POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Postcard of Wertheim Piano Factory

Object No. 2007/55/1

Piano manufacture in Australia has had a long history with its beginnings dating from the 1830s when Sydney maker John Benham began making pianos. However, the majority of makers appear to have been based in Victoria and were especially prevalent in the period after the 1850s and 1860s when the wealth generated by the gold rushes created a demand for status items such as pianos which were to be found in many homes as well as giving capital for new businesses to be established. Many of these companies closed before the dawn of the twentieth century leaving the field clear for newer competitors to be established. The Wertheim Company was established in Melbourne in the 1870s and imported a range of goods including sewing machines, and musical instruments. By 1908 they had grown large enough to open a new piano factory, becoming one of the largest piano manufacturers in the country alongside the Beale company in Sydney. Michael Lea Curator, music & musical instruments April 2007.

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Summary

Object Statement

Postcard, Wertheim Piano Factory, cardboard, maker unknown, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1908-1920

Physical Description

Postcard, Wertheim Piano Factory, cardboard, maker unknown, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1908-1920 A postcard featuring a coloured print of a watercolour painting illustrating the Wertheim Piano Factory in Melbourne from an aerial perspective. Marked on both sides.

DIMENSIONS

Height

88 mm

Width

131 mm

PRODUCTION

Notes

This is a commercially produced card but the maker and production date of the postcard are unknown. The artist of painting is also unknown.

HISTORY

Notes

Postcard was not written on or posted. Probably produced as an advertisement for Wertheim pianos.

SOURCE

Credit Line

Purchased 2007

Acquisition Date

14 May 2007

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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