A Life by Design: The Art and Lives of Florence Broadhurst PDF
Preview A Life by Design: The Art and Lives of Florence Broadhurst
Bh0936M-PressProofs.QX5 3/9/04 10:10 AM Page i Bookhouse A L i f e b y D e s i g n Bh0936M-PressProofs.QX5 3/9/04 10:10 AM Page ii Bookhouse To my flamboyant red-headed mother— the original style queen. Bh0936M-PressProofs.QX5 3/9/04 10:10 AM Page iii Bookhouse A L i f e b y D e s i g n The art and lives of Florence Broadhurst S I O B H A N O ’ B R I E N Bh0936M-PressProofs.QX5 7/9/04 9:48 AM Page iv First published in 2004 Copyright © Siobhan O’Brien 2004 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act. Allen & Unwin 83 Alexander Street Crows Nest NSW 2065 Australia Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100 Fax: (61 2) 9906 2218 Email: Bh0936M-PressProofs.QX5 3/9/04 10:10 AM Page v Bookhouse Foreword Bh0936M-PressProofs.QX5 3/9/04 10:10 AM Page vi Bookhouse Bh0936M-PressProofs.QX5 3/9/04 10:10 AM Page vii Bookhouse Foreword life by design is the first publication to visit and A document in detail the fascinating and enig- matic life of Florence Broadhurst—singer, banjolele player, painter, business woman, mother and dress and wall- paper designer. I have been asked to comment on Florence’s significance as an Australian designer in the context of this biography. This provides a welcome oppor- tunity to place Australian life and design in an international context. In 1959, when she turned 60, Florence decided to buck the trend and established Australian (Hand Printed) Wall- papers (renamed Florence Broadhurst Wallpapers Ltd in 1969). From the mid 19th century, wallpaper had predom- inantly been imported to Australia from Britain, as well as from France, Canada and America. Although some Bh0936M-PressProofs.QX5 3/9/04 10:10 AM Page viii Bookhouse A l i f e b y d e s i g n effort was made at the beginning of the 20th century to manufacture papers in Australia (Morrison’s and Gilkes & Co.), few were produced and few survive today. It is Broadhurst’s successful wallpaper design and production venture, as well her reputation as a colourful Sydney personality with an A-list of prestigious clients, and her tragic death in 1977, for which Florence is best remem- bered today. Since the late nineties, awareness of Florence Broad- hurst’s significance has grown exponentially in Australia and overseas. Siobhan O’Brien’s article, ‘Mistress of the Rolls’, which appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald’s ‘Good Weekend’ magazine in 1999, did much to revive curiosity and interest in Florence’s legacy, as has the devel- opment of the Broadhurst collection at the Powerhouse Museum, and the re-interpretation of Florence’s designs as fashion prints by cutting-edge Australian and New Zealand fashion designers. Feature articles on Broadhurst in Casa Vogue (Italy) and the International Herald Tribune (Paris) have also sparked international interest and appre- ciation in this Australian artist’s life and legacy. Florence Broadhurst went from humble beginnings to lead a celebrity life, and through her extraordinary deter- mination and charm won entree into ‘high society’. Although she was a Sydney personality, Florence Broad- hurst was a private person shielding the details of her viii Bh0936M-PressProofs.QX5 3/9/04 10:10 AM Page ix Bookhouse Fo r e w o r d personal life as this biography and previous articles have revealed. Today, there are almost as many accounts and memories of Florence Broadhurst as there are wallpaper designs and, to some extent, specific details of Florence’s life remain unknown and continue to intrigue researchers and biographers, as well as family, friends and colleagues. What is known, however, is that Florence had drive, vision and marketing acumen. Her tireless charity work, through which she established a loyal and influential clientele, her technology-driven approach to production, the deliberate pricing of her papers to compete with machine-made imports, her highly personalised service and her avoidance of wholesaling, provide keys to her busi- ness success. So do the merging of her life’s experiences, flamboyant personality and public confidence into a dynamic array of bold, colourful designs. Sample books in the Powerhouse Museum’s collec- tion contain an amazing range of colour combinations from Broadhurst’s favourite fuscia pinks through to classic seventies lime greens and vivid oranges to turquoise. Patterns with exotic titles proliferate: Oriental filigree, Japanese fans, Japanese floral, Japanese bamboo, Kabuki, Spanish scroll, Mexican daisy, Persian birds, Birds of Paradise, Large paisley, Florentine and Tudor tapestries. Her hallmark Peacocks design on silver foil is perceived as one of her best mature works—Florence had no ix Bh0936M-PressProofs.QX5 3/9/04 10:10 AM Page x Bookhouse A l i f e b y d e s i g n hesitation in posing with it in one of her stylish advertisements. Florence, one of Australia’s most prolific designers of wallpapers, which were in their day described as ‘Vigorous designs for modern living’, became part of a wave of post- World War II retailers, artists, designers and architects, including retailer Marion Hall Best, architect Harry Seidler, industrial designer Gordon Andrews and graphic designer Martin Sharp, who also printed on silver foil in the sixties. This group radically changed Australian attitudes toward design. In keeping with Florence’s own personality, her legacy doesn’t look like running out of steam soon— rather it appears to be rolling along, full steam ahead with her patterns and designs appearing in fashion, inte- rior decorating and even advertising! Anne-Marie Van de Ven Curator, Decorative Arts and Design Powerhouse Museum, Sydney x
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