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St. Pius X Catholic Church, Edmonton, Alberta, 1954.
Short Summary
Documenting the work of architect Joseph K. English is about recognizing a prolific, though relatively unknown practitioner who designed numerous modern buildings in Canada during the mid-century era. It is also about capturing a small part of architectural history before it is too late.
After serving as a Lancaster bomber pilot during the Second World War, English attended the University of Manitoba's School of Architecture and went on to establish his architectural practice in the province of Alberta in the mid-1950s. With a distinct modernist sensibility, he designed elementary schools, churches, community centres, civic buildings and residences that appear across the urban landscapes of Edmonton and Calgary, as well as many rural towns in western Canada.
The idea for the J.K. English Architecture Project was sparked in the summer of 2009 when I invited my "Grandpa Joe" to revisit some of the buildings he had designed and to reminisce about his 25-year career as an architect. Besides learning more about my grandfather’s architectural practice directly from the source, I was able to travel with him to see a number of his buildings and photograph them before he passed away in January 2010.
Although a few of English’s buildings have been listed as historic resources for preservation in the cities of Edmonton and Calgary, others have long since been torn down. Two more have been demolished since the start of this project and there are certainly others that have yet to be identified.
In the past seven years I have been able to photograph more than 30 buildings and track down many archival photos and original blueprints in museums and provincial archives, but there are still many more to be researched and documented and time is running out. With the success of this campaign, I will be able to finish documenting his remaining buildings before any more disappear.
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Above: Holy Name Catholic Church, Calgary, Alberta, 1959.
Below: St. Pius X Catholic Church, Edmonton, Alberta, 1954.
The Goal
My hope is that the resulting research and documentation from this project will contribute to the records and archives of modern architecture in Canada and be available to historians, archivists, curators, students and anyone interested in Canadian architectural history. Ideally, it will also increase awareness in the wider community about the history of modern architecture in Western Canada and bring about a greater understanding of the importance of preserving architecture of this era.
The vast majority of the research and documentation will be completed within the next year and the photographs and archival materials will be presented as a website.
What You Get
Cool things are in store if you back this project! We have beautifully printed postcards, posters and canvas bags. We're also offering limited-edition photographs of English’s architecture and the opportunity to join me on a photo shoot.
We will be adding more perks throughout the 30-day campaign, so stay tuned.
Postcards featuring architectural renderings by J.K. English:
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Set of four postcards:
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Poster (22" x 28") featuring the original architectural rendering for the Snowridge Lodge Complex project :
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Limited-Edition Photograph (11"x 14") by Kiely Ramos - Choice of eight different prints:
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1. Didsbury County Office, 1960
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2. Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, Innisfail, Alberta, 1958
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3. Scandinavian Centre (formerly St. Joseph's Parish Hall), Calgary, Alberta, 1960
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4. Mount Lion Lutheran Church, Edmonton, Alberta 1955
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5-8. From top left, clockwise: Mount Zion Lutheran Church (Edmonton), Holy Name Church (Calgary), St. Pius X Church (Edmonton) and St. Ambrose Church (Coaldale).
Canvas Tote Bag featuring a detail from the original plans for the Snowridge Lodge Complex project:
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Limited-Edition Watercolor Print (8"x 10") by J.K. English:
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The Budget
The majority of the funding will go towards travel to and within Alberta to get to approximately 40 building locations. It will also cover the costs of documentation (high-resolution scans and copies of blueprints, building permits and archival photographs), photography equipment rentals, the creation and shipping of campaign perks, the Indiegogo platform fees and the expenses related to the website design.
The Basic Plan
- To conduct research at city and provincial archives, libraries, museums and at building locations to find documentation related to Joseph K. English's architecture projects.
- To create a comprehensive list and timeline of English's architecture projects.
- To find and photograph existing buildings that have not yet been documented and create a record of their location, appearance and overall condition.
- To create an online resource of English’s work, featuring both historical and contemporary photographs, original architectural drawings, plans and other archival materials.
Other Ways You Can Help
All contributions big or small are a great help in moving this project forward. Please spread the word by sharing, tweeting, emailing or linking to this campaign using the share tools at the top of the page. Good 'ol word-of-mouth works too.
Community Support for the project:
“As a shaper of the built landscape of Alberta, Joseph K. English is an architect who deserves recognition. His work and its proper documentation is important and the funding of this project will result in valuable information that will be used by future generations of Albertans to study their past.”
–Linda Fraser, Archivist and Chief Curator, Canadian Architectural Archives
“Documenting J. K. English’s work will offer insights into architectural culture, in its social context, at a decisive period in Alberta and in Canada. [It] will offer the opportunity for a deeper appreciation of this period of architecture and will be of immense value to subsequent historians, curators and students and a wider interested public.”
“As current pressures of growth and development continue to threaten modernist buildings, extending appreciation of this legacy becomes urgent. This makes Ms. Ramos’ current project especially timely.”
– Victoria V. Baster, Professor, University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Fine Art
“The project objectives will be a valuable contribution to the historical record of Mr. English’s work and architectural practices, as well as to the built heritage of the Edmonton region and that of the wider province. We applaud her initiative in this work.”
– Allison Argy-Burgess, Former Executive Director, Edmonton Heritage Council
“[English’s] work certainly merits the photographic study you propose, and your talent and experience as a professional photographer promise an outstanding visual record.”
– Dr. Michael McMordie, Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary, architectural historian, former president of the Calgary Civic Trust Society and The Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada