Photographic print of Patricia's Milk Bar by Max Dupain
Object No. 2008/157/1
'Australia, however, stepped out on its own when, a dozen years or so ago, it evolved the "milk bar", since copied all over the world', -Australian soda fountain and milk bar practice, 1940. A focus on milk shakes distinguished the Australian milk bar from its US predecessor the soda fountain. This combination of unlicensed cafe, cheap restaurant and children's confectionary store achieved a rare popularity in Australia. Unlike hotels, milk bars provided a venue for eating and socialising that was available to all, in contrast to the male monoculture of the pub. Most notably, milk bars were a recognisable and welcoming environment to non-British Australians, becoming a recognised vehicle for migrant business. Milk bars were the most accessible expression of architectural modernism. Apart from Douglas Annand, the designers and artists to work on milk bars and cafes during the 1940s and 1950s included Marion Hall Best, Nado Milat, Imre Soos, Roy Grounds, Samuel Lipson, Clement Meadmore, Leonard French, Geoffrey Mewton, Walter Bunning, Hugh Burich and Bernard Hesling. Milk bars opened wide to the street, and their abundant use of chrome, plastic veneers, glass and lighting created an inviting brilliance. Basking in fluoro and neon, the milk bar clientele - teenagers, families, couples and children - became part of its distinctive look, setting milk bars apart from shadowy hotels and tea rooms. Charles Pickett, Curator Design and built environment.
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Summary
Object Statement
Photographic print, Patricia's Milk Bar, paper, photograph by Max Dupain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1948, printed 2008
Physical Description
Monochrome digital photographic print depicting the interior of Patricia's Milk Bar, George Street, Wynyard, Sydney. Two women work at the counter which runs across the frame; a large geometric mural dominates the wall behind the counter. Samuel Lipson, designer of Patricia's Milk Bar in addition to several of Sydney's most prominent modernist structures, leans against the counter dressed in suit, hat and tie.
DIMENSIONS
Height
334 mm
Width
385 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
This digital photograph was printed in 2008 by Eric Sierins of Max Dupain and Associates from a 1948 negative by Max Dupain. The photography of Max Dupain (1911-1992) has attracted an extraordinary level of popular recognition, based largely on a small number of images recording beachside and urban locales. These images are untypical of Dupain's work, the vast majority of which was commissioned by a wide range of commercial clients. With Laurence Le Guay, Russell Roberts and Olive Cotton, Dupain was part of a generation of Sydney photographers who emerged during the 1930s, responding to increased demand for advertising and fashion photography. These circumstances plus contemporary influences gave Dupain's work a self-conscious alignment with modernity in design. From the 1950s his studio attracted a growing number of architectural commissions. The post-War building boom, generally expressed in the language of international modernism, meant that Dupain's architectural work was notable for its synergy of photographer and subject, whether documenting the prefabricated fibro houses manufactured by his friend Chris Vandyke or major city projects such as Australia Square or the Sydney Opera House.
HISTORY
Notes
Patricia's Milk Bar at George Street, Wynyard was designed in 1948 by architects Samuel Lipson and Peter Kaad. Douglas Annand designed the milk bar's mural.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Purchased 2008
Acquisition Date
31 July 2008
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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