Edmund Burke (1850-1919) was one of Canada's pre-eminent architects; his work includes such Toronto landmarks as the Simpson department store, Jarvis Street Baptist Church, and the Bloor Viaduct. Burke's career spanned a key period in Canadian architecture, during which the profession transcended its colonial beginnings to reach maturity in Canadian-born practitioners who converted both American architectural developments and European traditions into forms appropriate to the new Canadian federation.

Burke's contributions to Canadian architecture include introducing the technology of the "Chicago men" to Canada and helping to establish a formal professional organization for architects in Ontario.

In this first full-length biography, Angela Carr explores the "Canadian-ness" of Burke's work and shows how it was influenced by architectural developments in the United States and Europe. She documents a comprehensive selection of Burke's works, including his firm's famous Robert Simpson store in Toronto, the first curtain-wall construction in Canada.

She places Burke's life and career within the larger social context, addressing the influence of American architects and architecture, the sociology of professions, the organization of architectural offices, and the history of particular building forms.