50s Australian bakelite

Bakelite ashtrays
made in Australia 1950s

I love bakelite and have collected Australian bakelite for some time. Although I don’t usually go for ashtrays these pieces show no sign of ever having been used and are in the form of Australia [‘Greetings from Brisbane’] and Tasmania. Who could resist?

Also, ashtrays [that haven’t been used and so have no physical scars] make great pin dishes – excellent for jewellery collections. And Australian bakelite collectors love bakelite in the shape of Australia.

These two pieces of 50s Australiana are for sale: $AU55
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Australiana vases

Diana vases
made in Australia 1950s

Diana made art pottery out of premises that operated in Marrickville, Sydney from 1940 to 1975. Unlike many other Sydney–based potteries of the time, Diana made only domestic and art pottery, rather than industrial items – capitalising on the huge demand for domestic wares with an ‘Australiana theme’.

These vases are doubles from my collection, so I am reluctantly parting with them. They’re from the Diana ‘Australiana’ collection; hand-painted in bushland colours of eucalyptus green and brown. Because the vases are hand-painted there is quite a variation in the glazed colours:  in the back two vases you can see both colours whilst in the front vase you can just see some green tones creeping into the bark-coloured brown tones.

The vase collection is in excellent vintage condition, and is for sale: $AU75

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Button cards!

Button cards
made in Australia 1950-60s

I love the graphics of these cards. Some are ‘boilproof’! Some come with matching thread.

If you’re into carded buttons-let me know. I have quite the collection! [This but a small selection…]

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Timber rules!

Timber rules!
made in Australia 1950s

Since I have – in the olden days- drafted using old fashion timber scales – and also love dressmaking – HOW MUCH do I love these oldy-timey timber rules?

Here we have a dressmakers square, a triangular scale ruler and – a ruler. All in solid timber. Beautifully made and still useful. Made to last. Increasingly rare to find now- [and now all made in plastic] I have teamed the three timber rulers with a fabulous 50s packet of photographic corners.

The three rulers are for sale: $AU75
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Crazy coloured photo

Glass ashtray
made in Australia 1950s

I LOVE vintage retouched photographs! They are always OTT and totally kitschy. This one is in the form of a glass astray and was made as a souvenir piece in the 50s.

I’ve collected a few of these – and even though they were originally ashtrays- the nostalgic photos of 50s Australian icons makes them so much more. And nowadays of course glass ashtrays can be used as pin dishes – with the added delight of a crazy coloured photo.

Marine Parade, Coolangatta- ashtray is for sale: $AU10
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Peony Ware #2

Peony Ware plate
made in Japan c.1950s

Avid readers of this blog will know that due to my [real] life as a landscape architect, I am a sucker for all things botanical. Especially 50s kitschy botanical. This Peony Ware plate- featuring- Peonies….ticks all the boxes.

Peony Ware started manufacturing slip-cast raised ‘peony’ jugs, plates, tea cups and vases in the 50s as a response to the popularity of Carlton Ware. The quality of the peonies isn’t that of Carlton Ware- although it is hand-painted and the peonies are raised -it was sold as a sort of cheaper version; and only featured peonies. Carlton Ware in the 50s was producing Fox Glove, Wild Rose, Buttercup, Apple Blossom….while Peony Ware pumped out the peonies in every conceivable colour.

This is a green plate with cream peony –  in excellent condition. It is stamped ‘Peony Ware, made in Japan’ on the underside. I’ve teamed it with a green apple for scale and colour.

For avid Peony Ware collectors, I have also a matching double-sided, handled dish- green with cream colour peonies.

This peony dish is for sale: $AUD25
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Date stamp #lastcentury

Timber handled date stamp
made in Australia, last century

I love stationery – and vintage stationery even better. I have collected a number of date stamps [see countless posts below] and a fantastic anodized stamp-holder [also see post below.]  To this collection I have added another vintage date stamp.

Made in Australia 1960s [as attested by the timber, rather than plastic handle] this date stamp was used in a Post Office. It’s still functional, though only if you’re interested in last centuries dates. [And who isn’t?}

I have some ink pads [also vintage – fancy that] that render all these stamps useful.

Stamp like it’s 1999!

The stamp is for sale: $AU25
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Hipster beardy-ness

Valet Auto-Strop Safety Razor
made in England 1950s

With so much attention to shaving [or wrt to beards = not shaving] recently I’ve had so many inquiries about razors.

I meet a lovely sustainable activist who says NO to disposable razors and is on a mission to recover all the vintage razors that can be used over and over – and are not disposable. So much landfill is single-use razors.

I love this Valet Auto-Strop Safety Razor- in it’s original bakelite box. Made in England, it has a couple of old blades for examples- still available- and is entirely made of stainless steel.

It ticks all the boxes- bakelite, stainless steel, useable, and good-ol’ timey shavin”! Buy one now [and for god’s sake- loose that horrible beard!]- for sale: $AU65
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Framed rose print

Framed rose print
made in Australia 1960s

Kitsch to the max- this rose print has a bakelite frame. Roses are so evocative of the 60s – and the OTT retouched photo is so retouched it’s difficult to tell where the photo finishes and the retouching begins.

The rose print is only small- 100mm diameter, but boy the red/green/blue [technically ‘cyan’] palette packs a punch .I’ve styled the frame with a small dolly, also from the 60s. I had one of these…I remember the over-sized head and wild hairstyle.

The framed rose print is ready to hang, and is for sale: $AU15
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50s Atlas

Australasian WONDER ATLAS
published in Australia 1950s

Australasian WONDER ATLAS! An Atlas for the AIR AGE. NEW Up-to date Edition.

My partner and I collect Australian Atlases. Because: Maps. Kitsch. Graphs. Kitschy drawings. Idealised images of Australia in the 50s.

This one is a beauty!

It’s in fantastic vintage condition. Last week at our local primary school book fair we found another 50s Atlas. It has ink blobs on the cover, thumbed pages, scrawls from numerous children throughout, and the old library card in the front. It’s similarly fantastic- I love the use, wear and tear and obvious appeal that maps have.

If anyone has an old Australian Atlas- let me know!