After training as a Cartographic Draftsman within the mining industry, I worked as a property illustrator for real estate firms in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne for 22 years from 1983. I initially photographed houses with a Polaroid camera and made a 'thumbnail' sketch while there. The photos were used to scale off a sketch in pencil and then that sketch was overlaid with drafting film and the 'pen and ink' completed. The pens I used were the Rotring ‘Rapidigraph’ drafting pens. The ink was also made by Rotring (German).The film was ‘Rapidraw’, polyester drafting film, double matte. It takes a very fine line and doesn’t bleed. As well as house sketches, there were often floor plans and site plans ordered. Aerial sketches were ordered when the property needed an overall view. (Margaret Picken, 2020)This drawing is one of a series created by Margaret Picken for a number of real estate agents in Melbourne between 1983 and 2005. Each work is signed and dated by the artist.Gift of Margaret Picken, 2020Pen and ink architectural drawing on drafting film of 11 Redmond Street, Kew by Margaret Picken.11 REDMOND ST., KEW / MARGARET PICKEN '87 / WOODARDS ~ HAWTHORNartist -- margaret picken 1950-, architectural drawings -- houses -- kew (vic.), 11 redmond street -- kew (vic.)

In 1979, a series of photographs of significant gardens in Kew (Victoria) were taken during a tour by Peter Watts, Historic Gardens Coordinator of National Trust Victoria. These were later purchased to add to the collection. In the case of each photo the colour had badly degraded over time. Original colour (degraded) positive photograph of 'Inverkelty' (later Kiora, Baroona), 11 Redmond Street , Kew. The original attribution of the house as Red Bluff (or Yarra Bluff) owned by the Nott family is incorrect. An analysis of ownership from 1888 was completed by Lovell Chen (2005), Boroondara Heritage Review B Graded BuildingsAnnotated in ink on reverse INCORRECTLY AS : "Red Bluffs / 11 Redmond Street / Nott family 1888 / Front garden with fountain / Home in foreground / October 1979"gardens -- kew (vic.), inverkelty, kiora, redmond street -- kew (vic.), baroona