Velvet soap, commonly used for washing of both hands and items such as dishes and clothingTwo cakes of Velvet soap"Velvet" molded on face, J. Kitchen and Sons Pty Ltd on obverse; colour yellowsoap, laundry soap

Haines, Gregory, 1994, Á History of Pharmacy in Victoria, The Australian Pharmaceutical Publishing Company in association with the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (Victoria) Ltd, Melbourne, Australia. Page 41 '..................Although John Kitchen and his sons began their soap making business in South Melbourne in 1855, these low standards of hygiene and the overcrowding in Melbourne and on the diggings helped to cause significant health problems.........''. TROVE : The Age, Monday 6 October 1919, page 10, Advertisement. 'J Kitchen and Sons Pty Ltd, 10 Queen Street Melbourne......Kitchen's .....Phenyle...' TROVE : The Australasian, Saturday 1 October 1921, page 11, Article. 'Kitchen's Phenyle for sinks and drains....'Aqua blue tinted glass, diamond shaped in section, poison bottle with embossed text and pattern around two panels containing text with bottle manufacturers monogram on base.'KITCHEN PHENYLE', 'POISONOUS', NOT TO BE TAKEN' between panels of stippled crosses on sides. In a diamond shaped cartouche, the letter 'V' over 'D M' over 'A'. AGM monogram on base.poison, phenyle, kitchen

Velvet Soap was a widely used laundry bar soap launched in 1906, produced by J. Kitchen & Sons, owned by John Ambrose Kitchen (1835 - 1922). Kitchen was born in Britain and emigrated to Victoria in 1854. After a less than successful period at the Caledonian and Blackwood diggings, Kitchen returned to Melbourne and joined his father and brothers in establishing a tallow candle making works. Through merger and expansion the company became the pre-eminent manufacturer of soap and candles in the eastern colonies in the mid to late 19th century. Kitchen also speculated in a number of enterprises but suffered financial setbacks as a result of the 1890s bank crashes. Despite this, the company continued to grow in the early twentieth century with the introduction of products such as Velvet Soap and Solvol. The company merged with the British company Lever Bros in 1914 who eventually took full control of the company in 1924, becoming Lever and Kitchen. Advertising for Velvet Soap in Australia was extensive and pervasive. All manner of surfaces were used to advertise the product such as building walls, roofs, and most commonly, enamelled sheet metal signs which were fastened to any available surface internally and externally. The most common form of sign that Velvet Soap used was the words 'PURE VELVET SOAP' in white lettering within a vivid dark blue, elongated Maltese cross. On the enamelled metal signs the Maltese cross sat on a red background with a yellow border. While this was the dominant form for Velvet Soap signs, there were variations from the standard. The Velvet Soap sign is of historical significance as a representative of painted signs that were once a common form of advertising during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. - : http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/14447#sthash.Vb6KAUWl.dpufHistoric - Advertising Sign - Velvet SoapTin sign with white, yellow, red and blue enamel. Pure velvet soap.puffing billy, enamel sign, pure velvet soap

Prior to the installation of gas and electric light pioneers used candles for lighting after sunset.6 candles, in original box, made by 'Electrine' Co. 2 candles broken when brush tailed possum entered Cottage via chimney 27/4/2014kitchen equipment, lights, candles, fireplaces, early settlers, pioneers, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham, market gardeners

Relates to 25.1 & 25.3Side of a timber packing case, rusty nails in ends. Manufactured of pine wood, unfinished"J. Kitchen and Sons / Snowdrop Candles / And Apollo Co. Ltd."j kitchen and sons, snowdrop candles