Art in Australia, No. 3, 1917

In 1916, three prominent identities in the Sydney art world - Sydney Ure Smith, Bertram Stevens and Charles Lloyd Jones - got together to publish Australia's first art magazine. Their aim was to make the work of Australian artists known to the Australian public, and, through high quality reproductions, to give an idea of its quality to those who were unable to see the originals. All of the 102 issues of Art in Australia, published between 1916 and 1942 have now been made available, complete with illustrations, on the National Library of Australia's Trove web site. The third issue of the magazine consisted mainly of short biographical sketches of contemporary Australian artists, including Norman Lindsay and Blamire Young, illustrated by examples of their work. Anticipating a speedy end to World War 1, this issue also included an optimistic piece on the role of art and design in the industrial development of post-war Australia. - Summary by Phil Benson