100 years of CABE: the very first issue

CABE turns 100 years old this month. To mark this milestone, Building Engineer takes a look back at the journal’s inaugural issue.

We take a look at the very first issue of the journal, from 1926 – published a year after the Association was established – to see what was facing the industry and how the Association responded.

The Parthenon 1926, October

The first ever iteration of the journal opens with an editorial on the purpose of the journal: “To bring together the Members of the Allied Professions, Architects, Surveyors and Quantity Surveyors … All the members scattered over England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Dominions could never be present together at a lecture, a dinner or branch meeting … A journal would provide the necessary medium for the exchange of ideas, the formulation of policies, the discussion of technical matters – and even the airing of grievances.” This is just as true of the journal today.

While the decision was taken to produce a journal for the newly formed Association, there was some issues with when and how it would be produced: “The President, due to start his vacation on the morrow, then suggested that the beginning of the Association’s second year of existence should be marked by some important activity; could the first number come out in September?” As a consequence, it was produced at speed and didn’t live up to the aspirations of its editor – something he was very keen to highlight.

In addition to promising that future issues would be of a much higher standard, he also writes: “It may be fairly accurately described as a co-operative journal to which it is hoped all members will in turn lend their assistance by contributing papers, plans and drawings and give the benefit of their experience and technical knowledge.” Again, it is pleasing to see that CABE’s journal has maintained these aspirations. With that in mind, the current editor welcomes contributions from members, because the journal can only continue to meet your needs with your engagement (please note that the journal’s most recent readership survey is on page 30).

The first issue continues with the history and aims on the formation of the Incorporated Association of Architects and Surveyors, its members (which it later notes there has not been time to list yet) and executive team. It also includes essays on the use of Greek marble; inexpensive building methods (ways to reduce the cost of a building project without reducing quality); the ‘approaching revolution’ (that is, the modernisation of everyday life and how architects designing homes must reject copying the past and move with the times); and the ‘preservation of England’s relics’, which is a plea to not discard old buildings in favour of modern ones. It states: “We do not seem to fully appreciate our old buildings until it is too late to stop the modernist’s disfiguring progress.”

Perhaps the most interesting element is the pocket history of the Association contained therein: incorporated on 12 September 1925, with the very first council meeting on 19 December 1925. Its purpose? To unite previously isolated professions to “represent their combined interests” and a rigorous commitment to member competence to stand against “the large number of irregular practitioners who injure and lower the status of the profession”.