In 1948 during her Australian tour Helen Keller visited the west suburban SUNSHINE GIRLS TECHNICAL SCHOOL, to express her thanks for a letter written by the students in support of her work with deaf and blind people. She and her travelling companions presented the school with their signatures. Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880 and due to an illness at the age of 20 months lost both her sight and hearing. Helen was taught to communicate by Anne Sullivan who wrote words into her hand, and she also learned to speak by touching the throat and lips of people as they spoke. In June 28, 1904 Helen Keller graduated from Radcliffe College with a Bachelor of Arts degree, being the first deaf and blind person to do so. In October 1914 Polly Thomson joined up with Helen and Anne. Helen published an account of her religious beliefs and an autobiography, and in 1930 the three women travelled to Scotland, England and Ireland. In 1931 they participated in the first World Council for the Blind. After Anne Sullivan Macy died in 1936 Helen and Polly continued to travel to several countries. In 1943 Helen visited blind, deaf, and disabled soldiers in a USA military hospital, which she described as "the crowning experience of my life". In 1946 Helen and Polly made their first world tour for the American Foundation for the Overseas Blind and over the next 11 years visited 35 countries. In 1955 Helen became the first woman to be honoured with an honorary degree from Harvard University. In 1960 Polly Thomson died, and in 1961 Helen suffered her first stroke and so retired from public life. In 1964 President Johnson conferred the Presidential Medal of Freedom however she was unable to attend the ceremony. On June 1, 1968 Helen died in her sleep, and her ashes have been interred with those of Anne and Polly at the National Cathedral. Over 1200 mourners attended the funeral.It is significant that Helen Keller actually took the time and effort to visit the Sunshine Girls Technical School to thank the students for their supporting letter. Helen Keller's many achievements show that a severely handicapped deaf and blind person can make significant contributions to society, if they apply themselves and receive assistance from dedicated friends. Brown stained wood frame with glass face enclosing a beige paper with three signatures and a typed white paper section describing reason for the signatures. Helen Keller, Polly Thomson, Marion Fatuson, 11.5.48helen keller, polly thomson, marion fatuson, anne sullivan macy, deaf, blind, signatures, radcliffe college, sunshine girls technical school

PROTECTED BY AMERICAN AND FOREIGN PATENTSROYAL TYPEWRITER MADE IN U.S.A. UNDER PATENTROYALlocal history, typewriter, office equipment, ugo and mary loiacono (nee power)

Bowie knife, presented to or ordered by Charles John Dennys. Charles John Dennys (1818-1898) arrived from England in 1842 and set up a wool-broking business in 1852 with his cousin Thomas Allen Lascelles and Edward Walton. This became Dennys, Lascelles Ltd and later Dennys, Lascelles, Austin and Co. after prominent grazier Sidney Austin joined the firm in 1881. Dennys was appointed Secretary of the District Council of Grant in 1843 and was elected to the South Barwon municipal council in 1857 ("The Bay, Barwon and Beyond", pp.12-13). The donor is the great grand daughter of Charles Dennys; she found the knife whilst cleaning out an aunt's house and has no knowledge of its provenance. Many bowie knives were exported to America from Sheffield, where a number of manufacturers began making them in the 1800s. This style of knife dates typically from the mid 1800s.Bowie knife made by Morton & Davis, Sheffield and owned by Charles John Dennys (1818-1898), co-founder of the woolbroking firm Dennys, Lascelles Ltd. Bowie knife made by Morton & Davis, Sheffield and owned by Charles John Dennys (1818-1898), co-founder of the woolbroking firm Dennys, Lascelles Ltd.STANLEY / MORTON & DAVIS / CELEBRATED BOWIE KNIFE / SHEFFIELD ASK FOR NOTHING / BUT what is / RIGHT / SUBMIT TO NOTHING THAT IS / WRONG CHARLES JOHN DENNYS.dennys, mr charles john

Men's woollen swimming costume, c.1930s, made in Australia by Jantzen. Jantzen were originally an American company; they were founded as the Portland Knitting Company (Oregon, USA) in 1910 and changed their name to Jantzen Knitting Mills in 1918. An Australian mill was opened in Sydney in c.1928.mens bathersfashion, jantzen knitting mills

The SS. Edina was built on the River Clyde by Barclay Curle & Co. for Leith, Hull & Hamburg Steam Packet Co. She was launched on 4 May 1854 as a 3 masted steamer. She initially carried passengers and cargo across the North Sea. She then went onto serve in the Crimean War (HMS Edina), the American Civil War (c.1862), took fortune hunters to New Zealand during the Gold Rush and ferried passengers and cargo up the Queensland coast and across Victoria's Western District. In 1880 she began to trade between Geelong and Melbourne, traveling in her later years between Portarlington and Williamstown, via Geelong and Point Henry. She averaged 312 trips a year with 100 passengers a day. She made her last trip in 1938.The notice from the S.S.Edina likely relates to her use as a passenger boat, operating between Geelong and Melbourne from 1880-1938. The object is significant for its historic connections to Victoria's early travel networks by sea and to the S.S. Edina as a long serving vessel. A black board with white stenciled lettering set in a wooden frame. On the front is a Notice pertaining to the SS Edina. On the back of the board are 4 paintings of the SS Edina, showing her in 1875, 1884, 1917 and 1938."S.S EDINA NOTICE passage tickets are issued to & accepted by passengers subject to the conditions printed on the back of the ticket. Passengers are particularly requested to carefully read such conditions. No person allowed on board without a ticket."s.s edina, geelong harbour trust, corio bay, geelong

Willcox and Gibbs: Serial No. 158679.|The Willcox& Gibbs Sewing Machine Company was founded in 1857 by James E. A. Gibbs and James Willcox and opened its London Office in 1859 at 135 Regent Street . By 1871 the Company's Chief Office for Europe was at 150 Cheapside, London, this office was later moved (post 1885) to 94 - 96 Wigmore Street, then 37 & 39 Moorgate Street (by 1891 to post 1907) and later 20 Fore Street, London .Right from the initial production the manufacturing of the Company's single thread, chain stitch machine was undertaken by Brown & Sharpe, Rhode Island and this continued up until 1948.|A special hand crank mechanism was produced in England for the European market, but the general design of the Willcox& Gibbs remained essentially the same throughout its production. The only major improvement was in 1875 when the glass tension discs were replaced with an automatic tension device which ensured the machine could not get out of adjustment.|In addition to the domestic hand and treadle machines the company produced a wide range of industrial models.|The Company finally closed in 1973.|This Willcox& Gibbs came complete with its wooden carry case. The machine was made in America in the late 1860's but it has the ornate hand crank produced at Coalbrookdale near Telford, England which was, in Victorian times, renown for producing high quality ornate iron castings. This machine has the glass tension discs which were used on domestic models until 1875. The Willcox& Gibbs badge is located on the rear of the base casting and it also has a deep wooden base.|The cloth plate has various American patent dates, four dating between 1857 & 1860 relating to J. E. A. Gibbs, three dating between 1860 & 1864 relating to Chas H. Willcox (son of James Willcox), the machine was also licensed under five other patents including the infamous Elias Howe patent of 1846.|There are only two English patents one for J. E. A Gibbs and the other for James Willcox.Upright sewing machine. Machine is quite small and set on wooden table. Ornate metal sides and treadle feet. One drawer. Brass name medallion on back.Willcox & Gibb Sewing Machine co, New York.|Other inscriptions are :-|London, Paris|Measures|Thread type|Needle 12 stitches to inch|Brevettees G.D.G.|En France|Eten Delgique|Under Royal Letters|Patent|James Willcox|July 4 - 71 [1871]handcrafts, equipment

6th May 2009 A large earthenware figure of a spaniel made in the 19th century in Staffordshire and used as a fireside ornament. Also referred to as Staffordshire dogs. They were purchased by errant husbands to comfort irate wives.|Stoke, Burslem, Hanley, Longton and Tunstall were known as the “Five Towns” of the Staffordshire potteries. In the 19th century there were more than 1000 firms working at various times, amongst them Wedgwood, Spode and Ridgway. Largely because of Josiah Wedgwood and the canal system, and later the railways English ceramics spread far and wide. A vast export trade to the Americas and India was from the port of Liverpool. Staffordshire became the pottery supplier of the World. Most factories made figures and tea and dinner sets.|The Comforter Dogs were copied and made by more than one pottery.Staffordshire dog - no makers mark. Right foot cracked. Repair on ear. Some cracks on body.ceramics, porcelain, ornaments

Standard type water bottle as issued to American and Australian troops in the Vietnam War.00095.1 Cloth , Canvas Water bottle cover with “FIX” stud fittings. Khaki, US Maker. 00095.2 Khaki Plastic Water Bottle Marked US 1966. 00095.3 Aluminium Dixee Cup, made by Stokes Melbourne Reg No 8465 - 66 - 058 - 5567

LADIES PONY GIG – circa early 1900’s) The gig was built by T Rose, North Melbourne. Australian coachbuilders adopted American designs and modified these to suit local conditions, eg mudguards added for muddy country roads. As roads improved, lighter and faster designs were made. These gigs were more comfortable than the normal farm cart / town cart (see nearby butcher’s cart), as they were often sprung for comfort rather than carrying heavy weights. (Donated by: Ivan & Gwen Russell, who purchased it from the Hogan Family, Tatura, in 1998) Ivan & Gwen Russell purchased this jinker from the Hogan Family at Tatura in 1998 "The only information we have is that it was built by T. Rose, North Melbourne. As it is in the original Condition we would like to donate it to the Numurkah Historical society to be displayed for others to enjoy. Black-painted ladies jinker (pony gig), with rubber tyred wheels, light hickory shafts, patterned black upholstery on seatT Rose Buildergig, jinker, horse-drawn vehicle, russell

Photos of the Melbourne Junior Legacy Annual Demonstration at the Melbourne Town Hall in September 1963. They include a scene of a canoe with junior legatees dressed as Native Americans. There are ballerinas dancing, and children marching and making formations. Also gymnastics demonstrations. Throughout the year Melbourne Legacy provided classes for Junior Legatees such as dancing, gymnastics and eurythmics, the Demonstration was an annual event to showcase their skills. Melbourne Legacy conducted Annual Demonstrations / Parades from 1928 through to the late 1970's, usually held at Melbourne Town Hall or Olympic Pool Stadium. The beautiful costumes were made by members of the Junior Legacy Mothers' Club and the Melbourne Legacy Wives' Association. A record of a Junior Legacy Demonstration.Black and white photo x 33 of the Annual Demonstration in 1963.junior legatee, annual demonstration, costumes, ballerinas

Its manufacture demonstrates from an industrial aspect a period of history following the occupation of Japan by the USA after the second world war and has a strong association with this event.Insulator - known as an egg type - ceramic - fired clay (porcelain) finished with a brown colour with two holes for span wire with the holes offset to each other. Marked in a very light almost clear finish on one side "Made in Occupied Japan" See item 8534 for another example - a larger size. https://www.gotheborg.com/glossary/occupiedjapan.shtml - accessed 15/4/20201 gives some background: "For the period from the end of World War II in 1945 through April 28, 1952, the United States and its Allies occupied Japan. The Occupation involved approximately 130,000 Americans (both military and civilian) and about 35,000 British Troops based in Japan. SCAP (Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers), led by General MacArthur, wrote a new constitution for Japan. As Japan needed to rebuild their economy after the war, part of the agreement to allow them to export goods out of their country was that they had to mark 50% of all items with "Occupied Japan" or "Made in Occupied Japan." This could be done with a paper label, cloth label (as on scarves, doilies, clothing), engraved, handwritten or stamped. Thus, you may come across things, such as a salt and pepper set, where only one of the pair is marked OJ and the other will just have "Japan" on it. The tags, labels, marks were placed on the items in Japan, before they were exported to other countries. "trams, tramways, overhead, trolley wire, insulation, electrical equipment

Photocopies of letters made by Alan Bradley in relation to the use of Fare Tokens by the Electric Supply Co. of Victoria - See Reg. Item 1794. Photocopies made 18.07.2001. Photocopies of letters copied by Alan from the City of Ballarat's files. 1801.1 - Photocopy of letter dated 23/9/1921, signed by Mr. Pringle of ESCo to Col. G.F. Morton, City Clerk of the City of Ballaarat concerning the increase of tramway fares and the withdrawal of tokens due to the increase in costs. Gives details of fare structures, costs, tramway wages, section changes, American and English tramway fares and increase in the cost of coal. Three sheets stapled together in top left hand corner. 1801.2 - Photocopy of letter dated 23/7/1913 concerning the introduction of one man tramcars, signed by Mr. Pringle of ESCo, to Col. Williams, City Clerk of the City of Ballarat, and the introduction of celluloid tokens which would replace slip tickets and work better in the Fare Boxes. Also notes the introduction of "screens", windscreens, to all cars. Two sheets stapled together in top left hand corner. See Reg. Item 2514 for H.P. James notes on the token system.Parts of letter have been highlighted by Alan re tokens and other interesting points.trams, tramways, tokens, fares, tickets, esco, windscreens, costs

Negative No. 273 and colour print made by colour laser printer (stored in folder ) of Melbourne PCC tram 980, in Coldblo Road , Malvern depot, during an AETA tour on 8/5/1954. Photo by Geoff Grant. Envelope with negative describes the scene as "980 PCC type tram. It is unconventional tram with some American ideas and components." Hi res scan of negative and image updated 19/5/2020.trams, tramways, malvern depot, pcc, coldblo road, aeta, tram 980

There are only seven shipwrecks in Victoria that have had more than 100 objects recovered from them reported as a result of the Commonwealth Amnesty held in 1993-94. These are the Loch Ard (1878), Schomberg (1855) and Fiji (1891) - all situated along the western district 'Shipwreck Coast' - and the George Roper (1883), Light of the Age (1868), Joseph H. Scammell (1891) and Victoria Tower - all situated along the short section of the 'Surf Coast' between Point Lonsdale and Torquay.The Victoria Tower is archaeologically significant as the wreck of an international inward-bound passenger and cargo vessel. It is educationally and recreationally significant as a coherently intact example of a British built iron clipper ie: representative of a class or type. Along with the wrecks of the Light of the Age (1868 - American-built wooden clipper ship) and Sussex (1871 - Blackwall frigate) nearby these vessels represent the three major design classes, and span the evolution of commercial and immigrant sailing ships used by the British in the colonial Australian trade in the last half of the nineteenth century.2 Doors from the 'Victoria Tower' made from teak and mahoganydoors, salvage, shipwreck, torquay, victoria tower

Started way back in the mid sixties, Malcolm Barlow first started to build BARLOW winches in a small garage in Sydney. Even though, or maybe because of the uncanny resemblance of those early winches to the American manufactured BARIENT winches, they have stood the test of time.Australian made yachting winch equipment made in the 1960sA wooden box containing 3 winchesBarlow, Australia yachting, barlow winches, winches

The Yokohama Diving Company was established in the early 20th century. Their helmets were initially inspired by the english Siebe Gorman helmets which they manufactured in a smaller size. This also resulted in a smaller volume helmet allowing the divers to use less lead weights when diving. In the early nineteen sixties Yokohama became involved in manufacturing their own helmets but in a different design after american diving equipment manufacturer Robert Kirby had rebuilt several Yokohama helmets into a more practical / modern design. Yokohama is no longer in business.A 1950s era heavy duty diving suit used in pearling and salvage work.A Japanese manufactured diving suit used in pearling and salvage work in the 1950s.Yokohama Diving Appratus Co Ltd. No.760. Made in Japan.diving suit, commercial diving, pearling, salvage

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.