Richard Beck established a consultancy as an industrial designer in London in the 1930s, designing posters, booklets and advertisements for London Transport, Shell-Mex, Orient Line and the London GPO. His work was illustrated in Radio Times, Evening Standard and News Chronicle. His posters used montage and surrealist techniques, as in this example, reminiscent of E McKnight Kauffer who was prominent in commercial art in interwar England. The London Journal Art and Industry reproduced a number of Beck's posters for the Orient Line and London Transport and in 1938 Modern Publicity's annual round-up featured Beck's cover design and included a profile of his work.Brochure for London Transportgraphic design, mid-century modern, design

architecture, domestic architecture

Drawing of an early 20th century French fashion designer Paul Poiret (1879-1944), a master couturier working in Paris during the first two decades of the 20th century.Lower right recto, on image, grey pencil: "LOUIS / KAHAN / 26" Lower right corner recto, grey pencil: 'poiret, paintre'fashion illustration

Louis Kahan (1905-2002) is best known in Australia for his skill as an artist. As Independent Fashion Curator, Laura Jocic has observed, ‘It is less known though that Kahan had a career in theatre and fashion in Vienna and Paris during the 1920s and 1930s that continued when he came to Australia in 1947. He signed his fashion illustration with the initials 'nac', a phonetic interpretation of his surname spelled backwards. In this illustration on newspaper we can see Kahan playing with the graphic effects of line and text, while communicating the cut and drape of late-1950s fashions.’ Kahn was born in Vienna in 1905 and first travelled to Australia in 1947. He moved to Melbourne in 1950 where he became friends with artist George Bell, writer Alan McCulloch who introduced him to Clem Christensen, editor of the literary journal Meanjin, where many of his portraits of Australian writers were published. His 1962 portrait of the author Patrick White won the Archibald Prize, bringing him national recognition. He also designed sets and costumes for the Elizabeth Theatre Trust (Opera Australia) and the Melbourne Theatre Company. In 1993 his contribution to Australian cultural life was recognised when he was made an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO). He died in Melbourne, at the age of 97 in 2002. Ann Carew 2018Fashion illustration on newsprint. Drawing depicts two women. Women in foreground is wearing a long green coat and hat.Woman at rear is wearing a green and white evening dress with white gloves.Signed lower right in ink, 'nac 1958'.fashion illustration, fashion design

A cotton fabric printed with a fluorescent rainbow striped background, and scattered purple hibiscus. Designed for Bush Couture's 'Bush Kids' children's line.Printed on the selvedge: 'Linda Jackson handprint 1989'textile design, australian fashion

Scarf featuring fish designtextile design, textile, australian fashion

Dr. Frances Mary Burke (1907 - 1994) was a textile designer and printer, businesswoman, artist and Australian design advocate and retailer. Burke’s modern abstract textile designs incorporated motifs and colours inspired by Australian Indigenous art, Pacific Island cultures, Australian flora and fauna, English gardens, and the sea and its wildlife. Following Burke’s death in 1994, her life-long companion Miss Fabie Chamberlain donated the contents of Burke’s studio to RMIT University.Single colour screenprint, white fabric with chartreuse coloured print of positive large format design featuring large stylised canna leaf motif.Printed on selvedge 'CANNA LEAF' a "Frances Burke" UNIT COLOUR DESIGN'textile, australian flora, rmit design archives

This photograph was reproduced on the cover of the magazine 'Housewife, Home and Family', in October, 1960 with the heading, 'Miss Frances Burke, Brilliant Australian Textile Designer'. The photograph contains interesting contradictions: Burke, wearing a cocktail hat whilst painting, was never a housewife, nor did she have children. Gladys Hain, editor of the magazine, exhorted women who did have children to get busy, start businesses and contribute to the economy! The image highlights Burke's ability to attract publicity and demonstrates her acute understanding of the power of PR and marketing. Burke established her textile business in 1937, developing it between the wars in a very challenging marketplace by capitalising on opportunities as they presented. Robyn Oswald-Jacobs, 2017Photograph featuring Frances Burke painting at desktextile design, studio, rmit design archives

Textile design was part of the Winter 1988 range.ink, cotton

Architectural perspective drawing featuring aerial view of the Chancery at the Australian High Commission, Kuala Lumpurink, acetate

Sketh plansink, acetate

Black and white photograph of the Aborigines Advancement League Headquarters, Melbournesilver gelatin, paper

A letter detailing parts of Anatol Kagan's entry for the Sydney Opera House design competition.ink, paper

Translated title is 'Reconstruction of Historical Centre'ink, paper, cardboard

A beige, handbound photo album containing black and white photographs of houses designed by Anatol Kagan. Houses photographed include: Fabian residence, Mount Eliza residence, Lansell Road flats, Toorak, Anachel Residence, Lyall residence.silver gelatin, glue, paper, cardboard, metal

Handwritten timetable by Maggie Fooke and Jerry de Gryce. Fooke wrote the headlines and de Gryce the smaller print.ink, paper

Joyce Coffey (nee Hiddlestone) was the first woman to receive recognition as a designer in a major Australian manufacturing business, Kempthorne Lighting, where she was the chief designer in the post war period. These design drawings by Joyce Coffey were for the Well Glass lamp series of lights that were designed for indoor and outdoor use. Joyce Coffey worked in partnership with Selwyn Coffey on the designs. In 1956 lights from this series won a bronze award in the Industrial Design section of the Arts Festival exhibition of the Melbourne Olympic Games. Ann Carew, 2017Drawings of a Kempthorne Well Glass Wall Bracket and Ceiling Lamplighting, design, melbourne olympic games, industrial design

ink, cotton

This photograph commemorates a visit by American Fashion Models to Prestige Textile Studio in July 1950. Melbourne’s Myer Emporium in conjunction with Neiman Marcus, Dallas, Texas presented the first American Fashion Parades in Australia in July 1950. Ruth Hancock, the leading model and buyer for Neiman Marcus, directed the Parades, and the eighteen year old modelling prodigy, Carmen dell’ Orefice, described by Cecil Beaton as ‘the world’s most beautiful woman’ was one of the stars of the runway. In a bid to encourage a market for Australian textiles in the United States, the models visited textile manufacturers and design studios in Melbourne, such as Yarra Falls Mills and Prestige Studios, one of Melbourne’s premier textile design studio. Ann Carew, 2020This photograph is historically significant for its association with Prestige Textile Studio, and it's association with the Australian Textile Industry. It highlights the role that Myer Melbourne played in promoting the Textile Design Industry and Australian Fashion to the United States of America.Black and white photograph of 8 models from the US, laying on the floor of the Prestige Studios. Names of the various models have been drawn on the floor from the foreground to the background of the photo, with eagles and stars in between each name.Models pictured include Ruth Hancock, Carmen Dell'Orefice, and Margaret Edwards.USA MODELS / VISITING AUSTRALIA carmen dell' orefice, prestige textile studio, ruth hancock, margaret edwards, fashion, rmit design archives, models, usa

Designed by Robert Pataki for Kambrook.Beige 3 outlet powerboard prototype.plastic

John and Phyllis Murphy designed this house and garden in Kew for Sir Frank and Lady Macfarlane Burnet in 1959, the year before Burnet and Peter Medaware received the Nobel Prize for discovering acquired immunological tolerance. For the most highly honoured scientist to have worked in Australia, Burnet's house is modest - single storey with two bedrooms. Typical of post-war suburban housing thought, the garden is a generous, and the planting a mix of existing shrubs and trees, old favourites such as camelias, hydrangeas, lilacs, and a unusually 'a thick copse of native trees'. John Murphy (1920-2004) and Phyllis Murphy (nee Slater) (1924-) are alumni of RMIT. John commenced his architectural studies at Swinburne Technical College prior to WW2, and subsequently studied at Melbourne Technical College (now RMIT University) from 1944 to 1946. Phyllis studied architecture at Melbourne Technical College from 1942, before transferring to Melbourne University's Architectural Atelier in 1944 They both completed their Bachelor of Architecture in 1949, with Phyllis topping the fourth year, and John coming in second. They established their architectural practice in 1950. One early project was their design with Kevin Borland and Peter McIntyre for the Olympic Swimming Pool (1956). Ann Carew 2018dye, paper, garden design, kew

Sketchbook containing designs for fabricink, paint, paper

Page layout for Costume of Australia book, by Marion Fletcher.Page layout features sketch of twe 1870s , including bodice detail of the second dress: 1. Day Dress c.1873, from the National Gallery of Victoria; 2. Afternoon or Dinner Gown, 1877, from the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).Inscribed in blue pencil, bottom left: '64% in grey ink, bottom left: 'P2' in blue ink, bottom left: '<-----------------------164mm--------------------------->/ OUP 102[cricled]'; bottom left [running horizontally]: <---------------------187.5mm----------ink, paper

graphic design

Cassete magazine including one magazine and one audio cassetteink, paper, plastic

Cassete magazine including one magazine and one audio cassetteink, paper, plastic

Fast Forward was an audio-cassette based music magazine conceived and edited by Bruce Milne and Andrew Maine. Both had music programs on radio station 3RRR and Milne ran the successful independent record label Au Go Go Records. Michael Trudgeon joined them as the designer for the magazine. Each issue comprised a cassette tape interspersed with music and was packaged with printed artwork. The magazine was distributed in record shops for $3.50. Thirteen issues were produced between November 1980 and October 1982. Regular contributors included Jeff Holland, who created elaborate sound collages which were combined with elaborate illustrations in the booklet that accompanied the audio cassette. Many ground breaking Australian bands were first published on Fast Forward tapes including Hunters and Collectors. An international audience was first exposed to music from Australian bands including Laughing Clowns, the Go-Betweens, Rowland Howard’s ‘Shivers’ as performed by The Young Charlatans, The Scientists, the M Squared label, Dead Can Dance and Pel Mel’s ‘No Word from China’ recorded as a ‘demo’. Fast Forward was the world’s first audio-cassette music magazine. As the magazine’s presence and reputation grew, international acts began to submit material for publication including The Cure. Interview subjects included Nick Cave, The Cure’s, Robert Smith, Mark E Smith of The Fall, and the manager of The Clash.Cassette magazine in vinyl cover. Contents includes one magazine, one audio cassette, one crossword, one subscription pamphlet, and one pamphlet titled 'The Kmart Herald'.music, design, magazines

Cassette magazine in vinyl cover. Contents includes one magazine, one audio cassette, and one crossword.ink, paper, plastic, vinyl

Cassette magazine in vinyl cover, Contents includes one magazine, one audio cassette, one crossword, one F.A.T.E entry form, one newsletter titled 'Pneumatic Drill',and one 'Cassette- It-Yourself' guide.ink, paper, plastic, vinyl

Cassette magazine in vinyl cover. Contents includes one magazine, one audio cassette, one crossword, one subscription pamphlet, one pamphlet advertising Minotaur Books, and one pamphlet featuring news, competitions and a poem.ink, paper, plastic, vinyl