Home > Artist Database > Bio-bibliographic Database > IMRIE, Mary

Artist Database

IMRIE, Mary

Born
Toronto, Ontario, 1918
Died
Edmonton, Alberta, 1988
Biography synopsis
Mary Imrie, an only child, was born in Toronto, Ontario, and moved to Edmonton, Alberta at the age of three. Although originally enrolled in the University of Alberta’s architecture program, Imrie received her Bachelor’s of Architecture from the University of Toronto in 1944 after the Alberta program was canceled in 1939. Following her studies, she went on to work for Harold Smith in Toronto, Charles B.K. Van Norman in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Rule, Wynn & Rule in Edmonton. From 1946 to1950, Imrie worked for the Office of the City Architect and Building Inspector, M.C. Dewar, in Edmonton, where she met fellow architect Jean Wallbridge. In the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, the two women traveled together through Europe, South America and Asia, writing about their journeys for the journal of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. In 1951, Wallbridge and Imrie established the first Canadian architectural partnership of two women, and went on to build their office/residence, “Six-Acres,” from 1954-1957 in Edmonton. Mainly working on residential projects, the two women practiced, lived and traveled extensively together for twenty-eight years until the death of Wallbridge in 1979. Imrie had strong interests in city development and the natural landscape of Alberta. The latter was demonstrated by the donation of significant land and funds to the Parks Venture Fund of Alberta at her death in 1988. (Thanks to Alexis Lenk for the research on Mary Imrie.)
Media used
Architecture
Education
University of Alberta, 1938 - 1939
University of Toronto, ? - 1944
Memberships
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC)
Alberta Association of Architects (AAA), 1944
File & Archive locations
Provincial Archives of Alberta
Virginia Tech, VA - International Archive of Women in Architecture
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Writings about
"Architect's Own House." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada 36 (Feb. 1959): 41
"Claim to Fame." Edmonton Journal 2 Nov. 2003: 82
"Contributors." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (May 1960): 223-229
"House of Mr. J.A. Russell, Edmonton, Alberta." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada 30 (Feb. 1953): 42-43
"List of Members: Alberta." Journal, Royal Architecture Institute of Canada (June 1963): 5
"News from the Institue: Alberta." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (Dec. 1949): 448
"News from the Institute: Alberta." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (Mar. 1954): 91
"News from the Institute: Contributors to this Issue." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (Oct. 1948): 395
"News from the Institute: Contributors to this Issue." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (Feb. 1952): 51
"Notes from the Institute." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (Dec. 1955): 477
"Notes from the Institute: Announcement." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (May 1958): 196
"Notes from the Institute: Erratum." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (Sept. 1958): 355
"Row Housing, Edmonton." Canadian Architect (Feb. 1957): 31-32
Adams, Annmarie. "Building Barriers: Images of Women in Canada's Architectural Press, 1924-73 (Journal of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada)." Resources for Feminist Research 23.3 (Fall 1994): 11-23
Adams, Annmarie. "Les représentations des femmes, dans la revue de l'Institut royal d'architecture du Canada, de 1924 à 1973." Recherches féministes 7.2 (1994): 7-36
Adams, Annmarie & Peta Tancred. 'Designing Women': Gender and the Architectural Profession Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2000
Burgess, Cecil S. & Donald Grant Wetherell. Architecture, Town Planning and Community: Selected Writings and Public Talks by Cecil Burgess, 1909-1946 Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 2005: XLVIII
Contreras, Monica, Luigi Ferrara & Daniel Karpinski. "Breaking In: Four Early Female Architects." Canadian Architect 38.11 (Nov. 1993): 18-23
Dominey, Erna. "Wallbridge and Imrie." http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0010295 Canadian Encyclopedia, 2009
Dominey, Erna. "Wallbridge and Imrie: The Architectural Practice of Two Edmonton Women, 1950-1979." Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada Bulletin 17.1 (Mar. 1992): 12-18
Field, D. "A Notes from the Editor." Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada Bulletin (Mar. 1992): 3-4
Grierson, Joan and the For the Record Committee, eds. For the Record: The First Women in Canadian Architecture Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2008
Joynes, Jennifer R. "Women in the Architectural Profession." Habitat 2.4 (Jul/Aug 1959): 2-6
Joynes, Jennifer R. "Women in the Architectural Profession." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada 36.9 (Sept 1959): 320-321
Kent, Gordon. "Natural Areas Saved by Woman's Bequest." Edmonton Journal 23 Sept. 1989: C3
Powell, Kerry. "Pioneer Spirit Helped Women Build a Career: Edmonton 200 Bicentennial." Edmonton Journal 15 May 1995: B1
Rose, Albert, Bowser, Sara, and Peter Stokes. "Row Housing." Canadian Architect 2.2 (Feb 1957): 20-32
Van Ginkel, Blanche Lemco. "Slowly and Surely (and Somewhat Painfully): More or Less the History of Women in Architecture in Canada." Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada Bulletin 17.1 (Mar. 1991): 5-11
Wallbridge, Jean. "Khyber Pass to Canada." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (Jul. 1958): 278-279

Writings by
Imrie, Mary. "Hong Kong to Chandigarh." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada 35 (May 1958): 160-163
Imrie, Mary. "Les girls en voyage." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada 35 (Feb. 1958): 44-46
Imrie, Mary. "Viewpoint." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (Jul. 1960): 279-280
Imrie, Mary. "Viewpoint." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (Mar. 1955): 95
Imrie, Mary & Jean Wallbridge. "Planning in Europe." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada 25 (Oct. 1948): 388-390
Imrie, Mary & Jean Wallbridge. "South American Architects." Journal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada 29 (Feb. 1952): 29-31

Search by: