Thursday, July 08, 2010 Night Train to Lucknow The Canberra Chapter of the Walter Burley Griffin Society was addressed last night by Griffin scholar Associate Professor Christopher Vernon, on 'Night Train to Lucknow: Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin: creating a modern architecture for India 1935-1937'. Professor Vernon, recounted his visit to India with a class of landscape architecture students, visiting buildings designed by Griffin. There were three phases to Griffin's work: USA, Australia and India (as reflected in "The Magic of America"). Professor Vernon sees Griffin's design for Canberra as part of a British Empire imperial project, along with cities in South Africa and India. He argues that politics influenced the designs of Canberra, Pretoria, and New Delhi. A more direct link is that a copy of Griffin's plan for Canberra was sent to India at the request of the Viceroy. Herbert Baker designed in both Pretoria and New Delhi. In contrast to Canberra, the plan for New Deli proceeded rapidly. Prof Vernon, argued that the British used landscape architecture to erase previous mogul influence and impose their own power on India. I suspect it was simply a matter of the fashion of the time. Lucknow was a centre of culture. "the city of gardens". Griffin was invited design the library at the University of Lucknow. [snip] http://blog.tomw.net.au/2010/07/night-train-to-lucknow.html --- Harshawardhan_Bosham Nimkhedkar

Hello Harshawardhan Mention of Walter Burley Griffin brings to mind a discussion held on his list some years ago and which concerned Griffin's place of burial in Lucknow. I remember thinking at the time, that it was remiss of Australia to have neglected one who was so responsible for establishing the design of our capital city. Can anyone say whether his grave site is now cared for ? Good wishes Sally P.S I have lived in Lucknow and it is indeed, a city with attractive buildings. It is also a city of interesting nooks and crannies and architecture pre-dating colonialism. Bandariabagh where I lived is open and green and expansive. Good memories which always concerned cycling about - the best way to explore !