John Alexander Black was born in Garold, near Haddingtonshire, East Lothian, Scotland in 1873, and was articled to James Graham Fairley (1846-1934) in Edinburgh from 1892 to 1896. He also attended Heriot-Watt College in Edinburgh and Edinburgh School of Applied Art. Between 1896 and 1910 he worked as an assistant in Edinburgh City Architect's Department; to Robert Moreham (1839-1912) in Edinburgh; to Thomas William Cubbon (1860-1942) in Birkenhead; to William Henry Mitchell, W. E, Mitchell (1859-1904) and A. F. Gutteridge of Mitchell Son & Gutteridge in Southampton, Hampshire; and to William J. Taylor in Winchester, Hampshire.
In c.1910 Black commenced practice as an architect in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire in partnership with James Forbes (1880-1925) as Black & Forbes. The address of the practice was 43, Albert Road, Middlesbrough in 1911. The practice was dissolved in c.1914
Black was elected a Licentiate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (LRIBA) in 1911 Black was active as an architect until at least the early 1930s. His address was given as 28 Ayresome Street, Middlesbrough, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire in 1911 and 50 Tivoli Place, Little Horton, Bradford, Yorkshire in 1926 and 1932. He died in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland in 1951
Architectural projects by Black included Archibald Schools, Middlesbrough, 1910; Linthorpe Council Schools, Middlesbrough, 1910; Lower East Street Schools, Middlesbrough, 1910: St. Barnabas' Parochial Halls and Schools, 1910; Usher Hall, Edinburgh (1910?); drapery premises, 1910 and 1912; and Love Lane School, Ponefract, 1911.
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
We would like to thank Geoff Hassell of Artist Biographies for additional information about this architect