BlackBOX - Design and Innovation I Melbourne Australia

David Warren designed the black box flight recorder while working at the Aeronautical Research Laboritories (ARL)in Melbourne in the 1950s.

The project was titled ARL Flight Memory and in 1954 David wrote the paper : D.R. Warren, ‘A Device for Assisting Investigation into Aircraft Accidents’, Mechanical Engineering Technical Memorandum 142, Aeronautical Research Laboratories, Research & Development Branch, Department of Supply, April 1954.

Today I had the pleasure as part of my research to view the original prototypes and test equipment from David Warren's innovative work.

Senior Curator Engineering & Transport Matthew Churchwood provided access to the items in the Museum Victoria collection.

Inspired by this project from Melbourne which has had global impact,  BlackBOX - Design and Innovation I Melbourne Australia is an exhibition that showcases 64 projects and celebrates Melbourne as a design city.

Designed in Melbourne - Black Box Flight Recorder

Senior Curator Engineering & Transport Matthew Churchwood and BlackBOX Design and Innovation I Melbourne Australia curator Ian Wong view the early prototypes from the Black Box Flight Recorder by David Warren in the Museum Victoria collection.

ARL Flight Memory airborne signal monitor at Museum Victoria - Black Box Flight Recorder David Warren

ARL Flight Memory Ground Equipment at Museum Victoria - Black Box Flight Recorder David Warren

Museum Victoria link here

http://www.blackboxmelbourne.com

Decor - Habana beaker set

A modest but important addition to my collection of Victorian industrial design arrived in the post today.

Decor have manufactured millions of products since Brian Davis first tooled up to make the Habana beaker set in the late 1950s. The concept was to design an all plastic moulded set to compete with the popular anodized aluminium travel cup sets with leather cases. Brian had seen the potential of plastics in his sales role with Australian toy maker Toltoys. This was Brian's first product and it's success would launch Australia's award winning homewares company Decor Corporation.

Sixty years after production Ebay has allowed me to find a pristine Habana set, unused and with the original display packaging label in perfect condition. In my research work this is like an original Coke bottle, the first Nike shoe, or Apples first product the Apple 1.

One for the pool room!

Habana beaker set  - Brian Davis Plastics

Typical 1950s anodized aluminium travel cup set.

Be Seated - Mid Century furniture

The Danish Deluxe Inga arm chair was manufactured in Victoria in the 1960s. Danish Deluxe was a major Victorian furniture manufacturer from the 1950s to the 1980s. The company was formed by Neville Askanasy, John Westacott and Borg Gjorstvang.

Be Seated from Portland Victoria specialise in restoring Mid Century modern furniture including; Danish Deluxe, Fler, Featherston, Meadmore, Parker and Tessa.

Danish Deluxe Inga arm chair restored by Be Seated.

Be Seated - Mid Century modern furniture.

Kjell Grant - Dave Brubeck Timeout Album

The cover of Dave Brubeck 's classic album Time Out features a painting by industrial designer and Melbourne Movement President Kjell Grant.

Time out was recorded at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City and released in 1959. Kjell was working in New York from the mid 1950s at the Raymond Lowey Studio.

Time Out by Dave Brubeck. Cover Art features a painting by Kjell Grant.

Clement Meadmore - Stool

RMIT University industrial design alumnus Clement Meadmore designed this simple stool in the 1950s in Melbourne. Sold under the brand MEADMORE ORIGINALS other products designed by Meadmore included; bar stools, tables, telephone tables a range of chairs. Product can be identified by the simple manufacturers stamp as shown.

Clement Meadmore stool.

Meadmore Originals stamp on the base of a Clement Meadmore designed stool.

Grant Featherston - Mitzi chair

The Mitzi chair designed for Aristoc Industries by Grant Featherston in 1957 featured in the Exhibition 175 years of Design in Victoria. This burnt orange example was one of a set of four recently added to my collection.

Aristoc Industries Mitzi chair designed by Grant Featherston 1957.

Duperite - Dad's Day 1953

The local Church Fete provided a jewel for my collection of Victorian designed products in the form of a set of carpet bias bowls. Piled amongst a huge array of discard toys from our consumer generation were these once treasured and still perfectly functional Duperite bowls.  Dad's Day 1953 is written in biro on the box so these are almost sixty years old. Many of the imported toys sharing the stall were less than one year old. Note (Australiasia) in company name suggests how export orientated manufacturers were post war. Moulded Products (Australasia) Limited were plastics pioneers and these bowls were some of the earliest products manufactured by the company that would become Nylex.

Duperite brand Carpet Bias Bowls manufactured by Moulded Products (Australasia) Limited. 

Grant Featherston - Contour two seater

The Boyd House II at 290 Walsh Street South Yarra is home to this classic Grant Featherston contour two seater.

Iconic Grant Featherston contour two seater

Pioneer - Joyce Coffey

Joyce Coffey was a pioneer in industrial design in Victoria. Joyce studied mechanical drafting at Melbourne Technical College (RMIT University) in the late 1930s. Working as a team Joyce and her husband Selwyn developed a huge range of light fittings for Kempthorne designed specifically for the low ceiling modernist homes of the 1950s and 1960s. Selwyn had studied industrial design at Melbourne Tech in the earliest period of the program. Joyce and Selwyn were active members of the Design Institute of Australia. 

Industrial designers Joyce and Selwyn Coffey shown discussing concept sketches for light fittings.

Advertisement for Kempthorne, the family lighting company by industrial designers Joyce and Selwyn Coffey.

Willow - Prints

Willow Ware tins celebrated the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 and through our history have reflected the style and design of life in Victoria. The roses and fruit sets of Willow Ware canisters represented below are from the Wong family home. One set on display and one in the pantry.

High quality printing on metalware was a Willow Ware trademark with this 1956 Melbourne Olympics tin a proud example for the Victorian family business.

Willow roses tin canister 1940s

Willow strawberry tin canister 1950s

The seventies arrive in Melbourne with plastic moulded lids and 'Flower Power' prints. Willow Ware stacking containers.

Habana - Decor number one

The Habana beaker set is the first product designed and manufactured by Australian plastics industry pioneer Brian Davis. Designed in the late 1950's when the plastics industry was only emerging in Victoria to compete against anodised Aluminium beaker sets. Brian's company is one of Australia's most successful with Decor one of Australia's most awarded and recognisable brands.

Brian Davis and Company Habana beaker stacking cup set.

Decor product catalogue from 1967 featuring the Habana beaket set.

Nylex Clock - History

The Nylex Clock is a Melbourne icon. Why is it there?

Beginning as Moulded Products in North Melbourne the business established by John Derham was a pioneer in the manufacture of plastics in Australia. The business relocated to Cremorne Street, Richmond, manufacturing with brand names Duperite and Nylex. The top of the Richmond barley silos was visible from John Derham's corner office window and it occured to him that it would be an ideal spot to promote his emerging business empire. Nylex would go on to be one of the largest manufacturers of plastics in Victoria and employ as staff or consultants many Victorian designers including; Lionel Suttie, Geoff Fitzpatrick, Edward Kayser, Ross Whitehead, Michael Simcoe, and consultants Catalyst, Cobalt Niche and Design + Industry.

 

Melbourne Icon the Nylex Clock.

The "clock on the silo shows eleven degrees" are the lyrics from the Paul Kelly classic Leaps and Bounds. The film clip features the band under the clock on top of the Richmond silos, and is great for it's panorama of Melbourne circa 1987. During 1986 I would regularly pass under the clock on my way to Vermont South to work with my first employer John Westwood at John Westwood Design Associates.

image: copyright Paul Kelly 1987

Paul Kelly song featuring the "clock on the silo" - "Leaps and bounds" you tube video here.

The Nylex Clock is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register (File No. H2049) and the National Trust cites it as being of "state significance" (File No. B7130).  

Find out more history about the Nylex Clock here.

Kjell Grant - Raymond Lowey office

A recent chat with Kjell Grant about his early career took us on a journey back to 1955, but with modern tools, not to the time, but the place. In just a few minutes using, google, google maps and street view Kjell provided the confirmation, "Yes, that's it. My desk at Raymond Lowey on the top of the "Look" Building, 488 Madison Avenue, New York City".  I had seen a photo of the office and Kjell had identified himself in the shot. Note exterior and window details and rails.

Industrial designer Kjell Grant pictured at his desk in the studio of Raymond Lowey Associates. 1955

Plan of 21st floor offices occupied by Raymond Lowey Associates, Look Building, 488 Madison Avenue NYC. Designer Kjell Grant's desk marked.

Clement Meadmore - Telephone Table

Clement Meadmore was one of the first individuals to study industrial design in Victoria. Early work in furniture branded "Meadmore Originals" is highly collectable and I very was pleased when I was able to add his cord chair and telephone table to my private collection.

Meadmore Originals television table designed by industrial designer Clement Meadmore.