author
Ramsay Traquair
1874–1952
Best known as a writer and teacher rather than a prolific builder, this Scottish-born architect helped spark lasting interest in the old architecture of Quebec. His books and lectures made early Canadian buildings feel worth noticing, studying, and preserving.
1 Audiobook
Byzantine Churches in Constantinople: Their History and Architecture
by Alexander Van Millingen, Walter S. George, Arthur E. (Arthur Edward) Henderson, Ramsay Traquair
About the author
Born in Edinburgh in 1874, he trained in Scotland and developed an early interest in documenting historic buildings. He later built a strong connection with Canada and became an important architectural educator, serving for many years at McGill University.
Although he designed some buildings, he is chiefly remembered for his writing and scholarship. His research focused especially on early Canadian and French-Canadian architecture, and his work helped bring wider attention to Quebec's architectural heritage.
He died in Guysborough, Nova Scotia, in 1952. Today, he is remembered as a careful observer of older buildings and as one of the figures who helped turn architectural history in Canada into a serious field of study.