ARVIA 1888; FRVIA 1890; FRIBA 1902
William Black was the senior partner in the well-known Cape Town partnership of BLACK & FAGG and active in Cape Town in the period from about 1893 until 1922. Born in Victoria, Australia, the third son of Captain Edward Black. Edward Black’s first marriage was to Isabel (or Isobel) Hutton on 11 April 1863 at Christ Church, South Yarra Victoria. They had three boys: Edward Murphy 1864, James George 1865, William Patrick Henry (1867). William was born at 35 Bank street east, Emerald Hill on 15 July 1867. Isabel died in her 28 year on 3 August 1867 possibly as a result of the earlier childbirth. Five years later, Edward Black (41) married Isabel's sister, Helena Silvestra (Sylvestra) Hutton, then 25 years old, on 19 Nov 1872. Edward and Helena had two children Anne Mary and Herbert (born 1 December 1875) BLACK. William trained as a civil engineer and architect in Melbourne and London; he was articled to Albert Purchas, a civil engineer and a past president of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects who had his offices in Melbourne. During his pupilage Black won several prizes offered by the RVIA, among them the Royal Victoria Institute of Architects' award in December 1885 for his entry in a student competition for an Episcopal church. He also won the President's prize (n.d.) as well as a 'gold medal for Gothic Architecture' (SAA&B May 1905:156-7). In 1888 he was elected an associate of the RVIA. A keen student of the Gothic style, Black left Australia on a study tour of Europe at about this time, 'collecting sketches and photographs of the best examples of ancient and modern architecture' (SAA&B May 1905:156). The visit seems to have occurred between 1888 and 1890. Black returned to Australia and worked there for the next three years, being elected a Fellow of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects in 1890.
He left for South Africa in 1893. The South African who's who (1908) in its entry for Black gave the date of Black's arrival in South Africa as 1890, but according to a note in the RVIA Minutes of Council (1890-1895, 9 May 1893 (p.241) Black notified the Institute that he was about to leave for South Africa, thus making a date in 1893 feasible.
Black set up on his own account immediately on his arrival in Cape Town, arriving a few months after H BAKER. In 1895 he employed WG FAGG who had trained in Tasmania and who later became Black's partner. Black was elected a Fellow of the RIBA in 1902, his papers being signed by GM ALEXANDER, Alexander Graham (?) and BAKER. In the same year he travelled to America at the invitation of the Directors of the New York Mutual Insr Co as winner of the first and second premiums in the competition for the Mutual Life Insurance Co of New York. He shared second premium with JW ALLEN. In 1904 he married Sydney Cathcart, perhaps one of the Cathcart family for whom he designed a house in 1898 - it is interesting to note that the architect William D'Arcy CATHCART had been articled to Black and had worked in his office until about 1910/11. Black invited WG Fagg and H BLACK into partnership (cf BLACK & FAGG) in 1904 and travelled to Australia the same year.
The firm branched out into the Transvaal for a brief period in about 1907-1908, probably in connection with the Potchefstroom Town Hall, won in competition (1907). Black & Fagg were first listed in Johannesburg in the United Transvaal Directory in 1907.
Black was successful in a number of other competitions before 1904. He was placed first in four of them: the Cape of Good Hope Savings Bank; Wynberg Town Hall; proposed Dutch Reformed Church, Sea Point; and St Lukes's Anglican Church, all in Cape Town.
Black travelled to Australia again in 1910, the ship in which he was travelling, the Pericles, being wrecked off the Australian coast, but Black survived. In 1912 he travelled to the East but no details of this trip have yet emerged. Black founded what became one of the largest offices and best-known practices in Cape Town and one in which a number of architects worked before setting off on their own. He was concerned with social welfare and was a member of the City Council of Cape Town for several years. He was a 'keen student of Town Planning and housing schemes' (RIBA Jnl 1922-3:25 obit). He died of double pneumonia while on a business trip upcountry and was buried in Cape Town. It seems that he had a son, Elwyn Leighton BLACK, who also became an architect.
(his nomination papers have gone astray.)
(AB&E Aug 1922:2 obit,port; AB&E Jul 1923:20 death notice; Afr Archt Jul 1911:33; Afr Archt May 1914:339; Building Sep 1922:98 obit; FRIBA nom papers (1902) 48; Lantern 4 1984; Lewis 1986; Picton-Seymour 1977; Radford 1979; Rennie 1978; SAA&B Mar 1904:101; SAA&B May 1905:156-7; SAAE&S Jnl Oct 1906:2; SAWW 1908, 1909, 1910) All truncated references not fully cited in 'References' are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon. List of projects With photographs
 With notes
* Indicates buildings on the Pryce-Lewis list
2 Double-storeyed cottages for A Abdurahman: 1900. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 2 Double-storeyed houses for S Harris: 1899. Oranjezicht, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 2 Double-storeyed villas for Mrs BJ Gie: 1899. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 2 Double-storeyed villas for Mssrs Romain and Gronitzki: 1899. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 2 Double-storeyed villas for R Steer: 1898. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 2 Double-storeyed villas for SC Greeff: 1899. Zonnebloem, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 2 Shops and dwellings for S Lazarus: 1899. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 2 Single-storey cottages for E Simonhoff: 1899. Zonnebloem, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 2 Single-Storey cottages for Mrs EJ Livingston: 1896. Zonnebloem, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 2 Single-Storey dwellings for FC Smith: 1900. Bo Kaap, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 2 Single-Storey houses for T Lanigan: 1895. Zonnebloem, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 3 Double-Storeyed dwellings with shops for JE Muslich and Son: 1896. De Waterkant, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 3 Double-storeyed villas for H Scott: 1899. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 3 Double-storeyed villas for JP Knoop: 1897. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 3 Single-storey cottages for FC Barwick: 1897. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 4 Double-storeyed houses for Dr R St Leger: 1902. Tamboerskloof, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 5 Double-storeyed houses for A Hilliard: 1902. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 5 Double-storeyed villas for James Jones: 1896. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 6 Double-storeyed dwelling houses for A Arkin: 1900. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 6 Double-storeyed villas for Messrs Romain and Gronitzki: 1902. Vredehoek, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 6 Dwellings with 2 shops for S Waterman: 1901. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| 7 double-storeyed villas for A Miller: 1899. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 7 Double-storeyed villas for JJ Majavie: 1901. Oranjezicht, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| 9 Cottages for Messrs Clausen and Rasmussen: 1897. Zonnebloem, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| ABCD Bank: 1899. Montagu, Western Cape - Architect
| Attwell and Co Building: c1898. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| Barracks for Labourers: 1896. De Waterkant, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Bathing Establishment for M Kaiser: 1900. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Boarding House for S Chainowitz: 1800s : 1902. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Congregational Mission Church: 1901. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Consulting Rooms for Dr Anderson: 1800s : 1897. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Cottage and Coach House for A Abdurahman: 1897. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Cottage for JF Rynhoud: 1897. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Cottages for A Leve: 1895. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Double-storeyed house for A Brandon: 1902. Tamboerskloof, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Double-Storeyed House for CWP Zietsman: 1899. Claremont, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Dwelling for G Baglione: 1895. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Dwelling for H Kaiser: 1800 : 1900. De Waterkant, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Florida Cafe: 1900s : 1902. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Foresters' Arms Hotel: 1895. Zonnebloem, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Good Hope Savings Bank: n.d.. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect 1900 *
| Hopeful Lodge: 1900. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| House Attwell: 1895. St James, Western Cape - Architect
| House Cathcart: 1898. Green Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| House for AW Karstel: 1895. Oranjezicht, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| House for Charles Wicks : 1895. Oranjezicht, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| House for Dr Abduraham: late 1800s : 1896. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| House for Hadje Raboate: 1800s : 1898. Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| House for J Walters: 1896. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| House Haybittel: 1899. Rondebosch, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| House Hofmeyer: 1900s : 1902. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| House J Wiley: 1901. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| House Levin: 1895. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| House McConnell (Abbey Manor): 1905. Oranjezicht, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| House Mrs MacDonald: 1898. Rondebosch, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| House Van der Merwe - Merwela - Craigmore: 1901. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| House W Black converted into 3 shops and dwelling: 1902. Zonnebloem, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Houses for the Lutheran Church: 1800s : 1898. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Juta's Building: n.d. : 1902. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect 1902 *
| Mutual Life Insurance Co of New York, now Nedbank: 1902. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk: c1895. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| NG Kerk Parsonage - Die Stempastorie: 1900. Simonstown, Western Cape - Architect
| Offices and Stores: c1900. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| Offices Premises for CH van Zyl: 1800s : 1899. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for A Kaiser: 1800s : 1900. Foreshore, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for A McGregor: 1800s : 1898. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for A Penzo: 1800s : 1900. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for BA De Vries: 1901. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for Cohen Woolf: late 1800s : 1895. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for Dr J Petersen: 1800s? : 1896. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for F Clutterbuck: 1800s : 1900. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for J Goldberg: 1800s : 1900. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for J Roytowski: 1800s : 1901. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for JA Bam: late 1800s : 1895 : 1897. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for JC Smith: 1800s : 1898. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for JC Smith and Company: late 1800s : 1896. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for Kaiser Brothers: 1800s : 1901. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for M Saacks: 1800s - 1900. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for MD Alexander: 1800s : 1901. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for Messrs Ritson and Sieradzki: 1800s - 1896. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for Mssrs Jacques Dusseau: 1898. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for Mssrs Sieradzki and Wittenberg: 1800s : 1899. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for Rosen: 1800s : 1900. Foreshore, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for S Kramer: 1800s : 1896 : 1899. Foreshore, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for T Michell and Company: 1800s : 1901. Zonnebloem, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for the New Zealand Associated Company: 1800s : 1899. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Premises for V Field: 1800s : 1902. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Residence for A Leve: late 1800s : 1895. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Residence for D Bosman: 1899. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Residence for R Kramer: 1800s : 1899. Oranjezicht, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Residence for the Rev D Pienaar: 1899. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Residence W Black - temporary shed: 1898. Foreshore, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Rose Cottage - Dwelling for S Kramer: 1800s : 1901. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Row of houses for Mrs Brink: c1900. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| SA Milling Company: late 1800s : 1896 : 1897. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shop and Dwelling for B Lawrence: 1895. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shop and dwellings for T Zwaigenhaft: 1898. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shop and showrooms for Messrs Dalton and Reid: 1902. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shop for J Jones: 1900s : 1902. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops and dwelling above for RH Aderne: 1899. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops and dwelling for E Simonhoff: 1800s : 1898 : 1900. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops and Dwelling for Mrs R Necerodien: late 1800s : 1895. Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops and dwelling house for J Davis: 1901. Zonnebloem, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops and offices for J Solomon: 1898. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops and offices for JS McNaughton: 1901. Foreshore, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops and offices for Miss EA De Wet: 1902. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops and offices for W Toll: 1902. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops and rooms for A Kaiser: 1900. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops for A Kaiser: 1800s - 1900. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops for D Anderson: 1800s : 1897. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops for Messrs SP Milling and Company : 1897. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| Shops for P Glucklich: 1800s : 1898. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops for R Irwin: 1901. Te Waterkant, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops for S Friedgood: 1800s : 1900. Schotsche Kloof, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops for Trustees of the Lutheran Church: 1800s : 1902. De Waterkant, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Shops with stores over for W Drummer: 1902. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Single-Storey Villa for MJ Brink: 1897. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Single-Storey Villa for RH Ellis: 1896. Claremont, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| St George's Hotel: 1878 : 1902 : 1910 : 1911. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect 1902 upgrades *
| Stables and Coach House for Omar Hadji Arend: 1897. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Stoneyhurst - Residence for J Carrol: 1800s : 1900. Mouille Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Stores for Messrs Romaine and Gronitski: n.d.. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Stores for R Kramer: 1901. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Terrace, Lee St: c1896. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| Terrace, Upper Buitenkant St: c1895. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| Tothill's Buildings: 1900. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| Town Hall: 1899. Wynberg, Western Cape - Architect
| Villa Field: 1898. Tamboerskloof, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Villa for AC Wicks: 1898. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Villa for CH Rothkugel: 1897. Tamboerskloof, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Villa for F Evennett: 1902. Oranjezicht, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Villa for PP Fick: 1887. Oranjezicht, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Villa for W Ashmead: 1899. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Villa Murray: 1898. Green Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| Villa R: n.d.. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
| Villa residences for Mrs C Cornwell: 1895. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| West End Clothing: 1800s : 1901. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
| Worcester Boys' School: 1897. Worcester, Western Cape - Architect
| Workshop for Messrs Romain and Gronitzki: 1900s : 1902. Zonnebloem, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
|
Books citing BLACK Bakker, Karel A, Clarke, Nicholas J. 2014. Eclectic ZA Wilhelmiens : A shared Dutch built heritage in South Africa. Pretoria: Visual Books. pp 55
| Brown, SM. 1969. Architects and others: an annotated list of people of South African interest appearing in the RIBA Journal 1880-1925. Johannesburg: Unpublished dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand. pp
| Fransen, Hans. 2004. The old buildings of the Cape. A survey of extant architecture from before c1910 in the area of Cape Town - Calvinia - Colesberg - Uitenhage. Johannesburg & Cape Town: Jonathan Ball Publishers. pp 39, 51, 79, 83, 112, 127, 155, 157, 428
| HSRC. 1987. Dictionary of South African Biography Volume V. Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council. pp 54
| Johnson, Brian Andrew. 1987. Domestic architecture at the Cape, 1892-1912 : Herbert Baker, his associates and his contemporaries. Cape Town: Unpublished Thesis UNISA. pp
| Johnson, Brian Andrew. 1979. An art historical study of the architecture of the Southern Cape Peninsula, 1880-1913 : houses and small business premises. : Unpublished Thesis UNISA. pp
| Martin, Desmond. 2007. Walking Long Street. Cape Town: Struik. pp 29, 40, 58, 70
| Picton-Seymour, Désirée. 1989. Historical Buildings in South Africa. Cape Town: Struikhof Publishers. pp 43, 117
| SAWW & Donaldson, K. 1926. South African Who's Who (Social and Business) 1925-1926
. Cape Town: Ken Donaldson. pp 22
| Walker, Michael. 2010. A Statement In Stone. Cape Town: Privately published by Michael Walker. pp 61-67
| Walker, Michael. 2012. Early architects of Cape Town and their buildings (1820 - 1926) with postcard illustrations, The. St James: Michael Walker. pp 66-67
| Walker, Michael. 2015. Old hotels of Cape Town (1890-1911), The : A history long forgotten, seldom told. St James: Published Privately. pp 53, 60
| Walker, Michael & Stuart-Findlay, Derek. 2011. St James, a place of dreams: Bicentenary Edition 1810-2010. St James: Kalk Bay Historical Association. pp 111-112
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