BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Archibald (Archie) Macdonald Duff Fairbairn
(also Fairburn, Fairbain)

February 6 1883 - 1979

Island Arts and Crafts Society
Esquimalt Group
American Water Colour Society (Member, 1929)


Archibald M.D. Fairbairn was born in East London, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. He was a pupil of Frank Dicksee, London, England. He also studied in South Africa, Germany, and England. He was a free lance artist, who painted in watercolour, tempera, and oil, as well as drawing in pen & ink and charcoal.

He came to Canada in 1913, and married Christina K.E. Mecredy (Neeredy?) on December 28 1916 in Cranbrook, B.C. He exhibited with the Island Arts and Crafts Society between 1916 and 1935.

A portrait of Fairbairn by Ina D.D. Uhthoff was exhibited in the 1929 21st Annual exhibition of the B.C. Society of Fine Arts.

He exhibited at the Vancouver Exhibition in 1930, representing the Island Arts and Crafts Society. He also exhibited in the 1941 B.C. Artists annual exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

B.C. Vital Statistics notes that he married Norah Helen Marcia Mengens in Victoria on September 12 1934. He was divorced at that time, and the marriage certificate later notes that this marriage was dissolved at Victoria on June 30 1947.

FAIRBAIRN, Archibald Macdonald, Duff, A.W.S.
Born in South Aftrica, February 6, 1883, son of William A.S. Fairbairn of East London, South Africa and Anna Georgina (Smith) Fairbairn. Educated City of London School, London; Leipsic, Germany; and University of Cape of Good Hope. Articled as law student with Drake, Hammer and Orsmond, East London, South Aftrica, 1902; admitted to practise as attorney-at-law, etc., 1910; practised at Johannesburg, Transvaal. Came to Canada 1913; entered service of the provincial government of British Columbia, 1915; appointed private secretary to His Honour, the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia in 1936. Married, Katherine, daughter of T.T. Neeredy, 1916; has two sons. Mr Fairbairn has studied painting in England, Germany and America and has exhibited in many exhibitions including that of the American Water Colour Society and the New York Water Colour Society (1929). Appointed member of American Water Colour Society (1929). Has also written and published or produced a number of short plays, short stories, etc. Recreations: tennis and hiking. Residence: 960 Joan Crescent, Victoria, B.C.
WHO'S WHO IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 1937-38-39

From 1940 to 1943 Fairbairn was living at 1020 Pentrelew Place in Victoria, living with Nora H.M., employment noted as "Private Sec Lieut.-Gov. BC Govt." He was not listed there in 1944.

FAIRBAIRN, Archibald M.D.
No. 12, Tweedsmuir Mansions, Heywood Ave., Victoria      Painter (water color; tempera; oil); Drawing (pen and ink; charcoal) - Born East London, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. Pupil of Frank Dicksee, London, Eng. Studied in South Africa; Germany; England. Free lance.
WHO'S WHO IN NORTHWEST ART
(1941, Frank McCaffrey, Seattle)

A.M.D. Fairbairn is listed in Artists in Canada as living in Vancouver, B.C. in 1944, although the City Directory does not list him in Vancouver. His date of death is not listed on B.C. Vital Statistics on-line as of December 2025.

The Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver hosted an exhibition of Fairbairn's watercolours in 2019 (see link below).


GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1916 Oct. 24 - 28 IACS Union Bank Bldg 7th Ann. Near Amsterdam, Holland
Entering the Harbour, Victoria
Berwick on Tweed
Oak Bay Golf Links
Pass of Glencoe, Scotland
In the Selkirks
Pemba Bay, Portuguese East Africa
The Sower
View from Craigflower Bridge
Rome, the Forum
On the Norfolk Broads
1917 Oct. 23 - 27 IACS Pemberton Bldg 8th Ann. Coast Scene
Cadboro Bay
Broom, Oak Bay
Suez Canal
Uplands
Government House
Winter in Selkirks
The Edge of the Sahara
(poster competition entry)
1926 Oct. 19 - 30 IACS Crystal Garden 17th Ann. Rain
Rum Runner Row
Dawn, Victoria Harbour
S.V. Livia de Aqua, Victoria Harbour
Sunset, Lowestoft
Street Scene, Cairo
1927 Oct. 25 - 31 IACS Belmont Bldg 18th Ann. Haida Canoes at Dawn
F.R.C.S.
Jean M. Donald
The Needles, Knight Inlet
Street Scene, Cairo
H.R.H. Canada, 1927
Pierrot
The Last of the Totems
In the Old Town, Gibraltar
1928 Oct. 23 - 31 IACS Belmont Bldg 19th Ann. Arbutus
Silver Dawn
The Caravan
Seton Lake
Blackfeet Indian at Prayer
The Patriarch
Kwakiotl (sic) Indian
Blackfeet Patrol
Blackfeet Indians, etc.
1930 Aug. 6 - 16 VanExh   Oil Paintings & Water-colours A Backwater - Knight's Inlet
Summer Golf
Van Courtland Park, New York
Siwash and Canoe
1930 Oct. 28 - Nov. 8 IACS Board of Trade Bldg 21st Ann. Grey Day on the Malahat
Rip Van Winkle
Siwash and Canoe
Knight Inlet
Van-Cortland Park, N.Y.
On Esquimalt Indian Reserve
Old Squaw and Totem
Design
Winter Resort in the Rockies
The Little Church Around the Corner
Lake of the Hanging Glacier
1931 Oct. 20 - 31 IACS Belmont Bldg 22nd Ann. The Countess
The Ramparts
Graylands
N.W. Bay
Norma
End of the Road
Coquette in Victoria Harbour
1932 Oct. 11 - 22 IACS Belmont Bldg 23rd Ann. Black Tusk Meadows
Black Tusk Mountain
The Spirit of Black Tusk Mountain
Camp, Black Tusk Meadows
Garibaldi Mountain from the Glacier
Garibaldi and Castle Mountains
Klootchman No. 2
B.C. Mongolian
Kloochman No. 1
1933 Mar. 3 - 15 VAG   IACS Vancouver Island Exhibition Landscape
Mountain Scene
Landscape
1935 Nov. 4 - 9 IACS Belmont House 26th Ann. Blue-Gums, Sydney, Australia
Suva Harbour, Fiji
"several interesting exhibits" (crafts)
1942 Sept. 25 - Oct. 18 VAG   B.C. Artists 11th Annual The Dugout, Thompson River, Kamloops

References

WHO'S WHO IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 1937-38-39
      A Record of British Columbia Men and Women of Today
      S. Maurice Carter Editor & Publisher
      Copyright 1939, printed by The Robson Printers, Vancouver B.C.
      208 pages, hardcover; name index (8 pages), biographies (196 pages), obits. (4 pages)

WHO'S WHO IN NORTHWEST ART (refer to WWNA41)

ISLAND ARTS AND CRAFTS SOCIETY - List of Exhibitors

ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
      1 reference cited for Fairbairn: WWNA above.

VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY - B.C. ARTISTS FILES (refer to VPL)

B.C. VITAL STATISTICS ON-LINE 2 marriages (refer to BCVS)

https://www.billreidgallery.ca/blogs/exhibitions-page/counternarratives-watercolour-paintings-by-archibald-fairbairn

Clippings

"Twenty-eighth annual exhibition of the B.C. Society of Fine Arts, including practically all the artists of any prominence in the city, was opened in the Art Gallery by Capt. A.M.D. Fairbairn, A.D.C., representing Lieutenant-Governor E.W. Hamber."
      From "Fine Showing By B.C. Artists Follows Conventional Lines" by E.N.B.
      Vancouver Province, April 30 1938

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