Professional papers of John Rigsby Poyser (1872-1954), Nottingham architect, c.1900-1920

The collection comprises photographs, designs and printed material. It includes:

• Album containing 65 black and white photographs depicting the interior and exterior of houses in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire designed by Poyser and the images of central library in Nelson, Lancashire designed by him jointly with William Savidge. undated. c.1900-1920 (MS 651/1/1-65);
• Album entitled 'Specimens of Gothick Architecture in England from Existing Ancient Examples' containing 48 pages of ink drawings of examples of Norman, early English, decorated and perpendicular architectural details in English churches. c.1900 (MS 651/2);
• Copy of The Studio: An Illustrated Magazine of Fine and Applied Art, volume 36, number 153 containing a feature on 'Some Recent Designs in Domestic Architecture' which includes passages, plans and photographs relating to houses by Poyser. 15 December 1905 (MS 651/3);
• Six black and white photographs depicting the interior and exterior of the central library, Nelson, and houses at Ruddington and Attenborough, Nottinghamshire, c.1900-1920 (MS 651/1/66-71);
• Printed images depicting a cottage at Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, and the central library, Nelson, c.1905 (MS 651/4).

John Rigsby Poyser (1872-1954), Nottingham architect, is identified in trade directories for the city where he set up practice at 3, St Anne's Hill Road between 1897 and 1900. He remained at that address until about 1920. His entry in the 1922 Kelly's Nottinghamshire Directory confirms that he was an associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects living at Brookside, a house in Attenborough, Nottinghamshire. After this entry, he disappears from directories for the county. Poyser appears to have specialised in designing houses for private clients. The issue of The Studio in this collection states: 'Mr Poyser's aim in designing the cottages at Beeston and East Bridgeford has been to combine individuality with simplicity, trusting to good proportion and contrast of materials to impart character to the design'.

Poyser's work in Nottinghamshire included: Brook Cottage in Ruddington; a pair of cottages at St James Grove, Beeston; a cottage at East Bridgeford; houses in Elm Avenue, The Gables, The Willows, Skerrydene, and Brookside, Attenborough; and a pair of houses in Carlton. Beyond Nottingham, his work included a weekend cottage at Sutton-on-Sea, Lincolnshire and the central Library at Nelson, Lancashire (jointly with William Brandreth Savidge ARIBA).

The collection has been divided by document type into series. Within these series, items have been arranged chronologically.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

LANGUAGE: English

This description is the only finding aid available for the collection. Copyright in the description belongs to The University of Nottingham.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make published use of any material from this collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). The Department will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but the responsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the reader.

The collection was acquired by The University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections in two accessions in 1995 and 1997.

• The Royal Institute of British Architects; British Architectural library: Biographical file relating to John Rigsby Poyser.