Robert Mackay Fripp
December 16 1858 - December 16 1917
First Berkshire Volunteers
South African Mounted Infantry
New Zealand Garrison Artillery
New Zealand Mounted Infantry
New Zealand Lodge, F. & A.M.
Royal Institute of British Architects (Fellow, 1901)
Vancouver Arts and Crafts Association (President)
Certificated Architect California (L.A.C., 1906)
Royal Society of Arts (Fellow, 1910)
Vancouver City Beautiful Association (member)
Art Historical & Scientific Association of Vancouver (Vice President)
Canadian Club (Board member)
Pylon Architectural Club of Vancouver (President)
Canadian Handicrafts Guild (Vice-President, President)
R.M. Fripp was born in England in 1858, the son of George Arthur Fripp, A.W.S., who was
at one time court painter to Queen Victoria. Fripp traveled to Australia in
1880, New Zealand 1881, and was in Vancouver from 1888 to 1896. He
went back to New Zealand from 1896 to 1898, to Vancouver 1898 to 1901,
divided his time between England and California from 1901 to 1908,
and finally lived in Vancouver from 1908 until his death at age 60.
He was an architect by profession, and as President of the
Arts & Crafts Association in 1900 exhibited examples
of his architectural work in the group's First Annual Exhibition.
In 1900 and 1901 he wrote a series of articles for The Canadian Architect and Builder,
an Eastern Canadian journal, under the heading of "British Columbia Letters." The articles were
published anonymously, but one article caused a stir in the Vancouver Arts
and Crafts Association after he wrote negatively about some of the work shown in one of
the group's exhibitions.
In 1901 he exhibited architectural drawings from New Zealand in Toronto in the
Royal Canadian Academy's 22nd Annual Exhibition.
Bookplate, courtesy U.B.C. Special Collections, item 1.0215009
Drawn by H.A.W. 1914
He was listed in the 1914 Social Register as President of the Canadian Handicrafts Guild.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
| DATE |
EXHIBITION |
ARTWORK |
|
|
|
| 1900 Sept. 25-27 |
VACA First Annual Exhibition |
Interior of Dining Room |
|
|
Design for West End School |
|
|
Cedar Mantle for Library |
|
|
Drawing Room Mantle |
|
|
Timber Church in New Zealand |
|
|
Cottage, Vernon, B.C. |
|
|
Taranaki Club (Prize Design) |
|
|
Office Building, Victoria |
|
|
Detail, Prize Design of Stock Exchange |
|
|
Provincial Home, Kamloops |
|
|
Design for Cabinet |
| 1901 April 12 - ? |
RCA 22nd Annual Exhibition |
Anglican Church, Auckland, N.Z. |
|
|
Public School, Auckland, N.Z. |
|
|
Suburban Cottage, Auckland, N.Z. |
| 1911 November |
BCSFA Fall Exhibition |
? |
| 1913 June 2 |
Wanderbund Club Group Exhibition |
? |
References
WHO'S WHO IN WESTERN CANADA
1911; Edited by C.W. Parker
A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men & Women of Western Canada
Published by Canadian Press Association Ltd., Vancouver office
Contains 3,000 biographical sketches in 390 pages, incl. 84 pages photo portraits
Persons of interest include R.M. Fripp
Only 3 people were listed by profession as Artist in the volume
BRITISH COLUMBIA FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE PRESENT - BIOGRAPHICAL - VOLUME III
Scholefield, S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1914
Robert Mackay Fripp biography
THE FINE ARTS IN VANCOUVER, 1886 - 1930
(refer to THOM69)
ROYAL CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS - EXHIBITIONS & MEMBERS 1880 - 1979
(refer to RCA81)
BUILDING THE WEST - Early Architects of British Columbia
2003; Edited by Donald Luxton, numerous contributing authors and researchers
Talonbooks, ISBN 0-88922-474-9
560 pages, extensively illustrated in black and white, some colour
Biographies of over 400 architects and firms; extensive bibliography
B.C. VITAL STATISTICS ON-LINE death - listing only
(refer to BCVS)
CITY & PROVINCIAL DIRECTORIES
(refer to DIR)
Clippings
"British Columbia Letters, No. III"
The Canadian Architect and Builder, 1900
"British Columbia Letters, No. IV"
The Canadian Architect and Builder, Vol. 13, Issue 12, 1900
"British Columbia Letters, No. VII"
The Canadian Architect and Builder, Vol. 14, Issue 8, 1901
"This year's exhibitors were ... R. Mackay Fripp ... "
From "Fine Arts Society Makes Fine Exhibit"
Vancouver Daily World, November 23 1911
"The pictures showed up strongly against the buff-toned walls and the
miniatures and photos were arranged on flower-decked tables. The
principal exhibitors were ... Mr. Mackay Fripp ... "
From (Wanderbund Club Exhibition)
Vancouver Sun, June 3 1913
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