Australian Gothic

"Australian Gothic is the first comprehensive book on the Australian face of that nineteenth-century movement, the Gothic Revival. With its roots in late-1830s England, this earnest return to building in the style of the Middle Ages touched most aspects of the Australian built environment, including houses, churches, banks, schools, even funeral parlours and tombstones." "Brian Andrews explores the nature, scope and sources of the Gothic Revival, from the grand buildings, the great architects and their patrons, to the not-so-good, the humorous, the pretentious, the copy-cats and their works. He sheds light on the origins and progress of taste for over a century - and traces the impact of Gothic ideas from Continental Europe, particularly in minority cultures here." "The Gothic Revival influenced not only architecture but also a wide range of decorative arts and crafts, from glass and metalwork to book design. Much of its modern appeal derives from fittings, furnishings, liturgical metalwork and other arts and crafts, all of which are beautifully illustrated in this important work."--Jacket.