M217 Additions and alterations to Mavor & Coulson Engineering Works

Between 1902 and 1916, Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh carried out extensive work for Mavor & Coulson at their engineering works in Glasgow's East End. A total of nine phases is recorded in the architects' job books from which seven completed jobs emerge. Several of these ran concurrently in 1912–14. Four sets of drawings survive; two of these sets correspond to work carried out.

Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh's additions and alterations to the premises do not appear to survive. Industrial architect Andrew Myles's 1896–7 work for Mavor & Coulson, a long and narrow brick building with cast-iron internal structure, large arched window and dentilled cornice on its gable end to Broad Street, is a significant and rare survivor of Glasgow's industrial heritage and is listed. 1

Mackintosh does not appear to have been involved in the work at the engineering works. However, in 1921–2, he did design a cover and titles for Mavor & Coulson's journal Machine Mining, though the cover was thought too artistic and was not used. This late commission may have come about through mutual friends of Mackintosh and Henry A. Mavor, Francis H. ('Fra') Newbery and Robert Macaulay Stevenson, who would have known of Mackintosh's difficult financial circumstances in London, and like Walter W. Blackie, may have sought to help their friend by sending work in his direction. 2

Between 1909 and 1914, Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh also carried out work at Henry Mavor's private house at 3 Windsor Circus.

Authorship: This is one of over 270 jobs carried out in the office ofJohn Honeyman & Keppie (Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh from 1901) during Mackintosh's time there. Mackintosh undoubtedly worked on many of these, but there is no specific evidence for his involvement in this case.