biography of John MACGILCHRIST (1893-1977)

Birth place: Sterling, Scotland

Death place: Coronado, CA

Addresses: NYC, active 1921-35

Profession: Etcher, printmaker, painter, architect

Studied: etching with David Young Cameron in Scotland; Carnegie Tech., Pittsburgh (arch.), 1913-14

Exhibited: "Fifth Annual Exh. of Living American Etchers," NAC, 1927; SAE, Nat. Arts Cl., 1935; Brooklyn SE at Brooklyn Mus., 1928; Kennedy Gal., NYC, 1930 (offered subscription of five aeronautical subjects)

Member: Brooklyn SE; Soc. Am. Etchers

Work: National Air & Space Mus./ Smithsonian, Wash., DC; Mus. of Flight, Seattle, WA; Royal Air Force Mus., London, England; AIC (etchings); WMAA; priv. colls.

Comments: Came to the U.S. in 1913 and completed his degree in architecture in 1914. Returned to Scotland and served in the Royal Air Force as gunner, machinist, and kite balloon observer in WWI (he was shot down four times). He immigrated to U.S. in 1920 and became well known as an etcher and lithographer of military and commercial aviation subjects. His work also includes watercolors, oils and drawings of aviation subjects. One-plane etchings included "The Spirit of St. Louis," the "Yankee Doodle," the "British Napier," and the "Boeing Navy Fighter" (1928) and he also depicted air battles. MacGilchrist"s aviation etchings appeared on magazine covers and as illustrations for articles. During the 1920s his work was owned by such prominent aviators as Charles A. Lindburgh. After 1935 he worked mainly as an architect.

Sources: info. courtesy of Patrick Coffey, Brighton, MI.