James Walter Chapman-Taylor
Encyclopedia
James Walter Chapman-Taylor (24 June 1878 – 25 October 1958) born London
, England, Was known as one of New Zealandʼs most important domestic architects of his time bringing the Arts and Crafts Movement to New Zealand houses. Chapman was also a very strong craftsman, builder, furniture designer and photographer.
where he purchased land a few miles south of Stratford in the Taranaki region. Ada Taylor, James and a younger brother joined him in June 1880 where they became dairy farmers.
, Baille Scott, and Parker and Unwin
whose names were famous in the field of domestic architecture. Upon his return to New Zealand Chapman-Taylor was determined to follow the basic principles on which good domestic architecture had been developed – designing and building houses with skill and sensitivity. He was influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement's interpretation of rural English cottage construction and style and returned to New Zealand to integrate this into New Zealand materials and settings.
building for the Stella Matutina
order.
Chapman-Taylor died October 28, 1958 at the age of 80 years from a sudden illness.
“All Chapman-Taylor’s houses are economical in their use of space, intimate in detailing, and extremely satisfying to live in.” —J. Stacpoole and P. Beaven, New Zealand Art: Architecture 1820-1970.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, Was known as one of New Zealandʼs most important domestic architects of his time bringing the Arts and Crafts Movement to New Zealand houses. Chapman was also a very strong craftsman, builder, furniture designer and photographer.
Early days
James Walter Chapman Taylor was born in London in 1878 to Theodore Chapman Taylor and his wife, Ada Thomas. In 1879 Theodore migrated to New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
where he purchased land a few miles south of Stratford in the Taranaki region. Ada Taylor, James and a younger brother joined him in June 1880 where they became dairy farmers.
Career choices
By his teenage years James Walter Chapman Taylor had decided against farming as a career and became an apprentice to a local builder. After completing his apprenticeship, he constructed his first building, a single- storied timber house for his parents on their Stratford property. On 12 April 1900 he married Mary Gibson at Stratford and in 1903 he enrolled himself in an architecture and design course with the International Correspondence Schools of Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1904 he moved to Wellington after working on the construction of the Taihape railway station. From around 1907 he used the surname Chapman-Taylor.Travel
In 1909 Chapman-Taylor travelled to England to study and meet first hand the works of C.F.A. VoyseyCharles Voysey (architect)
Charles Francis Annesley Voysey was an English architect and furniture and textile designer. Voysey's early work was as a designer of wallpapers, fabrics and furnishings in a simple Arts and Crafts style, but he is renowned as the architect of a number of notable country houses...
, Baille Scott, and Parker and Unwin
Raymond Unwin
Sir Raymond Unwin was a prominent and influential English engineer, architect and town planner, with an emphasis on improvements in working class housing.-Early years:...
whose names were famous in the field of domestic architecture. Upon his return to New Zealand Chapman-Taylor was determined to follow the basic principles on which good domestic architecture had been developed – designing and building houses with skill and sensitivity. He was influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement's interpretation of rural English cottage construction and style and returned to New Zealand to integrate this into New Zealand materials and settings.
Mature phase
As a mature style emerged, Chapman-Taylor's designs became more cohesive. Concrete was used as the preferred building material, finishing the outside walls in a roughcast plaster. Following in the footsteps and adhering to principles first exposed by John Ruskin and William Morris the consistency in his work became a result of his loyalty to their creed. Chapman-Taylor showed confidence to express his individuality and sense of freedom to explore and experiment. Chapman-Taylor's houses were designed through to the smallest detail. Many of his surviving buildings include pieces of his furniture designs. Exteriors were characterised by high roofs with Marseille tiles, plain roughcast walls and small paned windows. The extensive use of hand shaped timbers in the interiors of the houses further defined his work. Chapman-Taylorʼs houses revealed his distinctive touch and his interpretation of the English cottage style that the Arts and Crafts Movement promoted. Chapman-Taylor designed many houses and they can be found throughout New Zealand. Several examples can be found in Taranaki, including the building fondly known as Wilkie's Castle, situated at Wai-iti in North Taranaki. In Havelock North he designed the Whare RaWhare Ra
Whare Ra, is the name of the building which housed the New Zealand branch of the Order of the Stella Matutina. It was designed and made by one of New Zealand’s most famous architects, and a senior member of the Order, James Walter Chapman-Taylor....
building for the Stella Matutina
Stella Matutina
The Stella Matutina was an initiatory magical order dedicated to the dissemination of the traditional teachings of the earlier Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Originally, the outer order of the Stella Matutina was known as Mystic Rose or Order of the M.R. in the Outer...
order.
Chapman-Taylor died October 28, 1958 at the age of 80 years from a sudden illness.
“All Chapman-Taylor’s houses are economical in their use of space, intimate in detailing, and extremely satisfying to live in.” —J. Stacpoole and P. Beaven, New Zealand Art: Architecture 1820-1970.
External links
- http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/search.aspx?advanced=colProProductionMakers:Chapman-Taylor,+J.W.+colCollectionGroup:CHPhotographs and furniture by James Walter Chapman-Taylor and archival material relating to James Walter Chapman-Taylor in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa TongarewaMuseum of New Zealand Te Papa TongarewaThe Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
] - The Life and Times of James Walter Chapman-Taylor" by Judy Siers *http://www.millwood-heritage.com
- James Walter Chapman-Taylor and Mary Gibson *http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~taylgl34/fam00126.html
- The Rewards of Romance in Heritage New Zealand, Spring 2007 *http://www.historic.org.nz/magazinefeatures/2007Spring/2007_spring_chapman-taylor.htm
- James Chapman-Taylor, Taranaki Wiki *http://taranakiwiki.com/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=James+Chapman-Taylor.htm