Volume: 19, No: 01 ; January-2025
As I reflect on this picture taken in 2012, I realise that sometimes in life the seemingly less meaningful events gain momentum to become the meaningful. It was a casual invitation to partake in the ceremony in which the Canberra Centenary delegation (Australia), visited the Nishatganj cemetery (Lucknow) to reconnect spiritually with the final homeland of the American architect W.B. Griffin who had designed their city Canberra.
Earlier, an article “Time to Commemorate”, in The Hindustan Times had also caught my attention in this context. All this spurred my curiosity to greater heights. It finally gravitated towards more investigation to unfold the saga of the architect, W.B. Griffin who dared to venture out to alien Eastern lands to prove his mettle in those times when ‘Globalization’ was unheard of. Through his work he chronicled the spirit of the times, in this context Lucknow.
The architectural feats of Walter Burley Griffin, the famed American architect of the late 19th and early 20th century, had come under the arc lights, especially with the Centenary Celebrations of Canberra, the Federal capital city of Australia, which he designed, after having won the Federal Capital Design Competition in 1912. He is acclaimed for his passionate foray into landscape architecture in three dynamically different continents – America (citizen), Australia and lastly India under the Colonial Rule. His journey culminated in further creativity in Lucknow (1935–37) before his untimely death here. He was followed by his talented wife and creative partner Marion Mahony (1936–37) who endeavoured to ceaselessly support his projects.
Further, on garnering support on this topic, our Isabella Thoburn College Librarian offered to connect me to The Tagore Library (univ.) and its core team of librarians who were extremely gracious in locating the old files and documents concerning Griffin. In the volume, “History of Lucknow University”, B.N. Puri stated that Griffin was commissioned to design the new library, but the project fell through.
However, the Griffins received many commissions: designed the temporary pavilions for the United Provinces Exhibition of Industry and Agriculture; Pioneer Press Building; Library for the Raja of Mahmudabad for his rare collection of books and manuscripts and many private houses like Bir Bhan Bhatia House and a memorial to King George V – his only link to the British imperialism. Marion and Griffin produced more than 50 projects between November, 1935 and February, 1937. …
Interestingly, on my journey of unearthing more material, I read that Griffin captured precious moments in his letters; one such being in which he shared his appreciation of excellence and poise of the young women students on his visit to Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow.
India by now was bracing itself towards modernism, as well as freedom from the colonial shackles. The fresh new spirit enthused Griffin to free his designs from the colonial past by adapting to local specificity, rather than replicating the imperial style of the British architecture. This ingenuity remained his legacy to the world of landscape architecture.
On the cultural scene, maintaining a Zenana may be cited as the efforts of the Nawabs to salvage the waning Mughal culture at this point in history. Ahmad Ali in Twilight in Delhi (1940), endorses the drastic political/social/cultural changes taking place in the first decade of the 20th century. This was the socio-cultural spirit and ethos which Griffin faced – adjusting to the expectations. He contributed to the designing of social space through his construction design of a Zenana for the Raja of Jahangirabad. His most significant patrons were the Taluqdars of Jahangirabad and Mahmudabad.
Under the Nawabs, Lucknow experienced a Renaissance that represented the last great flowering of the Indo-Islamic genius. The city whose skyline was dotted with ‘domes and arches’, was also by this time being given a face lift by Sir Harcourt Butler, the Lieutenant Governor who restored Lucknow as the capital of the United Province in 1920. The exhilarating spirit of the National Liberation struggle, and the impact of the Soviet Revolution in the 1930’s inspired a cultural revival in the form of Progressive art and Literary movement. It was into this unique old civilization which was gaining new heights of aspirations that Griffin stepped. His arrival marked the beginning of a new chapter in Lucknow’s urban evolution.
Behind the razzle dazzle of a new Lucknow skyline, tell-tale signs of life gone by remain lurking, to be further explored and conserved. The space Griffin shared/reflected is an inspiring testimony to the history and heritage of Lucknow.
Article by : Dr. Rani Massey, Head, Department of English (Retd.), Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow.
Credits : This article by Dr. Rani Massey is reproduced from Rhetorica Quarterly Vol 2, Summer 2012, a literary journal of the Arts. Acknowledgement and credit to the Department of English and Modern European Languages, University of Lucknow and Professor Ranu Uniyal, Head of the Department, is stated by Dr. Rani Massey.
LUCKNOWLEDGE is an initiative by Tornos. We do not intend to intrude your privacy and thus have an automated UNSUBSCRIBE system. At any point you may unsubscribe to our e-column or subscribe to it again through a link on our website. The above article is shared and in no way intends to violate any copy right or intellectual rights that always remains with the writer/publisher. This e-column is a platform to share an article/event/update with the netizens and educate them about Destination Lucknow.
