Crowe, Sylvia (1901–1997)
Crowe, Sylvia (1901–1997)
British landscape architect and designer. Name variations: Dame Sylvia Crowe. Born Sylvia Crowe, Sept 15, 1901, in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England; died June 30, 1997, in London; dau. of Eyre Crowe (engineer) and Beatrice (Stockton) Crowe; graduate of Swanley Horticultural College, Kent, 1922; studied under Edward White; shared an office with Brenda Colvin.
One of the leading theorists and practitioners in her field in the 20th century, worked as a landscape designer (1926–39), and, after WWII war service, became one of the world's best known landscape architects; created harmonious plans for several of the UK's new cities, and became a leader in landscaping power plants and other industrial facilities, creating realistic and aesthetically pleasing designs that helped alleviate the scars of industry's intrusion into nature; writings include The Landscape of Power (1958), Forestry in the Landscape (1966), The Landscape of Forests and Woods (1978) and Garden Design. Received OBE (1967); named Dame Commander of the British Empire (1973).
See also Women in World History.