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Head Office of Union Bank of Scotland, St Vincent Street, Glasgow

[creator]: Gunn, Richard McLeod Morrison · 1889-1933 Architect: Miller I, James, RSA · 1860-1947

A similarly titled piece was exhibited at the RSA in 1925 "The Union Bank of Scotland Ltd, Glasgow - new head office" catalogue number 709 also related works in 1929 "Union Bank of Scotland Ltd, St Vincent Street, Glasgow - new head office" catalogue numbers 599, 602, 607, in 1943 "Head Office, Union Bank of Scotland Ltd, Glasgow" catalogue number 684 and finally in 1944, the year that the Diploma Work was submitted, "Head office for the Union Bank of Scotland Ltd, St Vincent Street, Glasgow" catalogue number 612. In 1926 James Miller exhibited "Head Office, Union Bank of Scotland Ltd., Glasgow" catalogue number 1184. There are probably drawings relating to the Union Bank commission in the James Miller archive in the RIAS Collection which is housed in the premises of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland at Bernard Terrace. The James Miller archive comprises of about 4000 drawings ranging from 1880 to 1945 and is one of the single largest archives of architectural drawings. Although James Miller has signed the Diploma Work drawing there is the possibility that it was actually executed by his chief draughtsman and designer Richard Gunn. Criticism has been levelled from some commentators at Miller and Gunn for deriving the design for the Union Bank from the Guaranty Trust building in New York (see Audrey Sloan "James Miller" RIAS 1993)