Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

Three: Captain G. H. Blackader, 42nd Royal Highlanders of Canada, an important architect in Canada prior to the Great War, during which he was mortally wounded in 1916

1914-15 Star (Capt., 42 / Can. Inf.) ; British War and Victory Medals (Capt); together with Canadian Memorial Cross, G.V.R. (Capt. G. H. Blackader) extremely fine (4) £400-500

Gordon Home Blackader was born at Montreal on 12 August 1885, the son of Alexander Blackader, M.D., M.R.C.S. and his wife Kate Elizabeth Skelton. Educated at Montreal High School and Malvern College in England, he returned to McGill University, Montreal to read for a degree in Architecture which he gained in 1906. He then worked for the firm of McKim, Mead & White in New York for two years before leaving for Paris to study at the École des Beaux Arts. Blackader studied there for three years and received the Première Médaille for the year 1911 and had several of his architectural works exhibited. During this time he travelled extensively in France, Italy and Germany, sketching and making architectural studies.

On his return to Canada the firm of Barott, Blackader & Webster was formed. The firm was noted for the design of many public buildings, including: the Head Office Building of the Bank of British North America in Montreal; a branch of the same bank in St. John, New Brunswick; the Canadian Pacific Railway Station in Vancouver; the interior of the Canadian Pacific Railway Station in Montreal and the Théâtre St. Denis in Montreal. In 1912 Blackader joined the 5th Royal Highlanders of Canada and in January 1915 he volunteered for overseas service and was appointed Company Commander of the 42nd Battalion Royal Highlanders of Canada. He sailed with them to France and after 8 months active service was wounded whilst bringing up his company to the support of the front line trenches during a German attack near Zillebeke on 2 June 1916. He was evacuated to the Daughters of the Empire Hospital, London but died of his wounds on 10 August 1916. He was interred in the Montreal (Mount Royal) Cemetery, Quebec. He left a wife, Kathleen whom he married in 1912 and one daughter. As a permanent memorial to their late son, Dr and Mrs Blackader founded a fund for the purchase of architectural books at McGill University, to be known as the Gordon Home Blackader Memorial Library.

Sold with a quantity of original papers, including the recipient’s Bachelor of Architecture (1906) and History of Architecture (1906) certificates from McGill University, Montreal and the Province of Quebec Association of Architects Certificate (1912); two sketch books with sketches and water-colours on architectural subjects and the female form; three letters to Kathleen (1911,1915 and undated); reprints (2) of his entry in the British Roll of Honour; a picture and announcement of his death in The Standard, Montreal, 2 September 1916; other newspaper cuttings and 8 group photographs of the Royal Highlanders of Canada.