A firm of architectural sculptors and ornamental plasterers, founded in 1886, by Robert A McGilvray (1849-1914) and Richard Ferris (fl.1886-1914).
McGilvray trained with , and aquired the business on the latter's death. A generous donor
to GSA
, he regularly sponsored the school's prizes, and provided their winners with opportunities for employment in his studios.
His most important protoge was
Richard Ferris
. A pupil of
J Mossman
and
Frank Leslie
's at the school, he came to McGilvray's
notice in 1886, when he won a cash prize donated by McGilvray for Ornamental Design, and was immediately offered him a partnership in his firm.
Based at 129 West Regent Street, McGilvray & Ferris became the city's most successful providers of interior and exterior decor, often securing the
contracts for both firm of its kind in Glasgow, rivalling were responsible for the decorative carving
on many Glasgow Style buildings and the plasterwork in several others,
such as Norwich Union Chambers (1898).
Working for Honeyman, Keppie and Mackintosh, they
executed the carving on the Canal Boatmen's Institute (1891, dem. 1966);
a memorial tablet at Bellahouston
Dispensary (1900);
C R Mackintosh
's plaster
panels in the Willow Tea Rooms (1903) and the carving on Scotland Street School (1904-6); the statues on T. & R. Annan's Sudio
(1903-4); and the
carver and plaster work on the façade and interiors of Dineiddwg (Gaelic, pron: 'Dinaevig'), Milngavie (1906).
They also executed the carver work on Mackintosh's Queen Margaret College (1894), but this was hidden from public
view in the 1930's, when the building was enveloped by BBC
Scotland's
Broadcasting House.
Ferris operated independently as a sculptor exhibiting a Portrait
Medallion (1885); a Study of a Head (1892) and portrait busts of
Dr. James Adams (1890); H. Wallace (1895) and Sir John
Ure Primrose (1906) at the RGIFA
.
He later taught modelling at evening classes in the Industrial Arts Department at the Glasgow and West of
Scotland Technical College (GWSTC, now University Of Strathclyde), from September 1903 until March 1907, at a salary of £30 per session,
and Modelling and Hammered Metal Work in the college's annexe at the Industrial Art Rooms, 78 North Hanover Street.
McGilvray & Ferris amalgamated with George Rome & Co. after McGilvray's death in 1914.
Details on Ferris' life and career after this are not known.
The team at glasowsculpture.com are grateful to Margaret Harrison, Archivist, University of Strathclyde, for information on Ferris'
employment at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College.
Sources:
- Honeyman & Keppie Job Books, 1890-1909;
- GSA
Reports, 1879-87;
- Billcliffe
, vol 2;
- GAPC
, 1898-1903;
- GH
(Obit: McGilvray) 2 October, 1914;
- Information from Margaret Harrison, Archivist, University of Strathclyde;
- GWSTC: Minutes, 1903-4, p.p. 54, 177, 1907-8, p. 32.
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Works in our Database: | | 1: Bothwell Street (City Centre), Mercantile Chambers, 35-69 Bothwell street Mercury, Industry, Prudence, Prosperity and Fortune and Associated Decorative Carving (1897-8) Modeller: FD Wood; Carvers: J Young and McGilvray & Ferris; Architects: J Salmon & Son; Mason: P&W Anderson Ltd | 2: Bothwell Street (City Centre), 36-62 Bothwell Street Profile Heads of Athena and Mercury, Masks representing different nations and Associated Decorative Carving (1891, 1898 and 1901) Sculptors: McGilvray & Ferris; Architects: H&D Barclay; Masons: Morrison & Mason Ltd | 3: Bothwell Street (City Centre), Commercial Building, 71-7 Bothwell Street Maritime Imagery (1893) Sculptor: McGilvray & Ferris | 4: Govan Road (Govan), Former Fairfield Yard Offices, 1030-48 Govan Road Engineer, Shipwright and Associated Decorative Carving (1890) Sculptors: JP Macgillivray (figures) and McGilvray & Ferris (reliefs); Architect: J Keppie | 5: Hope Street (City Centre), Atlantic Chambers, 43-7 Hope Street Columbia, Britannia and Associated Decorative Carving (1899-1900) Sculptors: McGilvray & Ferris; Architect: JJ Burnet | 6: Kelvingrove Park (West End), Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum - Decorative Carving - Interior Names and Crests of Glasgow Trades; World Composers; Figures from Scottish History (1892-1902) Sculptors: McGilvray & Ferris (Central Hall); JM Sherriff (East and West Courts); Architects: JW Simpson & EJ Milner Allen | 7: Mitchell Street (City Centre), Former Glasgow Herald Buildings, 60-76 Mitchell Street / Mitchell Lane Carved Ornamentation (1894-6) Sculptors: J Young and McGilvray & Ferris | 8: Queen Margaret Drive (West End), Former Northpark House - Mackintosh extension, now BBC Scotland, 20 Queen Margaret Drive Five Masks and an Iron Finial (1894-5) Sculptors: McGilvray & Ferris (Masks), George Adam & Son (Iron Finial); Architects: JT Rochead (oriiginal building), CR Mackintosh (extension) | 9: Sauchiehall Street (City Centre), Royal Highland Fusiliers Museum, (former Annan Gallery), 518 Sauchiehall Streeet Two Seated Michelangelesque Figures (1903-4) Sculptors: McGilvray & Ferris; Architects: Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh | 10: St Enoch Square (City Centre), Royal (formerly National) Bank of Scotland, 22-4 St Enoch Square Symbolic Figures and Associated Decorative Carving (1906-7) Sculptors: PMC Archibald; Executed by: McGilvray & Ferris, Architect: AN Paterson; Builder: Alexander Muir & Sons; Foundry: JW Singer & Sons | 11: Waterloo Street (City Centre), Waterloo Chambers, 15-23 Waterloo Street Seated Female Figures (1898-1900) Sculptors: McGilvray & Ferris; Architect: JJ Burnet | Open Full Sculpture Database |
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