Archibald Dawson ARSA 1894-1938

Another sudden death of a comparatively young man was that of Archibald Dawson which occurred in Glasgow on the 16th April. Being at the Empire Exhibition in connection with his colossal figure of St. Andrew for the Scottish Pavilion he felt indisposed and to rest went to a sister’s house near by. He sank rapidly, however, and died in a few hours. He was in his forty-fifth year and was a native of Hamilton.

Much of this young sculptor’s time had been devoted to architectural work, and in that branch he executed the wood carvings and stone mouldings of the Memorial Chapel in Glasgow University ; the figures on the Scottish Legal Life Assurance building, Glasgow, and on the new block of the Western Infirmary.

During the War he served with the Glasgow Battalion of the H.L.IL., and after demobilisation had many commissions for plaques and other types of memorial. Mr. Dawson became an Associate of the Academy in 1936, his contributions to the exhibition being usually in the form of portrait busts. He was the Head of the section of Sculpture in the Glasgow School of Art. He leaves a widow and two young sons.

RSA Obituary by George Pirie & David Foggie. Transcribed from the 1938 RSA Annual Report