Denis Santry (14 May 1879 ''–'' 14 April 1960) was an Irish architect and cartoonist. He was a pioneer of animated cartoons in South Africa and the architect of the several prominent structures in Singapore, including the Sultan Mosque and

The Cenotaph The Cenotaph is a war memorial on Whitehall in London, England. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, it was unveiled in 1920 as the United Kingdom's national memorial to the dead of Britain and the British Empire of the First World War, was rededica ...

Early life and education

Santry was born in Cork, Ireland on 14 May 1879 to Danis Santry, a carpenter and joiner. He studied at the Cork Municipal School of Art from 1894 to 1896 after serving an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker. In 1895, he also studied at the Crawford School of Art. In 1897, he was articled to architect James Finbarre McMullen. From 1897 to 1898, he studied at the

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public university, public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City, London, White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design uni ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

under a Lane scholarship. While he was at the college, he won the Queen's prize for freehand drawing. After graduating, he returned to McMullen's office and worked there for the next two years.

Career

Santry came to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

at the end of 1901 due to ill health. He settled in

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

and was employed at Tully & Waters, an architectural firm, from 1901 to 1902. He then spent a year working for architect William Patrick Henry Black. In 1903, his cartoons began to appear in local newspapers and magazines, including the '' South African Review''. He used the pseudonym 'Adam' in his cartoons. He continued to work as an architect until 1910 when he began working as a cartoonist, as well as a metalworker, sculptor and filmmaker. He then moved to

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

and was employed at the ''

Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

'' and '' The Rand Daily Mail'' as a cartoonist. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, his cartoons were reproduced in several other countries. He became a pioneer of animated cartoons in South Africa. He was a member of the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

and a council member of the South African Society of Artists. Santry came to Singapore in 1918 and joined architectural firm Swan & Maclaren as a partner. While in Singapore, he served as the architect of several prominent buildings and monuments, including the Sultan Mosque,

, the Maritime Building, the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Building and the Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church. He served as the first president of the St. Patrick's Society Singapore, the first president of the Singapore Amateur Boxing Association, the chairman of the Singapore Art Club, a member of the board of control of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, a member of the Censorship Appeal Board and the vice-president of the Straits Settlements Association. He was also a frequent contributor to the '' Straits Produce'', a satirical magazine. He helped to found the Singapore Society of Architects and the Institute of Architects of Malaya and was the founder and the chairman of the Singapore Musical Society. He retired to England in March 1934. Santry returned to South Africa in 1940. Following the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he resumed his practice as a result of lost income caused by the

Japanese occupation of Malaya Malaya, then under British administration,, was gradually occupied by Japanese forces between 8 December 1941 and the Allied surrender at Singapore on 15 February 1942. The Japanese remained in occupation until their surrender to the Allie ...

. In 1950, he became a member of the Institute of South African Architects. He designed several private houses in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal.

Personal life and death

Santry married Madeline Hegarty in 1904. From 1910 to 1918, he lived in Kleine Schuur on Rhodes Avenue in Johannesburg. The house was designed by prominent architect

Herbert Baker Sir Herbert Baker (9 June 1862 – 4 February 1946) was an English architect remembered as the dominant force in South African architecture for two decades, and a major designer of some of New Delhi's most notable government structures. He was ...

. He died in

Durban, South Africa Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South Africa, on the Natal Bay o ...

on 14 April 1960.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santry, Denis 1879 births 1904 deaths 20th-century Irish architects Irish editorial cartoonists Irish animators Irish animated film directors