Design and Art Australia Online

Photographer and photo-engraver, born in Western Australia, who began as a trainee at Western Australian Newspapers. Stanway-Tapp, the paper’s Art Director, assessed him and gave him the option to be an artist or an engraver. As a Western Australian newspaper trainee he was obliged to take two units per year at the Perth Technical School. He attended from 1925-7.

Birch asserts Stanway-Tapp taught him 'Light and Shade’ in which he scored a distinction at the Tech and that he was such a very good teacher that A. B. Webb was not able to proffer any help or advice to him as a young student. The drawing methods at the Tech involved measurement and proportions done with the outstretched pencil. “Webb did not stand at your elbow. He relied on you putting down what you could see. He did not offer much in the way of words. You had to ask.” Birch would have appreciated some criticism of his work. As it was, he coasted through with credits but felt he got nothing out of the classes: he was there because of job requirements only. There were no obstacles, no challenges and he would have liked some. Birch worked for Western Australian Newspapers until his retirement after which he worked in a voluntary capacity at the Royal Western Australian Historical Society. Birch was a brother-in-law to William Andrews.

Writers:

Dr Dorothy Erickson

Date written:

2010

Last updated:

2011