About the Author

Joanne Taylor born in Sydney holds a bachelor's degree in art history and theory and English literature from the University of Sydney. Her undergraduate studies on the history of India led to her post-graduate research and the award of a master's degree from the University of New South Wales for her thesis, The Great Houses of Kolkata, 1750-2006. She has traveled widely in India particularly in Kolkata and Bengal. An accomplished photographer she is the author of the widely praised award winning book The Forgotten Palaces of Calcutta. Jon Lang is an emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales where he headed the School of Architecture. Born in Kolkata, he received his early education in the city and in Kalimpong. He has a bachelor s degree in architecture from the University of the Witwatersrand and a doctorate from Cornell University. He taught in the urban design program at the University of Pennsylvania before settling in Australia. This book is the fourth that he has written or co-authored on architecture in India. In 2010 he received the Reed and Mallik Medal from the Institution of Civil Engineers in London.