Fred Cumberland : building the Victorian dream / Geoffrey Simmins.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Simmins, Geoffrey, author.

Contributor:

Cumberland, Frederic William, 1820-1881.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cumberland, Frederic William, 1821-1881.

Cumberland, Frederic William.

Architects--Biography.

Architects.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (360 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Toronto, [Ontario] ; Buffalo, [New York] ; London, [England] : University of Toronto Press, 1997.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In the first comprehensive study of Frederic William Cumberland (1820-1881), Geoffrey Simmins traces Cumberland's career as architect, railway manager, and politician, providing a richly detailed history and analysis of his contribution to Toronto's urban landscape.The architect of such prominent buildings as the University of Toronto's University College, Osgoode Hall, and St James's Cathedral, Cumberland was devoted to building the Victorian dream - optimistic and materialistic in its outlook, yet also spiritual in its basis. His diverse interests and accomplishments make him an important figure in Canadian architecture and in Victorian studies more generally.Of modest origins, but fuelled by ambition and talent, Cumberland emigrated from England seeking new opportunities. Favourable family connections provided him with an introduction to leading members of Toronto society, and he and his wife, Wilmot, formed long-lasting associations with such prominent families as the Ridouts and the Gzowskis. Drawing on letters and other archival materials, Simmins shows Cumberland to have been a witty, intelligent man, an acerbic social critic, a loving father and husband, and a respected businessman and politician who became a confidant of Sir John A. Macdonald. Through the mists of the Victorian past, a powerful and energetic figure emerges, a man of vision, tenacity, and commitment.The book is divided into three parts. Part One establishes the context of Cumberland's life and times. Part Two is devoted to examining his architectural career. Part Three consists of a catalogue raisonnT of all of Cumberland's architectural designs.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

1. Early Life in Ireland and England

2. Constructing a Canadian Career: The First Years in Toronto

3. Cumberland and the Canadian Interpretation of the Victorian Concept of Progress

4. Midcareer, Full Stride: The 1850s

5. Life on the Railway

6. Political Career

7. Later Personal Life

8. Assessing the English Heritage

9. 'The Beautiful Medium' and Other Topics: Reconstructing Cumberland's Architectural Theory and Practice

10. A Selection of Schools

11. University College

12. Steeples for the People: Church Designs

13. Post Offices, Courthouses, and Other Public Buildings

14. Private Commissions: Houses and Commercial Buildings

15. Proposals for Building a National Capital

Epilogue: Cumberland's Legacy

Introduction

Catalogue of Works

Appendix A: Cumberland's Principal Executed Works

Appendix B: Cumberland's Architectural Library

Notes

Selected Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-282-00314-3

9786612003141

1-4426-7505-5

OCLC:

431542032