Painting, in ornate gold frame, of W.C. Vahland who is dressed in Masonic Lodge regalia. On bottom of frame is written 'W.C. Vahland, PDGM.

Emil Mauermann, from Hainewalde in the south-east of Saxony, worked in Bendigo from 1886 to 1894, initially working for Vahland before establishing his own architecture office in 1887. Later he and his German wife moved to Western Australia, where he worked for many years. It is thought likely that he had a significant influence on Vahland’s design for the Colonial Bank in View Street. Many German immigrant architects worked in Bendigo in the 19th century, e.g. Mauermann, Nicolai, Bosselmann and Lehmann, but the two biggest names are Carl Wilhelm Vahland and Robert Getzschmann, who had a considerable effect on the appearance of Bendigo. Vahland was trained as an architect at the Baugewerkschule (School of Building) at Holzminden on the River Weser, not far from his hometown of Nienburg, also on the Weser. Vahland came from a family of builders. At 27, not long after completing his studies, he emigrated to Australia, arriving in Melbourne in September 1854 on the San Francisco. He went to the Bendigo goldfields but had no luck finding gold. For a while he built gold-washing cradles for the alluvial diggers and then started his Australian architectural career which lasted nearly 50 years. Robert Getzschmann, another German, had arrived in Victoria in 1849 and moved to Bendigo in 1857. In 1858 Vahland and Getzschmann established a partnership and opened an architectural office in Pall Mall, Bendigo. This partnership of Vahland and Getzschmann designed many churches, banks, schools, hotels, theatres and private homes in Bendigo, and designed buildings in a wide surrounding area, reaching up into southern NSWLegal Records of George Lansell's Fortuna This item contains the following documents: 11217.83a Legal Records of George Lansell's Fortuna - Contract with L. Mauermann, Architect for Alterations and additions of a mansard story to the private residence of George Lansell's esq, Sandhurst. A mansard roof is a distinctive, multi-sided roof with two distinct slopes on each side. Icludes notes and plans of the additions to the building 11217.83b General Terms and Condition form W. Beebe, Architect, Mitchell Street , Bendigo. For carpenters work in Mrs Lansell's Billiard Room 11217.83c Plans from Vahland and Getzschmann for doors, windows and the staircase 11217.83d General Terms and Condition form W. Beebe, Architect, Mitchell Street , Bendigo. For excavations, brick, stone and concrete work in Mrs Lansell's Billiard Room 11217.83e General Terms and Condition form W. Beebe, Architect, Mitchell Street , Bendigo. For concrete work in Mrs Lansell's Billiard Room 11217.83f General Terms and Condition form W. Beebe, Architect, Mitchell Street , Bendigo. For eplumbing work in Mrs Lansell's Billiard Room 1893 11217.83g plans and notes on the additions and alterations Nov 1890 11217.83h Plans from Vahland and Getzschmann for front elevation of the buiding 1875 11217.83i Tender 03 July 1871 by R.A. Love to erect a tower at Fortuna, includes plansnon-fictionbendigo, fortuna, george lansell, fortuna alterations