Andrew Allan

Andrew Allan (1907–1974), born in Arboath, Scotland, was the national head of CBC Radio Drama from 1943 to 1955. He oversaw the work of some of the finest talents of the day – writers and actors such as Lister Sinclair, Mavor Moore, W.O. Mitchell, Jane Mallett, John Drainie, Barry Morse, Christopher Plummer, James Doohan, and many others.

Allan attempted to make the transition to television in the 1950s, but never matched the extraordinary success he'd reached in the medium of radio. He later became the first Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival (1963–1965) and was a prolific freelance writer and guest commentator on CBC Radio and Television until his death.

Allan’s office chair from his tenure as head of CBC Radio Drama, an old wooden armchair, is an icon at CBC Radio’s Toronto headquarters. It sits on a pedestal outside of the drama recording studio and is handed down from one head of drama to the next.

In September 1939, Allan, traveling with his fiancee, American actress Judith Evelyn, was a survivor of the torpedoing of the SS Athenia.

Andrew Allan (shipowner)

Andrew Allan (1 December 1822 – 27 June 1901) was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and financier. In 1882, he succeeded his brother, Sir Hugh Allan, of Ravenscrag, in the Allan family's Canadian enterprises that were centred on the Allan Line Royal Mail Steamers, but also included banking and railways. He was Master of Foxhounds for the Montreal Hunt.

Early life

Born in 1822 at Saltcoats, Ayrshire, Andrew Allan was the fourth son of Captain Alexander Allan and his wife Jean Crawford (1782–1856). He was a first cousin of Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt and his father was a first cousin of the Scottish bard, Robert Burns. In 1819, Allan's father established the Allan Shipping Line, which became synonymous with running goods and passengers between Scotland and Montreal. After a parish education at Greenock, Andrew was brought into the family shipping business, then known as J & A Allan, of Glasgow. Of his four brothers at this time, James was running the Glasgow office, helped by Alexander; Bryce, was in charge of the Liverpool office, while Hugh was expanding the family's interests in Montreal. With the rapid growth of the business in Montreal, it was decided that Andrew would be best placed there.

Andrew Allan (artist)

Andrew Allan (1863 – 1942) was a British lithographic artist.

Life

Allan was born in Ardrossan, Scotland. Many of his artworks are well known for their fine brush strokes. He went to the Glasgow School of Art in 1882. Allan created the oil painting Widowed, which was displayed at the 1900 Stirling Art Exhibition, and a watercolour at the Glasgow Fine Art Institute. In the same year he sold 2 silver-point drawings, The Music Lesson and Sweet Melody after showing them at the Royal Scottish Academy Exhibition.

Allan died in 1942. His works lost copyright protection in 2013. Several of his paintings are in public collections including Newport in Wales and Dumfries and Galloway.

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