Ernest Heinrich Marcuse was born on the 1st of December 1900 to Hedwig and Siegmund Marcuse in Berlin Germany. While Marcuse's artistic talent was apparent from a younger age, his earliest existing artwork was from when he was approximately 20 years old. Ernest's formal art training commenced in 1918 with a three year course at the Berlin school of Interior design. After completion he found work until 1924 when Germany's Great Depression took effect. To broaden his career opportunities he undertook a further 12 months study of fashion, drawing and advertising at Berlin's Reiman school of art. From 1925 to 1934 Ernest was primarily a freelance press artist specialising in industrial, architectural and figurative drawing. Prominent newspaper The Berliner Morgenpost was his largest client along with Gross Deutsche Rundfunaustellung (Germany's organisation for major trade shows). During this period he would create many significant works. Two months after Hitler and the Nazi part came to power in 1933, Ernest received a life changing letter stating that being Jewish he could no longer continue employment in Germany. Up until 1938 he would only be able to undertake private commissions and occasional unofficial work as a book illustrator and games designer. This was by arrangement with non Jewish artists who claimed his work as their own, they would then share the income with Ernest. With increasing unrest in Germany during late 1938 Ernest decided to move to London and there he married his girlfriend Lotte. In late 1939 Ernest and Lotte Marcuse embarked on an eight week journey to their new home in Australia where they had been accepted as refugees. Shortly after arriving in Australia Ernest presented his portfolio to an editor at the Argus newspaper and gained employment as a war events illustrator. He soon became well respected and known in particular for his detailed illustrations and cross sections of ships , artillery and aircrafts. His detailed depictions of battles were displayed on the front pages of The Argus newspaper on a number of occasions. In May 1940 as the war intensified Ernest was dismissed from The Argus newspaper due to his Australian government classification of 'stateless person of enemy origin' and was considered a potential security risk. The editor of the time commented "don't blame us, blame Hitler". Marcuse then began to establish himself as a commercial artist. Ernest was de-classified as a 'stateless person of enemy origin' and in early 1942. The Australian army heard of Ernest's artistic abilities and began to utilize his designs for visual training aids and posters. Ernest became Private E.H Marcuse V377746, his first army posting was as staff artist at The infantry officer's training school at Bonegilla. When off duty he was inspired by the beauty of the surrounding area creating the works in North east Victoria 'Kiewa river bridge', 'Hume weir', ' Dried up river bed' and 'Hawksview gold reef mine' from his 1942-1943 period at Bonegilla Victoria. Ernest returned to the area to create drawings and paintings from 1948 to 1983 in locations including Bright, Wandilligong, Bogong High plains and Wallace's Hut, Mt Buffalo, Beechworth, Pretty valley, Kiewa Hydro, Yackandandah and Bontherambo homestead. These sketches were often completed on location, photographs were also taken onsite to assist the works back at the studio. Occasionally Marcuse also painted in the field. Ernest's preferred choice of medium was pencil and ink. Up until 1952 he would often incorporate watercolour into his work. Later into his career he began introducing pastels, acrylic and mixed media. In earlier years Ernest Marcuse often signed his work Mar, later on the signing of works ranged from Marcuse, E.Marcuse, Ernest Marcuse, EHM or simply EM . If a work was considered incomplete or Marcuse did not like the work it would remain unsigned. From Bonegilla Marcuse was transferred to Woodside South Australia before his final posting in Melbourne until the end of 1945. Ernest's work from within his army posting 'Troop Train at Night' from his 1945 exhibition Australia at War are part of the permanent collection at Canberra's War Museum. Between 1946 and 1969 Ernest largely worked from home and concentrated on a career as a freelance commercial artist and graphic designer. During that time he created work for well known household names including CRA/Conzinc, Vacuum oil (Caltex), Cottee's Brand (Schweppes and Heinz), Home Beautiful magazine Fulton garden supplies, International Iveco trucks, Ego pharmaceuticals, QV and Sunsense. After retirement Ernest concentrated on his true love of fine art and focused on painting images of personal interest both across Australia and Internationally. Earnest never drove a car. He would often walk or use public transport or enlist in the help of family or artist friends to drive him. Throughout his career Ernest Marcuse's artworks were purchase by private collectors these included ACTU, Melbourne City council, Holland Constructions, Melbourne Metropolitan Tramways Board, GJ Coles and Australian Resources Bank. Ernest Marcuse permanent collections can be viewed at The National Gallery of Victoria , Sydney Jewish Museum, Jewish Holocaust Centre Melbourne, Canberra's War Museum, City of Melbourne, Shire of Yarra ranges and now the Burke Museum. © 2020 Art by Marcuse https://www.artbymarcuse.com.au/aboutDonated to the Burke Museum through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Peter and Evelyn MarcusePen and pencil landscape drawing on paper.Obverse: CHILTERN PHARMACY / Reverse: 025 / ernest marcuse, marcuse, art, artbymarcuse, beechworth, burke museum, indigo shire, landscape, illustration, drawing, pen and pencil, australian army, war events illustrator, the age, the sun, the argus, germany, refugee, industrial drawing, architectual drawing, figure drawing, berliner morgenpost, grosse deutsche rundfunaustellung, berlin’s reiman school of art., cultural gifts program

This ship model of the Wilhelmsburg was made by Johann Landmann during his journey on the very vessel, the sailing ship Wilhelmsburg. It was donated to Flagstaff Hill by the wife of Landmann's great-grandson. Landmann (or Landman, also known as August Landmann) was born in 1826 in Ganhor, Silesia, Prussia. At the age of 20, he travelled through Europe, working from town to town as a cabinet maker. At 26 years old he returned to Germany, married Anna Rosina in Wahlstatt, Prussia, and on the same day sailed for Australia on the Wilhelmsburg in 1853, the year the ship was registered. The Wilhelmsburg was a three-masted, square-rigged sailing ship built at Reiherstieg, Hamburg, and registered in Hamburg on 27th April 1853. On her maiden voyage in 1853, the ship sailed from Hamburg, Germany, to Australia with 510 passengers on board, including emigrants under the Bounty Scheme. Johan Landmann was one of the passengers. The Wilhelmsburg arrived in Hobson’s Bay, Melbourne after sailing for 100 days. Johann spent a week in Melbourne then travelled to Warrnambool aboard the Merry Kitty, arriving fourteen days later. Johann had landed in Melbourne with only 16 shillings in his pocket and by the time he arrived in Warrnambool, he only had one shilling and sixpence left. He also had very limited ability to speak English. He settled in the Allansford area, near Warrnambool, together with other families from Germany and went on to play a significant role in the history of Warrnambool. Johann worked as a cabinet maker in Warrnambool, making the first coffin in the Warrnambool cemetery. He also worked as a general merchant. He built many of the earliest shops in Warrnambool, and the first paddle boat used on the local Hopkins River. He made models of Warrnambool’s Ozone Hotel and Presbyterian Church; the model of the Hotel is now in the Warrnambool Art Gallery, and the model of the Presbyterian Church has been in the care of the Warrnambool & District Historical Society since around 2017. One of Landmann's residences was a two-storey building in Henna Street Warrnambool where he, lived upstairs and operated his business downstairs. After he retired Landmann built a ‘handsome stone residence’ at 30 Mickle Street, Warrnambool, where he lived until his death in June 1920; he was aged ninety-five. “Landmann Street” in Warrnambool has been named after Johann and appears on a map in 1872. He has also been honoured on Warrnambool’s Pioneer Memorial Board which is displayed at the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. Landmann's son Adolph Fritz Landmann (Fritz Landmann) born in 1861, was a Councillor from 1905 to 1915, and Mayor of Warrnambool from 1912 to 1915. The Wilhelmsburg sailed from Hamburg in 1863 heading for Queensland, Australia, but in December the vessel was wrecked off the coast of Holland during storms, with the loss of 247 lives.The ship model of the Wilhelmsburg is significant historically, having a connection to the maiden voyage of a ship that holds the record for the number of passengers carried in one journey on such a small vessel. It is also significant as it is believed to be the only existing model or representation of the ship. Johann Landmann, the maker of the model, was one of the earliest residents in Warrnambool and is a significant historical figure in colonial Warrnambool. He has the honour of appearing on the Memorial Pioneers’ Board. Landmann used his craftsmanship skills to make several early Warrnambool buildings, the first coffin in the cemetery, the first paddle boat on the Hopkins River as well as models of significant local buildings. Model of the sailing ship Wilhelmsburg, carved in wood by Johann Carl Augustus Landmann in 1853. The three-masted model barque is painted black. It has a long bow spit. flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, warrnambool, barque, wilhelmsburg, landmann, johann landmann, augustus landmann, landman, ozone hotel warrnambool, presbyterian church warrnambool, 30mickle street warrnambool, ship model, shipwreck coast, 1853, fritz landmann, warrnambool councillor, warrnambool mayor, anna rosina, maiden voyage, bounty scheme, hobson's bay, hamburg, merry kitty, coffin maker, cabinet maker, paddle boat, henna street, landmann street, pioneer memorial board