Hudson's Soap Powder, was the first satisfactory and commercially successful soap powder and was made in Liverpool by Robert Spear Hudson. He was also an innovator in using advertising, commissioning striking images from professional artists and paid for publicity , something which few other businesses did, and as such Hudson's soap became a household name. Horse, steam and electric tramcars, print periodicals and chemist shops carried his advertisements. This sign was manufactured by Patent Enamel Co Ltd was a company built in 1889 at Selly Oak, Borough of Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom. The business was the first factory specifically devoted to enameled iron sign making. It had twelve furnaces for fusing the enamel, two scaling furnaces, and a large printing room, plus a huge area for steampipe drying. The company also smelted its own enamels and colour oxides. It is believed that the factory was decommissioned and demolished in the 1960's.the first factory specifically devoted to enameled iron sign making. It had twelve furnaces for fusing the enamel, two scaling furnaces, and a large printing room, plus a huge area for steampipe drying. The company also smelted its own enamels and colour oxides.The factory was decommissioned and demolished in the 1960s.The signage demonstrates the increasing demand for domestic soap products and new forms of advertising. The soap business was apart of the flourishing export trade between Australia and Britain during the height of the British Empire.Enamel advertising sign for Hudson's soapflagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, hudson's soap, advertising signage, patent enamel co ltd, selly oak, borough of birmingham, robert spear hudson

Robert Spear Hudson (d. 1884) invented the first dry soap powder in 1837 and called it extract of soap. Following his death the company was taken over by his son and later (1908) sold to Lever Bros. a subsidiary of Uni lever. Hudson was the first to use advertising posters created by professional artists. This piece appears to be the lid from a wooden box.Sign for Hudson's Extract of Soap. Sign is paper glued on to timber. The sign is predominantly red, green and black. soap, advertising, hudson's soap

Murray Comrie Collection. This photograph is a low-contrast image created from an older original. Copy probably made by Murray Comrie in the 1970s.Monochrome photograph depicting four sisters from the Bool family of Tarnagulla, dressed up for the 1904 'Poster Fair', wearing labels relating to local stores and household products. In May 1904, a ‘poster fair’ was enjoyed by attendees at the the Victoria Hotel and Theatre, Tarnagulla. It included a range of stalls where ‘about 30 young ladies, who had charge of the various stalls, wore costumes with advertisements of local and metropolitan business firms’ to raise funds for the new Church of England parsonage. From the left, Ruth Bool is representing the Exchange Store, Florrie Bool is supporting the Criterion Store, Vera Bool prefers Hudson's Soap, and Alice Bool is advocating Velveteen Soap.' tarnagulla, bool, thomson & comrie's exchange store, businesses, celebrations, entertainment