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Architect
Thank you to David Walker for the details below. David
has produced unpublished biographies of many Scottish architects.
- John Lessels was born in Kirkcaldy, Fife on 9 January
1809.
- In his youth he was a good athlete, marksman (making his
own guns), and fisherman (making all his own rods, tackle and flies).
***
- He bound his own books, made telescopes and turned wood
and metal using a lathe that he had made himself.
***
- By 1843, John had settled in Edinburgh and was exhibiting
his watercolours at the Royal Scottish Academy.
- His architectural career included appointment as joint
architect to the City Improvement Trust in 1866.
- He married twice, having 4 sons and 4 daughters, all from
the first marriage.
- John died on 12 November 1883 and is
buried in Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh, commemorated by a sundial
monument that formerly bore a glazed tile portrait.
- His effects were sold in Dowell's
Auction Rooms on 16 February 1884. They included:
- two Kinnear cameras
- a Meagher folding camera
- a Pantascopic and several other
specialised cameras
- many Dallmeyer, Steinheil and Voigtlander
lenses
- a significant picture collection
***
David tells me that these comments are
taken from Memoirs written by John Lessels' eldest s
son, also named John.
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