://dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/node/1260

Clippings

(description of winning design for St. Andrew's, N Vancouver)
     The Express N Vancouver, October 13 1911

(description of winning design for St. Andrew's, N Vancouver)
     Vancouver Daily World, October 13 1911

(description of 2-storey warehouse for Walker & Woods, N Vancouver)
     The Express N Vancouver, March 26 1912

(description of shopping arcade, waiting rooms & stores, N Vancouver)
     The Express N Vancouver, May 31 1912

(description of shopping arcade, waiting rooms & stores, N Vancouver)
     News-Advertiser N Vancouver, May 31 1912

(list of B.C. Society of Architects members)
     News-Advertiser, June 22 1912

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