Alfred P. Morgan architectural drawings and papers

Alfred Percy Morgan was born in London, United Kingdom, in 1893. He moved with his family to New Zealand aged 10 and attended Christ’s College, Christchurch, from 1905-1909.

In 1910 he was articled to the Christchurch architect A. H. Fielder and studied architectural and structural engineering at Canterbury College.

Morgan then moved to Auckland and worked as senior draftsman for Wilson and Moodie Architects and studied at Auckland Technical College. In 1912 his studies included 'Building construction' and 'History of architecture'. Around this time, he was a member of the Auckland Architectural Students' Association and won several of their competitions. He later went into practice with Horace Massey and Joseph Owen, both of whom were also members.

During World War I he served with the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps and attained the rank of sergeant. After the war, he was awarded a three year New Zealand Expeditionary Forces scholarship to continue his studies at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. He obtained the degree of Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1920.

While in London he collaborated with Massey on several projects. As Massey, Morgan and Shearley they entered the Daily Mail Ideal Bungalow Competition. Massey and Morgan collaborated again on a project at Hanworth Park garden suburb, London.

In the early 1920s Morgan returned to New Zealand and worked in Auckland with Massey, in the partnership of Massey, Morgan, Hyland and Phillips. He later entered the partnership Bloomfield, Owen and Morgan, followed by Owen and Morgan.

From 1923 onwards he was based in Whangarei. Over the course of his career he was responsible for a considerable volume of projects in the Northland region. This includes the NZIA gold medal award winning Whangarei Public Library, in collaboration with Massey, and numerous projects for Whangarei Hospital Board, the District Public Trustee, National Bank, Bank of New Zealand, Whangarei Girls' High School and private clients.

Morgan married Gwendolyn Mary Hosking of Whangarei in 1931 and they had two sons, Richard and David. He died in Whangarei on 17 February 1953, aged 60.

References:

Auckland Technical College. (1912, December 23). New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19121223.2.

Francis, K. S. (2006). Temperate modernity: The Whangarei architecture of Alfred Morgan in the 1930s. In McCarthy, C. (ed.) Pleasing Homogeneity, Dull Times, and Animated Cocktails: New Zealand Architecture in the 1930s: A One Day Symposium, (pp. 25-31). Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington, Centre for Building Performance Research.

Morgan, A. P. (1924, March 5). [Letter of application to Auckland Education Board for post of Architect to the Board]. Alfred P. Morgan architectural drawings and papers (Arch 2016/4/111). Architecture Archive, University of Auckland Library, Auckland.

Morgan, A. P. (1935, December 22). [Letter of application to North Auckland Power Board for post of Architect to the Board]. Alfred P. Morgan architectural drawings and papers (Arch 2016/4/112). Architecture Archive, University of Auckland Library, Auckland.

New Zealand Institute of Architects. (1953). Obituaries. Journal of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, 20(3), xv.

Our ninth competition. (1912). Progress, 8(1). Retrieved from http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/P19120901.2.16

Sheppard, F. (n.d.) Alfred Percy Morgan file [Clippings file] Sheppard Collection, (M847a) Architecture and Planning Library, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Technical College. (1912, December 23). Auckland Star. Retrieved from http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19121223.2.60