Harold Desbrowe-Annear : a life in architecture

The architectural masterpieces, urban planning projects, and bohemian existence that characterized the life of Australian architect Harold Desbrowe-Annear are examined in this tribute to a major proponent of the arts and crafts movement in architecture. The projects detailed in this study include the apartments and houses in Melbourne that Desbrowe-Annear designed in the Queen Anne, art deco, and arts and crafts styles; the Corporation Arch, commissioned to celebrate the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York in 1901; and the Church Street bridge in Melbourne. Both a member of the artist community and a friend to powerful members of the political establishment, Desbrowe-Annear produced works of merit that earned him awards and wide recognition in the early part of the 20th century.