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

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

This washboard is relatively "young" in that the timber has not "aged," however it could have been used by a rural family to wash "delicate" clothing which could not be placed within a large family washing machine or "copper". This type of washboard i.e. glass washboard, was used extensively during the war periods, 1914 to 1918 and 1939 to 1945 when corrugated metal was in scarce supply. Rural areas were the last sectors in Australia where washboards where, through necessity( droughts and lack of domestic water), used up until the late 1900s. This lingering usage was due to the fact that rural properties, on the whole, had water supplies sourced from farm dams and be the ones whose priority feed was targeting crops and farm animals before clothes and other domestic requirements. In the two millennium however, most rural areas are well stocked with water supplies and the very strict edict of conserving water, especially during droughts, of earlier times is not so critical.The Kiewa Valley although well supplied by rivers, streams and artesian water does occasionally through severe drought lack of water for farm domestic washing requirements.This washboard is made of a wooden frame and glass insert (corrugated on one side and smooth on the other). The washboard glass panel is contained within the wooden frame by routered grooves. The frame extends beyond the glass to form two legs below the glass insert and a hand grip above it. This hand grip allows for one hand to hold the washboard firmly upright and one hand to rub clothes vigorously (up and down) against the glass ridges.This action combined with a soap and water based freeing agent loosen any dirt particles which can be rinsed off. The appearance of this washboard is basic but does not detract from its effectiveness. The lack of "wear and tear" on the wooden frame suggest limited use. The construction suggests good workmanship even though there is no manufacturer's logo to be found on it.hand washing, household washing, domestic clothes washing, laundry

The Trade Mark "Preservene" was registered on 23 June 1914 and traded in that name until 1930 when Cussons Australia Pty Ltd incorporated the name and its products including the Preservene Cloudy Ammonia. The Preservene Company produced a book (19 pages) "The Presevene Method Of Housework" in 1911. This publication was not only a self promotion but also a useful tool for the rural household and commercial enterprises.This bottle is very significant as it details the type of household cleaning methods and products used in the early 1900's up until the mid 1900's, when greater product diversities became available for rural areas. This product was a general cleaning agent that could be used for a variety of household items. It was the one product that "fits all cleaning". This attitude by the manufacturer fits into the mores held by the populous not only in cities but especially in the rural sector. This was an era where the success of a product was measured by the degree of versatility that came with it. The war years, the great depression had a lingering affect upon those who lived through them not to "waste" money on a multitude of products if one product had multiple uses. This was more so in rural areas where semi remote locations (as the case of the Kiewa Valley in the early 1900's) did not have the market place choices of city dwellers.This oblong shaped brown stained bottle has a red,green and faded white label covering 90% of the bottle. The bottle has a screw on lid. The bottle has embossed at the top back "POISON NOT TO BE TAKEN"on front label starting from top down "POISONOUS" IN SMALLER LETTERS "NOT TO BE TAKEN", below in an eclipse red backed sphere "PRESERVENE CLOUDY AMMONIA" below this in smaller print "CONTENTS 15 1/2 ozs", "For Household & Laundry use " below this "Removing stains and clearing Silverware Jewellery Etc". On a slant with green lettering on off white background, "IMPORTANT NOTICE (underlined) NO TOIL PRESERVENE ONLY BOIL(underlined) SOAP". Below within a red dotted boundary "PRODUCED BY Preservene Pty. Ltd. Melbourne Victoria". Below this and in smaller print "This preparation contains not more than 10 percent and not less than 7 percent free ammonia" Both sides of the label detail manufacturers instructions for different applications.laundry cleaners, stain removers, preservene label

A mangle or wringer is a mechanical laundry aid consisting of two rollers in a sturdy frame, connected by cogs and, in its home version, powered by a hand crank or electrically. A household mangle/wringer could be attached to a bench for easier use. The washing process itself involved lifting the items from the cold soak and wringing or mangling each item before transferring them, with more soap flakes, into the copper for boiling. Items that remained soiled, even after an overnight soak, were rubbed on a scrubbing board before being transferred to the copper. The clothes mangle would be used to squeeze out all the excess water. Clothes would then be hung out to dry on a clothes line, or laid over a clothes-horse next to the kitchen or living room fire. This one was owned by the mother of Bob Clarke, an Orbost resident.This item is an example of the typical laundry equipment used by families in the Orbost district in the early 20th century.Clothes mangle [wringer] which has a wooden and metal turning handle. It has a ratchet and 2 tap screws for pressure. It has of two rollers in a frame, connected by cogs and is powered by a hand crank.On top - "No. Hardwood Rolls 124" Front - "Household Clothes Mangle Steel ball bearings The American Wringer Company New York USA"laundry wringer mangle

This wire soap holder is purpose-made by hand for holding a bar of soap in a way that allows the soap to air dry. It may have been used in the laundry, bathroom or kitchen, areas used for washing hands or bodies. Wet bars of soap could become very soft and difficult to use. The maker used short lengths of wire to create this soap holder, showing thriftiness and inventiveness.Although the soap holder is currently not associated with a historical event, person or place at this time it is being used to augment Flagstaff's village display as it is typical of items used in the 19th and early 20th centuries.Soap holder; basket shaped frame, handmade from twisted wire strands.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, soap h older, wire soap holder, cleaning, laundry, washing, sanitation

A funnel such as this is used to assist in pouring liquids into a narrow container such as a bottle or jar. An item like this could be commonly used in households for food preparation, cooking and soap making. It could also be used for pouring fuel, and medicinal purposes. Enamelware dates back to 1760 in Germany.This object is significant as an example of a type of item in common use in the 19th Century and that is still in use today.Funnel, white enamel with dark rusty metal rim. It has a triangular shaped hook on the top lip for hanging. The metal has been joined down one side.None.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, funnel, food preparation, beverage, laundry, fuel, food preservation, medicinal preparation, decanting, pouring

Common soap was made from mixing animal fat with potash a form of the potassium based alkali present in plant and wood material. Early settlers, made their own soap from the waste fats and ashes they saved from their daily work. They did not then have to rely on waiting for soap to be shipped from England and waste their goods or money in trade for soap. In making soap the first ingredient required was a liquid solution of potash commonly called lye. Animal fat, when removed from the animals during butchering, must be rendered to remove all meat tissues and cooking residue before soap of any satisfactory quality can be made from it. To render, fats and waste cooking grease were placed in a large kettle with an equal amount of water. Then the kettle was placed over the open fire outdoors, because the smell from rendering the fats was too strong to wish in anyone's house. The mixture of fats and water were boiled until all the fats had melted. After a longer period of boiling to insure completion of melting the fats, the fire was stopped and into the kettle was placed another amount of water about equal to the first amount of water. The solution was allowed to cool down and left over night. By the next day the fats had solidified and floated to the top forming a layer of clean fat. All the impurities being not as light as the fat remained in water underneath the fat. In another large kettle or pot the fat was placed with an amount of lye solution ( known by experience ). This mixture was boiled until the soap was formed - 6-8 hours - a thick frothy mass, and a small amount placed on the tongue caused no noticeable "bite". The next day a brown jelly like slippery substance was in the kettle and this was 'soft soap' . To make hard soap, common salt was thrown in at the end of the boiling and a hard cake of soap formed in a layer at the top of the pot. But as salt was expensive most settlers used 'soft soap',. The soap could be scented with oils such as lavender for personal use. These 3 cakes of home-made soap are examples of the self sufficiency of the early settlers as they had to be self reliant ,growing food and making and mending their own farm equipment, tools and clothes while establishing their market gardens in Moorabbin Shire3 cakes of home-made, white hard household soap. 1 cake of soap eaten by a brush tailed possum when he entered the Cottage via the chimney 27/4/2014soap making, market gardeners, pioneers, early settlers, moorabbin, brighton, dendy's special survey 1841. kitchen equipment, laundry equipment, bentleigh

Simpson Pty Ltd Melbourne produced this Black 'Erasive Soap' early in 20th C At this time men wore detachable starched collars attached to .the shirt by buttons or studs. Men also used olive oil to 'slick' down their hair so collars on shirts and coats became grimey. This soap claims to clean stains from all clothes, coat collars and even carpets.Early settlers in Moorabbin shire wore detachable starched collars that were buttoned onto the shirt, This black 'erasive soap' claims to clean collars and remove stains from coats and even carpets A small cardboard box containing an unused bar of black soap manufactured by Simpsons Pty Ltd Melbourne Box Front; Simpsons / ERASIVE / SOAP / CLEANS CLOTHES CLEAN / AND HAS DONE FOR OVER / 50 YEARS Back; Simpsons / ERASIVE SOAP / DEFINITELY DOES / CLEAN COAT COLLARS AND EFFECTIVELY REMOVES SPOTS / AND STAINS FROM ALL CLOTHES / SIMPSONS MANUFACTURING Pty Ltd / MELBOURNE SideS; THE ORIGINAL BLACK SOAP / IN A NEW PACKAGE; WILL REMOVE SPOTS FROM CARPET Ends; SIMPSONS SOAP / THE SPOT REMOVER; SIMPSONS SOAP / FOR CLEANING COAT COLLARS SOAP ; Back ; trademark / SIMPSONS / ERASIVE / SOAP / REGISTERED ; Front ; A.C.L. soap, washing, cleaning, laundry, early settlers, pioneers, collars, shirts, moorabbin shire, bentleigh, highett, cheltenham, washing wringers, mangles, flat irons

Copy of a typed list for Mr. R.H.S. Abbott. List mentions where Scalebuoys were installed in boilers of Locomotives, Hospitals, Public Institutions, Dairy Factories, Freezing Works, Soap Works, Bakeries and Dye Works. Also listed at the end are Tanneries, Laundries, Household installations and Swimming Baths.sciences, instruments - general, scalebuoy, bill ashman collection - correspondence, mr r h s abbott, nz railways, mater misericordiae hospital, knox home, hawke's bay farmers' meat co, buchanan's bakeries, findlay's gold-krust bakery, moody's dye works

Relates to 25.1 & 25.2Side of a timber packing case, slightly warped, nail holes in ends. Dry rot along bottom edge. Manufactured of pine wood, unfinished"Use Lotus Soap / for the / Laundry"advertising, lotus soap