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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Hanimex ‘Mini’ folding slide projector

Hanimex ‘Mini’ folding slide projector
made in Sydney, Australia c.1950s

This neat little projector folds out to show slides in both 16mm and 35mm slide formats. It has a P-Rokkor 2.5/40mm lens and uses a 75watt lamp; I have it on good authority that replacement lamps are still available. The projector works a treat – it’s been checked over by an electrician – and has an ‘automatic’ slide feed to allow you to load two slides at a time [!!] It comes in its original box, which sadly has been mended with masking tape.

Perfect for your next slide night or to add to your burgeoning Hanimex collection. I am reluctantly parting this projector- it’s a beautiful as well as a functional object.

For sale: $AUD145

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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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50s Japanese ramekins

Ramekins
made in Japan, 1950s

I’m not sure when ramekins became vintagey fashionable, but these are good examples from the 50s. With 50s styling and colours they were all collected singly to make a set of five [a typical Japanese set.]

Ramekins are great for small dishes, soups and for foods cooked directly in them [chocolate pudding comes to mind!]

Since this image was taken, I have added to the collection- ramekins with a powder pink and a pastel blue interior. Let me know your preferred mix!

The ramekins are for sale: $AU45 [set of 5]

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Retro barware

Retro whiskey jugs and ice buckets
made in England and Australia, 1950-60s

The yellow Macnish whiskey jug, is by Wade [England] and the green Four Seasons whiskey jug is by Elischer [Australia.] Both are advertisement’ jugs which were mass produced and given away to pubs –not sold to the public- with the idea that the public would be so impressed by the glamour of having water added to their drink by a ‘branded jug’ that they would continue to order their whisky by name. Ah! the 60s, when advertising and impressing people was so easy!

Both Wade and Elischer pottery is very collectible – and especially so ‘barware’. The jugs are sure to glam up your next cocktail soiree!

The ice buckets are also pretty glam: the black is advertising Tintara – ‘A Black Bottle Brandy – Such a Friendly Brandy’ – and was made by Hardy’s, a South Australian winery. The orange bucket is unmarked but adds a little 60s charm to the group. Both ice buckets have removable inserts and their original [plastic] tongs and lids.

The retro barware is for sale: $125

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Housie

Holdson Products Housie,
made in Auckland NZ, 1959

The game of Housie is called Bingo in the UK- players fill in numerical spaces on their boards as a ‘caller’ randomly produces numbers and calls them out. A win is made when any line is filled vertically, horizontally or diagonally.

Yawn. Sounds tedious to me – but look at the beautifully made housie board, and the numerical discs are stamped timber. And the graphics on the box…beautiful.

The box has its previous owner’s name ‘Cantwell’ inscribed on it – and a price tag of $2:50. My- how prices have changed!

Etsy and Pinterest are replete with artistic repurposing of Housie boards and numbers- what could you make of this collection?

The Housie game is for sale: $AU40

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Kodak Brownie movie camera

Kodak Brownie Movie Camera, Model 2
made in USA, 1956-1958

I have a great fondness for all things camera…my father was a photographer and now my son is involved in photography…he took all the images on this blog. I seem to have collected a lot of camera-related things.

This ‘wind-up’ movie camera comes in its original [vinyl] bag with original instruction booklet. It takes 8mm film, which is still available on eBay. And as the instruction booklet says: “It’s everybody’s movie camera…it’s as easy as this: 1 -you wind the motor, 2- you set the lens, 3- you press the exposure level.”

These movie cameras were made to be simple and affordable for a mass market. It has a 13mm Ektanon lens, f/2.3-f/16 and despite having an aluminium body, weighs just 0.75kg. YouTube has a whole section devoted to movies made on vintage cameras.    For sale: $AUD155

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Bakelite roulette wheel

Duperite bakelite roulette wheel, made in Australia c.1950s

How do you combine your love of bakelite with your penchant for gambling? With a bakelite roulette wheel. [Catalogue No. 1324/1, to be precise.] This beautiful roulette wheel hasn’t been out of its box- it is in pristine condition although its box has seen some wear and tear. It comes with a printed green felt baize [not pictured] and a little timber ball ~which was still taped to the wheel when I bought the set.

I have other bakelite items made by Duperite- see ‘Green bakelite pieces’ post below- an Australian bakelite company that made, as well as domesticware, lawn bowls and -apparently- roulette wheels. I must have been the only person who didn’t have one at home as a child…everyone I have shown this roulette wheel to has exclaimed that they remember having one! That might explain  why 1] I am so attracted to it [pure envy] and 2] why it elicits so many nostalgic sighs from my friends.

For sale: $AUD75

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