L. Bernard Hall

As Director of the National Gallery of Victoria from 1892 to 1935, L. Bernard Hall was Australian art’s most influential administrator and teacher, yet his achievements have been virtually written out of history. In this book Gwen Rankin uncovers Hall’s fascinating story. Never as conservative as sometimes suggested, Hall came to Australia for the love of a woman and stayed for the love of a gallery, establishing a record of service unrivalled today. Based almost entirely on primary source material, this biography includes many of Hall’s own paintings and drawings, along with striking archival photographs.