Fonds F0023 - McCarter Nairne fonds

Identity area

Reference code

CA ACU CAA F0023

Title

McCarter Nairne fonds

Date(s)

  • 1906-1981 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

ca. 32,000 drawings
ca. 210 items of display material
ca. 107 m of textual records

Context area

Name of creator

(1921-1982)

Administrative history

McCarter Nairne & Partners was a Vancouver-based architectural firm founded in 1921 by John Young McCarter (1886-1981) and George Colvil Nairne (1884-1953). McCarter was born in Victoria, BC and trained in the offices of Thomas Hooper (Victoria, Vancouver) before entering private practice in 1912. He served overseas during the First World War. In 1918, he married Ann Gordon and they had two children, Joan Chalmers and Jean Leslie. Nairne was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1884 and articled there before working in New York, Seattle, and finally, Vancouver. He also served overseas during World War I. The partnership began in 1921 and primarily designed houses and small apartment buildings. Within a few years they moved on to design two of Vancouver's first skyscrapers (the Marine Building and the Georgia Medical Dental Building). During the Second World War, the firm assumed the responsibility for federal wartime housing and urban development in British Columbia. After the war was over, the firm designed a wide variety of buildings, including factories, banks, and schools. The last project involving both partners above was the General Post Office (Vancouver), a one-square city block structure.

Archival history

Acquired by donation in 1980, 1983, and 1985.

McCarter Nairne & Partners

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Fonds consists of drawings, display material, correspondence, brochures, and office files from the architectural practice of McCarter Nairne & Partners, 1906-1953. Significant projects include: the Marine Building, Vancouver, BC; Georgia Medical Dental Building, Vancouver, BC; Canadian Services College Royal Roads, Vancouver Island, BC; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Kelowna General Hospital, Kelowna, BC; General Post Office, Vancouver, BC.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

Further accruals expected.

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

No restrictions on access.

Conditions governing reproduction

The University of Calgary fulfills requests for materials in our collections in accordance with Canadian copyright laws. The University of Calgary does not hold the copyright for materials in the McCarter Nairne fonds, however has been authorized to grant permission for the use of McCarter Nairne materials for specific uses. The University of Calgary Libraries and Cultural Resources may provide materials for individual study and research purposes under fair dealing and library exceptions in the Canadian Copyright Act. And, upon request, may authorize the use of materials for exhibition and publication. Patrons are responsible for ensuring they use copyright-protected works in accordance with applicable laws.

Language of material

    Script of material

      Language and script notes

      Physical characteristics and technical requirements

      Finding aids

      Allied materials area

      Existence and location of originals

      Existence and location of copies

      Related units of description

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      Notes area

      Note

      Includes record nos: 71A/80.06, 84A/80.19, 160A/83.15, 161A/83.16, 213A/85.06

      Note

      Title based on contents of fonds.

      Alternative identifier(s)

      ckey

      2991114

      Original fonds identifier

      CAA-3465

      Access points

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      Description control area

      Description identifier

      Institution identifier

      Rules and/or conventions used

      Status

      Level of detail

      Dates of creation revision deletion

      Language(s)

        Script(s)

          Sources

          Accession area