It's a well-known surname in Canberra, but the Griffin behind the National Archives of Australia's latest exhibition may not be the one you'd expect.
Marion: the other Griffin opens to the public on Friday, shining a light on Marion Mahony Griffin's remarkable career and designs. It follows her from childhood spent in Chicago, through to her time in Canberra, and then on to life in Lucknow, India.
"It's looking at Marion's role and building out of either side of the Canberra story," National Archives of Australia curator Emily Catt said.
"We've fortunately been able to get graphic reproductions of a lot of things from the US and borrow content from the National Library of Australia as well, which has been terrific.
"Some of these works haven't ever been seen alongside the Canberra works and I think when you see them alongside each other, you can make those visual connections, which are important."
Undoubtedly, the "jewels" of the exhibition are the winning original plans for the design of Canberra, submitted by Griffin and her husband Walter Burley Griffin in 1912.
These historically significant watercolour drawings, held in the national archival collection, are rarely brought out for public display, for preservation reasons.
"This exhibition came out of a keenness for us wanting to be able to show off the Griffin drawings, because it's always terrific to be able to share them with the Canberra community, it's a really important thing," Ms Catt said.
"But sharing Marion's story alongside them, I think is really significant. The last time we shared them it was in the context of the design competition. And yet, this story is much more artistic and ideals driven. It's a very personal, personal story."
As someone who usually worked in association with others, the archive wanted to highlight the talent that Griffin brought to the projects she tackled alongside Walter Burley Griffin and others.
Among the items on display is a graphic recreation of a two-part painting that the Griffins did in 1931.
Titled Fairies Feeding the Herons and displayed in the George B. Armstrong School of International Studies in Chicago, the work is the first thing visitors will see when entering the exhibition.
"People don't typically get to see this work, except at the school that it's in, where children will walk past it every day. But what's so great about it is it's something Marion did completely on her own without collaboration," Ms Catt said.
"She had a year's break from Walter quite late on, and that's when she went to Chicago and painted this. And it wraps in her love of the environment, her love of children and her love of nature. So it's a unique thing."
The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of public programs, including guided tours, talks and children's holiday programs.
Marion: the other Griffin will be on display at the National Archives of Australia from February 11 to May 8. Admission is free. For more information go to naa.gov.au.
