Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob - Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob - JaipurJaipur

14th January 1841 - 4th December 1917

Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob (1841 to 1917) was an English engineer, architect and writer, active in India and best known for the numerous public buildings he designed in the Indo-Sarcenic style.

He was born on 14 Jan 1841 to Colonel W. Jacob (of the Bombay Artillery), and a member of a distinguished military family. He was educated at Cheam School and then at the East India Company Military College at Addiscombe where he was one of the last batch of graduates (graduating as an engineer in 1858).

INTRODUCTION

He entered the Bombay Artillery in 1858, qualifying five years later as a surveyor and engineer. After initial service in the Public Works Department, and a brief spell with the Aden Field Force in 1865-6, he was appointed in 1867 as Chief Engineer of the state of Jaipur in Rajasthan, India. He was to spend the remainder of his working life in this position until he retired at the age of 71.

At the time he became chief engineer and took charge of the public works department of the Jaipur it had only been in existence for 7 years having been founded in 1860. The department was responsible for the construction of everything in the state ranging from walls, outhouses, guard houses, roads, canals to major public buildings.

Compared with many British officials in India he was noted for his respect for local building traditions and skills, which lead to his incorporating many Indian architectural features into his building designs. As a result he became together with F. S. Growse, Robert Fellowes Chisholm, Charles Mant, Henry Irwin, William Emerson, George Wittet and Frederick Stevens a pioneer of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture which incorporated Indian Islamic architecture into European neo-Classical or Gothic Revivalist styles.

He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel on 6 Feb 1885. He was promoted to Colonel on 26 Feb 1889.

He had no longer retired to England in 1911 then he was recruited by the Secretary of State for India to assist Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker in the design of New Delhi. However failing health soon forced him to withdrawn from the assignment.

He was married to Mary Brown, (daughter of Mr Robert Brown of Edinburgh) in1874.

He died at Weybridge on 4 Dec 1917.

He supported Indian architecture and its artisans (mistry).

He was among the only few who believe that Indian architecture is a good piece of work and Indians are capable of designing good buildings.

In his eyes mistry is not a mere laborer and can design a building.

HIS PERSPECTIVE TOWARDS INDIAN ARCHITECTURE AND ITS ARTISANS

He observed various Indian architectural elements and its buildings and made measured drawings of these and documented them well. This he published in an album ‘JAIPUR PORTFOLIO’.

This he did to preserve the legacy of Indian architecture as he wanted other builders to build these elements using these measured drawings.

But this book was an unpopular piece of work and no builder have a view on it.

He was very much passionate for Indian architecture.

Among the notable buildings that he designed are:

The main building for St Stephens College at Kashmere Gate in Delhi. Built 1890 to 1891.

Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur. Also called the Government Central Museum.

Rambagh Palace

BUILDINGS THAT HE DESIGNED

Bikaner House, Mount Abu. Built 1893 as a summer residence for the Maharaja of Bikaner. This has now been converted into the Palace Hotel.

Laxmi Niwas Palace, Bikaner. Built in 1902.

Lalgarh Palace, Bikaner. Built between 1896 and 1926.

Umed Bhawan Palace, Kota. Built in 1904.

King George Medical College, Lucknow. Built 1905. Now called the Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University.

Albert Hall, Jaipur

llocated on Ram Niwas Bagh, it was built between 1881 and 1886. Maharaja Ram Singh initially wanted this building to be a town hall, but his successor, Madho Singh, decided it should be a museum for the art of Jaipur and included as part of the new Ram Nivas Garden.

JAIPUR

It is famous for its magnificent collection of paintings, crystal works, statues of stone, metal and ivory and its carpets, it also houses a modern art gallery.

The Central Museum not only houses many rarities and beautiful objects but its own building is also a sight to behold.

The Museum is inspired by the Indo-Sarcenic style of architecture, which uses the best features of both styles of building.

It has many pillars, courtyards and arches that give it a very traditional yet elegant look.

The upper floor/level of the Museum mainly has portraits of royalty and Jaipur Maharajas. That does not in the least mean that the museum only showcases the royal and imperial relics, but it represent "all of Jaipur".

It has an extensive collection of jewellery, metalwork and sculpture.

There are also many objects made of brass, which display the skills of the expert hands that have hammered and chiselled them to perfection.

The Central Museum also has a huge collection of miniature paintings from the Udaipur, Jaipur, Bundi, Kota and Kishangarh schools of painting.

There are also fine specimens of woodwork, metal objects and other arts & crafts. One can also see the old traditional ceremonial dresses of the Kings and the royal families besides a whole lot of pottery objects, painting and sculptures.

Rambagh Palace

The Rambagh Palace was built in 1835 but was later converted into a hunting lodge and a guesthouse.

After a bit of modifications, the palace was made fit to be the residence for the Maharaja of Jaipur.

Finally it was turned into a heritage hotel in 1972 and is now run by the Taj Group of

Hotels.

www.wikipedia.comClass notes

BIBLIOGRAPHY