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William Dendy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Bruce Dendy
Born1948 (1948)
Edmonton, Alberta
DiedMay 29, 1993(1993-05-29) (aged 44–45)
Toronto, Ontario
OccupationArchitectural historian
Academic background
Education
  • University of Toronto
  • University of Cambridge
  • Columbia University

William Bruce Dendy was a Toronto-based Canadian architectural historian and professor best known for authoring the books Lost Toronto (1978) and Toronto Observed: Its Architecture, Patrons, and History (1986).

Dendy was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta.[1][2] He earned degrees from the University of Toronto, Cambridge University and Columbia University and taught at schools including the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo.[3][4]

Dendy's published two books with Oxford University Press and edited by William Toye.[2] Published in 1978, Lost Toronto documented the history of 19th- and 20th- century Toronto buildings destroyed through demolition or neglect with photos of many of the buildings in their prime.[5] Lost Toronto was recognized for literary excellence by the Toronto Book Awards (1979).[6] He later co-authored Toronto Observed: Its Architecture, Patrons, and History (1986) with William Kilbourn, which was also awarded the City of Toronto Book Prize (1987).[7] In 1993, he was awarded an honorary membership in the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) which he said was "one of the most thrilling things" to have happened to him.[8] The same year he was awarded an Allied Arts Award by the OAA for his lectures and publications about architectural history.[9][10]

Dendy died May 29, 1993 at Casey House of complications from HIV/AIDS.[3] At the time of his death he had been researching the Forest Hill and Lawrence Park neighbourhoods of Toronto.[11] His personal papers and library, which included roughly 3,500 books, 2,500 periodicals and 38,000 slides, were donated to Special Collections & Archives at the University of Waterloo.[12]

Publications

[edit]
  • Dendy, William (1978). Lost Toronto. Toronto: Oxford University Press. p. 206. ISBN 0-19-540294-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  • Dendy, William; Kilbourn, William (1986). Toronto observed : its architecture, patrons, and history. Toronto : Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-540508-8. Retrieved 21 July 2026.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)

Work cited

[edit]
  1. Hume, Christopher (July 11, 1987). "Author delves into Toronto architecture". Toronto Star. p. J9.
  2. 1 2 Freedman, Adele (September 14, 1991). "'I don't remember faces, but show me a building and it's engraved there'". The Globe and Mail. p. C8. ProQuest 1151263055.
  3. 1 2 "Historian Won 2 Toronto Awards". The Globe and Mail. May 31, 1993. p. C1. ProQuest 1141325847.
  4. "Dendy, William". Archives Database. University of Waterloo Special Collections & Archives. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
  5. French, William (November 23, 1978). "Toronto's architectural heritage sacrificed to parking lots". The Globe and Mail. p. 15.
  6. "Non-fiction on Toronto wins literary awards". The Sault Star. February 22, 1979. p. 25.
  7. Mackie, Joan (May 17, 1987). "Books mirror love of buildings". The Toronto Star. p. E4.
  8. "Awards". The Canadian Architect. 38 (7): 7.
  9. "Streetcity wins award". The Globe and Mail. May 1, 1993. p. C20. ProQuest 1141400792.
  10. "Past OAA Award Winners". Ontario Association of Architects. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  11. Hume, Christopher (June 1, 1993). "Architectural historian's death a significant loss". The Toronto Star. p. B5.
  12. Freedman, Adele (December 3, 1994). "University showcases architectural bequest". The Globe and Mail. p. C19. ProQuest 1143300991.