Frank Barlow Osborn was born in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England in 1840 and was articled to Charles Edge (1800-1867 in Birmingham). He then moved to London and trained for a period in the office of Samuel Sanders Teulon (1812-1873), an architect who specialised in the design of church buildings. Having qualified as an architect, Osborn returned to Birmingham where later that year commenced practice as an architect. His first office was located at 1 Cherry Street, Birmingham. In 1866 he moved to 11 Temple Row, Birmingham, and then in 1874, to 13 Bennett Hill, Birmingham where he remained for the rest of his career as an architect.
From 1876 to 1890 he was in partnership with one of his former pupils, Alfred Reading (1850-1908) as Osborn & Reading. After his partnership was dissolved, Osborn worked independently until 1907.
Osborn was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1864 and a Fellow of the Royal institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1872. He was also a member of the Birmingham Institute of Architects and its President. He died suddenly at the Union Club on Colmore Road, Birmingham on 6 April 1907.
St. Cyrian's Church, The Fordrough, Jay Mill, Birmingham (1874); St. Margaret's Church, Ledsam Street, Ladywood, Birmingham (1875); Joint Stock Bank, New Street, Birmingham (1877); Stable and coach house, Augustus Road, Edgbaston (1877); House, Augustus Road, Edgbaston (1877); House and out offices, Hagley Road, Edgbaston (1877); House, Woodbourne Road, Edgbaston (1878); House, Hagley Road, Edgbaston (1879); Four retail shops, 206, 209, Deritend, Birmingham (1880); Medical Institute, Edmund Street, Birmingham (1880); Additions and alterations to workshops, Warstone Lane, Birmingham (1880); Additions to factory, Weaman Street, Birmingham (1881); Stables, 205, 209, Deritend, Birmingham (1881); Volunteer Headquarters, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Thorpe Street, Birmingham (1881); Volunteer Headquarters, 1st South Staffs Regiment, Belgrave Terrace, Handsworth (1881); House, Augustus Road, Edgbaston (1882); Workshops, Park Mills, Birmingham (1882); Worcester City & County Bank, Colmore Row, Birmingham (1882); House, 32 Westfield Road, Edgbaston (1882); Additions and lodge to Westfield, 44 Augustus Road, Edgbaston (1883); Shop, back of 63 Northampton Street, Birmingham (1883); Two shops, 221, 223, Lower Priory, Birmingham (1883); Edgbaston Assemby Rooms, Francis Road, Edgbaston (1884); House, Westfield Road, Edgbaston (1884); Conservative Club, 53 Temple Row, Birmingham (1885); St. Martin's Hotel and Market Entrance, St. Martin's Lane, for Corporation of Birmingham (1886); Edgbaston Vestry Hall, Islington Row, Edgbaston (1886); St. Philip's Rectory, St. Philip's Churchyard, Birmingham (1886); House, Clovelly, 4 Manor Road, Birmingham (1887); Factory, 88, 89 Weaman Street for P. Webley & Son (1887); Methodist Central Hall, Corporation Street, Birmingham (1887); Assurance building, Colmore Row, Birmingham (1887); House, Endcliffe, 2 Manor Road, Birmingham (1888); Shop front, 71 High Street, Birmingham for Messrs Noirton & Co. (1888); Business Premises, 19-21 Corporation Street, Birmingham for Messrs. Norton & Co. (1888); Rebuilding of St. James's Parish Church, Norton Canes, Cannock (1888); Seven Houses for Thomas Harris, Kenyon Street, back of Wheel Tavern (1889); House for Ben Tilley, Cromartie, 17 Westfield Road, Edgbaston (1889); Billiard Room for Arthur Warden, The Vale, 25 Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham (1889); Shop, rear of 53, 54 Whitmore Street, Birmingham (1889); Mission Room, Dollman Street, Birmingham for James Ashted (1889); Out-Patients Department, Birmingham Royal Orthopedic Hospital, Great Charles Street, Birmingham (1889); Girl's Friendly Society Diocesan Lodge, Barwick Street, Birmingham (1890); Offices and premises, Sheepcote Street for James Booth & Co. (1890); Extension to warehouse, Bridge Street and Broad Street for Wm. Pearce (1890); Rebuilding of Christ Church, Hagley Road West, Quigley, Birmingham (1890); Glass warehouse, Slaney Street, Birmingham for Pilkington Bros. (1891); Conservatory and alterations for A. E. Wilson, Wyddrington, Church Road, Edgbaston (1892); Mission Room, Ellis Street for St. Thomas's Church, Bath Row, Birmingham (1892); Office and factory, Great Charles Street, Birmingham (1892); Shops and offices, Thorp Street, Birmingham for W. Hopkins (1892); Rebuilding of Atlas Works, Charles Henry Street, Birmingham (1893); Warehouse and retail shops, Edmund Street and Livery Street, Birmingham for G. Jackson (1893); Mission Room, Belmont Row for St. James's Church, Birmingham (1894); Enlargement of Berwick Church, Shrewsbury, Shropshire (1894); Church schools, Langley, Solihull (1894); Renovation and redecoration of Holy Trinity, Bordesley (1894); Medical consulting rooms, 106-110, Edmund Street and 29 Newhall Street, Birmingham for W. H. Smythe (1895); House for F. M. Mole, 33 Westfield Road, Edgbaston (1895); Residential Chambers, Newhall Street and Bread Street, Birmingham for Dr, D. C. Lloyd Owen (1896); Billiiard room for A. C. Osler, Fallowfield, 29 Norfolk Road, Edgbaston (1896); Offices and premises, 10 Newhall Street, Birmingham for Edwin Docker (1896); Business premises, Newhall Street, Birmingham for C. B. Beale (1897); Extension to deaf and Dumb Institute, Church Road, Edgbaston (1897); Factory, Slaney Street, Birmingham for Polkington Bros. (1897); Business premises, Newhall Street, Birmingham for C. G. Beale (1897); St. George's Rectory, 52 Calthorpe Road, Edgbaston (1897); House for E. M. Sage, , Clare Gate, 9 Farquhar Road, Edgbaston (1898); Private Hospital, 79 Newhall Street, Birmingham (1899); Additions to Nurses' House, The Crescent, Birmingham, for the Institute of Nursing (1899); Business premises for Willcocks, Wheeler & Co., Barwick Street and Edmund Street, Birmingham (1900); Shop. Bridge Row, Deritend, Birmingham for W. Jennens (1900); Extension to Vegetable Market and Cattle Market, Jamaica Row and Moat Row, Birmingham, for Corporation of Birmingham (1901); St. Peter's Church, George Street West, Spring Hill, Birmingham (1902); Alterations and additions to shops, 23, 27 Summer Row, Birmingham for E. H. Wynne (1902); Alterations to 10 Ludgate Hill, Birmingham for Crawley, Parsons & Co, (1902); Birmingham Crematorium, Sheldon Coppice, Walsall Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham (1903); Electricity sub-station, Upper Trinity Street, Birmingham (1905); St. Mary and St. Ambrose Vicarage, Reglan Road, Edgbaston (1905); Motor house for Dr. Martin, St. James's Road, Edgbaston (1906) and Tramcar depots, Mosley Road, Roseberry Street and Kyott's Lake Road, Birmingham for Tramways Committee (1906-07)
Abbott, Donald. ‘Frank Barlow Osborn’ in Birmingham’s Victorian and Edwardian Architects, edited by Phillada Ballard. Wetherby: Oblong Creative Ltd. for the Birmingham and West Midlands Group of the Victorian Society, 2009 pp. 275-291
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
‘Obituary’. The Builder vol. 92, 13 April 1907 p. 453