POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Design drawing 'Grass Tree' by Douglas Annand

Design drawing 'Grass Tree' by Douglas Annand

Object No. 94/155/17

Firsthand Australia was established by Marie Opie and Rosemary Spittle in Sydney in the spring of 1969. Described in early publicity as "a marketing agency for designers", the partnership was in fact much more than that. During its fourteen years of operation, Firsthand commissioned, produced and packaged, as well as marketed, the work of Australian designers and craftspeople such as Douglas Annand, Verney Watts, Ruth Julius, Ingrid Osborn and Phyllis Shave. Firsthand's specialisation was high quality souvenir and gift items, which ranged from printed silk scarves to aluminium paperknives and ceramic ashtrays. Firsthand ranges were sold in shops in most Australian states and through an outlet in New York.

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Summary

Object Statement

Drawing, for 'Grass Tree' scarf, paper / ink, designed by Douglas Annand, made by Firsthand Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1969-1972

Physical Description

Square of white tissue paper bearing design in black fibre-tipped pen ink. Design depicts a stylised grass tree with the trunk, stem and stamen running diagonally across the page from corner to corner. Lines representing grass fronds radiate out from the stem in two fans. The textured surfaces of the stamen and trunk are denoted by tightly drawn meandering lines and spots. Designer's name handwritten in black fibre-tipped pen in lower right hand corner following an arc around the base of the grass tree's trunk, "DOUGLAS ANNAND*AUSTRALIA"

DIMENSIONS

Height

480 mm

Width

440 mm

PRODUCTION

Notes

Designed for the company Firsthand Australia.

HISTORY

Notes

Rosemary Spittle was a director of the company Firsthand Australia for whom this design was executed.

SOURCE

Credit Line

Gift of Rosemary Spittle and Marie Opie

Acquisition Date

5 July 1994

Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.

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