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RMIT Design Archives
Textile pieces
Michael O’Connell (1898-1976) arrived in Melbourne in 1920 with no professional training apart from that of a soldier on the Western Front. During the 1920s however he discovered a talent for design and, returning from a visit home to England via France and Italy in 1929, focussed on textile design with his wife Ella. This fragment of a wall hanging shows clear indebtedness to the School of Paris, Matisse in particular, and other designs from the early 1930s indicate that O’Connell was familiar with the work of Raoul Dufy who had created some successful and popular fabric designs for Paul Poiret.Textile piece featuring women and geometric patterntextile design, rmit design archives, mid-century modern -
RMIT Design Archives
Textile pieces, Hibiscus
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 -
RMIT Design Archives
Scarves
Scarf featuring fish designtextile design, textile, australian fashion -
RMIT Design Archives
Textile lengths, Canna leaf
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 -
RMIT Design Archives
Textile - Woman's dress, Norma Tullo, Garment Designer, Shirley Lyle, Textile Designer, Woman's Dress
This light woollen evening dress is made from Peppinella, a new fabric Norma Tullo introduced into her range in 1973. The fabric was used exclusively by Tullo, and came from the wool of Peppin Merino (first introduced into Australia in 1858 by the Peppin brothers). According to the papers of the day Tullo’s 1973 winter collection featured ‘St. Trinian’s styles to garments dripping lace, in bold plain colours to floral prints.” Shirley Lyle designed the floral fabric. Norma Tullo (1935-2019) was one of the leading fashion designers of her time, establishing her label in 1956. After establishing a business the Old Metropole Arcade in Melbourne in 1956, with three sewing machines, Tullo's ready to wear fashions for young women became sought after, and her business flourished. In 1966 the Japanese department store chain Isetan Co Ltd began to mass-produce her garments for their stores across Japan. Tullo closed her label in 1977, and later worked for Fletcher Jones. Ann Carew, 2020The dress is historically significant as a dress designed by Norma Tullo, a leading fashion designer of the 1960s and 1970s. During this period the Australian Wool Industry strove to promote wool, and to develop light woollen fabrics to compete with new synthetic fibres such as rayon. The garment is historically significant for the use of a merino wool showcasing its versatility for dress fabrics. Full length woman's dress with full skirt and long sleeves, collared with open neck and pleat work on bodice. Material is predominately red with a repeated pattern featuring posie of blue and mauve flowers.Inscribed, black label on back neck left of zip, 'TULLO/IN/PEPPINELLA/AUSTRALIA MERINO WOOL'; Inscribed, white satin label on back neck right of zip, 'DRY CLEAN ONLY'; Inscribed, white satin label underneath above label, 'SIZE 12/To Fit Bust 34"/To Fit Waistwool, rmit design archives, rmit university, woman's dress, textile design, australian fashion -
Brimbank City Council
Textile - Printed fabric, Unknown
... Unknown Black cloth with asian art in a box Textile Printed fabric ...Black cloth with asian art in a boxunknown -
Southern Sherbrooke Historical Society Inc.
File, "Carlotta Tye Ladies Guild Correspondence"
A folder of correspondence of the Carlotta Tye Memorial's Ladies Guild. Includes: -Letter from A.F Brockoff and Co Pty Ltd Biscuits, 10/10/1939, willing to donate biscuits and face masks. --Order form from A.F Brockoff./-Letter from the Rosella Preserving and Manufacturing Co. Ltd, 10/10/1939, willing to give product samples to the church./-Letter from Nicholas Limited, 11/10/1939, offering samples of Aspro./-Letter from Robur Tea Company Limited, 12/10/1939, giving advice on who can provide samples to the church./-Letter from The Kiwi Polish Co, 16/10/1939, regretably informing Gwen that they cannot provide any samples./-Letter from Nugget Polish Pty.Ltd, 16/10/1939, informing Gwen they cannot provide samples for the church./-Receipt from AF Brockoff and Co. Pty. Ltd, dated 31/10/1939./-Letter from Bushells to Gwen Thomas, 16/11/1939, willing to donate tea to the guild./-Form from Entertainments Tax Assessment Act 1942, dated 17/9/1946, registering entertainment for the Parish Hall, Selby. Comes with attached envelope./-Invitation to Annual Anglican Ball, 11/10/1946./-Letter from Bushells, 26/3/1947, refusing a request to provide samples. Attached is a small letter from the Secretary, dated 23/5/1947./-Letter from Ferntree Gully Shire Council to Gwen Thomas, 24/8/1947. Says that the Shire president Violet B.Lambert is willing to come to "Australian Tea" at Parish Hall, Selby./-Handwritten letter from Mr and Mrs H.W Shepherd, 9/9/1947./-Handwritten letter to Gwen, from "A.Grace(?)", dated 14/9/1947./-Handwritten shopping list, undated./-Handwritten letter to Gwen, from Mrs Langford, 14/9/1947, with attached envelope./-Handwritten letter to Gwen, from G.Coling, 19/9/1947, with attached envelope./-Handwritten letter (2 pages) to Gwen, from M.Allchurch(?), 1/11/1947./-Handwritten letter from W.Tompkins, 8/11/1947./-Handwritten letter to Gwen, from Emily Noble, 10/7/1948, with attached envelope./-Handwritten letter to Gwen, from Hadwen and Houghton (specialists in church furniture), 2/11/1949./-Handwritten letter to Mrs Pearce from Majorie Tye, 7/3/1951./-Handwritten letter to Gwen, from G.Waring Lee(?), 18/6/1951./-Handwritten letter to Gwen, from Iris Wood, with attached shopping list, 2/12/1952./-Handwritten letter to Gwen from N.R Geffery, 23/7/1954./-Letter of appreciation from the family of the 'late Mrs Ruby Clinton Cartledge'. Attached envelope says the date 6/4/1955./-Typed letter to Gwen, from R.K Sutherland, 14/1/1957./-Handwritten letter to Gwen, from R.K Sutherland, 9/2/1959./-Handwritten letter (on card) to Gwen, from Violet Lambal 16/6/1959./-Handwritten letter (2 pages on folded piece of paper) to Gwen from Mary H Chessell, 4/7/1959./-Handwritten letter from St Pauls Vicarage, 6/7/1959./-Handwritten letter to Gwen, from Faye Gronlund, 8/7/1960, with attched envelope./-Handwritten letter to Gwen, from Majorie Cromie, with attached envelope with the date 1/8/1960./-Handwritten letter to Gwen from the Church Missionary Society, 18/4/1962./-Letter of sympathy for the death of Percival William Stephenson on 29/5/1962./-Handwritten letter from Miss Thomas to Edna Lindsay, 29/8/1962./-Letter to Gwen from Moran and Cato Pty. Ltd., 19/6/1963./-Handwritten letter to Selby Church of England Guild from a "Martin", 25/6/1963./-Handwritten letter to Gwen from Doris Pearce, 25/6/1963, with attached envelope./-Handwritten letter to Gwen from Dorothy M Donnelly, 1/7/1963, with attached envelope./-Handwritten letter to Gwen from Violet Lambal, 6/7/1963, with attached envelope./-Undated small card to Gwen, from Marjorie Cromie (circa 1963 as it mentions the guild's 25th anniversary)./-Letter to Gwen from Textile Promotions Pty. Ltd., 29/11/1965, promoting Fashion Fabrics Demonstration for 15/6/1966./-Handwritten letter to Gwen, 14/2/1966./-Letter to Gwen from R.K Sutherland, 12/4/1966./-Handwritten letter to Gwen from Kathleen Sutherland, 13/4/1966./-Letter to Gwen from Holdenson and Nielson Marketing Pty. Ltd., 29/4/1966. Written on date says 'April 10th 1967'./-Handwritten letter from Sean Buckley to Gwen Thomas thanking her for an invitation to her guild, with envelope attached, 14/6/1966./ -2 Handwritten letters from Beatrice Thomson to Gwen Thomas, 22/6/1966 and 23/6/1966. Has an attached envelope./-Handwritten letter from L.E.Heard(?) to Gwen Thomas, 4/7/1966. Has an attached envelope./-Handwritten letter from Eva Blyth(?) to Gwen Thomas, 13/7/1966. Has attached envelope./-Handwritten card to Gwen Thomas from Violet Allen and Mr R.Allen. Attached envelope dates the message as 18/7/1966./-2 page handwritten letter to Ladies Guild from H.R and J.E Herod, 24/7/1966./-Handwritten letter to Gwen Thomas from D.Dickinson (Mrs D.Dickinson), 10/8/1966./-Invitation from the St Cuthbert's Church of England Ladies Guild, Menzies Creek to celebrate their birthday on 20/9/1966. Handwritten financial calculations on the back./-3 page handwritten letter (photocopied) from 'The Most Reverend D.J Penman' to the Ladies Guild. Attached is a note saying "Gwen, Please read this and get back to me if you need to. I will get it typed on Thursday, 24/11/1987'./-Handwritten letter from Majorie Cromie to 'Friends of All Saints Tye Memorial Church', 20/4/1996. With envelope attached./-Letter from The Mission of St.James and St.John, promoting donations for homeless children and families, 28/5/1996. Comes with envelope and donation card./-Undated handwritten note on the back of a Cadbury's advertisement./-Card of acceptance of an invitation signed by Emily Buckley, undated. (?)/-Handwritten note, dated 'March 26th', from Majorie Cromie to Mrs Pearce./-Card of two birds on branches, written to Gwen Thomas hoping to see Gwen at a special occasion on October 11th (year unknown)./-Card with purple flowers on the front cover, written to Gwen from Winnie Dea(?)./-Card of roses on the cover, written by Mrs Cromie as she accepts an invitation to the Selby Ladies Guild's 21st birthday./-Handwritten note, consisting of the address of Gwen Simpson./-Letter (typed and handwritten), to Gwen Thomas from Eva Blyth, inviting the president and members of the ladies guild to a group meeting with the Women's Fellowship of the Union Church, Belgrave./-Invitation card from Violet Allen to the Ladies Guild, for a party on 26th July (year unknown)./-Card with roses on it from Gwen Thomas to Majorie Cromie, July 20th (year unknown), thanking Gwen for a recent visit./-Handwritten note to Gwen (authors name hard to read), on Parish of Belgrave paper./-Handwritten letter to Gwen from L.E Herod, date unknown./-2 envelopes to Gwen Thomas. Both are empty but years unknown./-Card with illustration of Carlotta Tye Memorial Church to Susan, Marian and Peter, from 'Julie', November 4th 2009. -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Textile - Banner
... has a black fabric backing. Textile Banner ...Large banner for Bendigo Symphonic Youth Band. Fabric block letters have been individually machined onto a sky blue background to form the band's name. At the top of the banner there is an insert for a rod to enable the banner to be hung or carried in a march. Two selected letters - O and B have spotted fabric within the outlined letters so that these stand out at a distance. The banner has a black fabric backing.bendigo bands, youth bands, bendigo symphonic youth band, band banner -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Textile - Fabric remnant
... of crochet lace fabric, the lower one with scalloped edging. Textile ...A remnant of pin-tucked cotton and crochet lace fabric, cut from another article, cylindrical in shape with machine stitching joining the edges. There are two bands of crochet lace fabric, the lower one with scalloped edging.favaloro, pin-tucks -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Textile - Pillow cases
Pair of pin-tucked and cotton lace trimmed pillow cases. Cream linen fabric with a 3.5cm deep scalloped cotton lace on opening edge featuring a floral pattern. There is a ribbon insert of same pattern 6.5cm from the edge. There are four and five rows of pin-tucking either side of insert.favaloro, pin-tucks, cotton lace -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Textile - Linen Tablecloth, 1920s 1930s
... linen tablecloth made from three widths of fabric sewn together ...Possibly used in Favaloro cafes.An unbleached linen tablecloth made from three widths of fabric sewn together.favaloro, tablecloth -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Textile - Linen Tablecloth, 1920s 1930s
... An unbleached linen tablecloth made from three widths of fabric sewn ...This tablecloth was possibly used in Favaloro cafes. An unbleached linen tablecloth made from three widths of fabric sewn together.favaloro, tablecloth -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Textile - Linen fabric, 1900s
... . Textile Linen fabric ...FavaloroA length of cream coloured linen fabric.favaloro, fabric -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Textile - Scrap quilt
... sides in the same fabric as the backing. Textile Scrap quilt ...Scrap Quilts are quilts, usually pieced, that are made from a wide variety of fabrics, in various colors and designs. The quilt may be made from one Bloc design or different designs. Scrap Quilts can be carefully planned by color and design or improvisational in design.Hand stitched single bed patchwork quilt with a series of patchwork squares made from scrap materials, including clothing. Each square has a central point with narrow strips arranged in the form of a maze. Viewed at an angle and highlighted when photographed, a diamond pattern appears. "Autumn tones dominate the the quilt. most of the pieces appear to come from men's clothing (browns, tweeds, checks). Most squares include a red strip and some pink or lilac pieces from women's clothing or home furnishing fabrics. The backing is a heavier linen fabric (possibly curtain fabric) with predominant colours of green, red, pink and green in a floral design. At the top of the quilt several cotton tabs have been attached to allow the quilt to be hung. These have not discoloured so may be a more recent addition, A gathered border (6cms wide) is on all sides in the same fabric as the backing.linen, scrap quilt, patchwork quilt -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Textile - Ladies' beaded vest
Black silk satin vest with centre front opening. Fishnet fabric sides/sleeves. Mandarin collar. The vest is lined with cotton fabric with stiffened interfacing. There are two black lace extensions at centre front. The front and back are covered with intricate embroidery with black and gold beading. There are hook and eye fasteners at the front.vest, beading -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Textile - 1956 Olympics Ladies' scarf
The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which were held in Stockholm, Sweden, in June 1956. These Games were the first to be staged in the Southern Hemisphere and Oceania, as well as the first to be held outside Europe and North America. Scarf produced as a souvenir for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Ivory coloured synthetic fabric scarf. Flags from competing nations are arranged in two circles. In the top LH corner and lower Rh corner are are symbols of the Olympic torch and rings, with lettering "XVIth Olympiad Melbourne 1956". The five Olympic rings are placed in the lower LH corner and the top RH corner.1956 olympics, scarf -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Textile - 1956 Olympics Ladies' handkerchief
The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which were held in Stockholm, Sweden, in June 1956. These Games were the first to be staged in the Southern Hemisphere and Oceania, as well as the first to be held outside Europe and North America. Handkerchief produced as a souvenir for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Synthetic fabric. The handkerchief s bordered in red thread and divided into four squares of contrasting colours. 1. A table of main events and ceremonies, Olympic rings and symbol. 2. Map of Australia (green) with an Olympic torch and kangaroos in each corner. 3 An image of the main stadium. caption "AUSTRALIA" in white on a green background. 4. Map of Melbourne in red with connecting road and rail links to other parts of Victoria. 1956 olympics, handkerchief -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Textile - Triangular bandage
24 June 1883 is recognised as the establishment of St John Ambulance in Australia. St John Ambulance is a community-driven organisation with a 140-year history of providing First Aid in Australia.St John's Ambulance Association triangular fabric bandage with a number of illustrations of entire bodies or faces, showing how this bandage could be used in the event of injuries to various body parts. The fabric is labelled (black capital letters) BASE / ENDX / SIDEx2? POINT and two drawings of face and body read "FRONT VIEW and BACK VIEW. Numerals indicate different bandaging techniques and full figure or partial figure drawings that show how these bandages are applied to injured limbs or torso.Symbol of St John's Ambulance Association in dark black on top point of bandage.first aid, bandage, st john's ambulance -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Textile - Men's Drawers
The Arrow shirt company was founded by William H.Titus and his partner in Chicago, Illinois and in the late 1800s merged with Cluett Peabody. In 1929 Cluett, Peabody & Co. established a national menswear business under the Arrow brand name. The "Arrow" name gradually grew into a product line that included shirts, collars, handkerchiefs, cravats, pyjamas, and underwear for men and boys. (Wikipedia)Two pairs of men's underwear. "Arrow" Trademark. Made from "Sanforized Shrunk fabric - ironless finished cotton". Cotton tape threaded through the top band allow for some adjustments to sizing. One garment appears to have hand stitching on the top band to allow for resizing or repair. Each pair has three silver coloured press studs for front fastening. 1930s - 1940s.arrow clothing, underwear -
Ararat Gallery TAMA
Textile, Frances Burke, Goanna, c. early 1950s
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. -
Ararat Gallery TAMA
Textile, Frances Burke, Mosaic, c. 1962
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. -
Ararat Gallery TAMA
Textile, Frances Burke, Tiger Stripe, c. 1939
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. -
Ararat Gallery TAMA
Textile, Frances Burke, Crete, 1948
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. -
Ararat Gallery TAMA
Textile, Frances Burke, Plum Blossom, 1948
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. -
Ararat Gallery TAMA
Textile, Frances Burke, Jungle, 1945
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. -
Ararat Gallery TAMA
Textile, Frances Burke, Harlequin, c. late 1950s
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. -
Ararat Gallery TAMA
Textile, Frances Burke, Staccato, c.1962
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. -
Ararat Gallery TAMA
Textile, Frances Burke, Staccato (brown-gray), c.1962
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. -
Ararat Gallery TAMA
Textile, Frances Burke, Tiger Lily, 1951
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. -
Ararat Gallery TAMA
Textile, Frances Burke, Pacifica, 1954
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.