POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Front cover from catalogue of Wunderlich 'Steel Manufactures'

Object No. A7437-31/2/12/1

By 1903 a great increase in the demand for Wunderlich products led to a corresponding increase in the number of patterns they provided and this inturn led to the first dividing of a catalogue into supplements. By1906 it had again increased the number of designs it offered and this necessitated updating Section 1 'Steel Material' of the 1903 catalogue to account for these new patterns. These new patterns were originated by Australian artists in Australia and were copyrighted to the Wunderlich Company. The photomechanical reproductions include many of these new designs for diaper and embossed panels as well as wall friezes and ceiling borders and imitation brick and stone panels. While 1888 is best remembered as Australia's Centenary it was also an important date for the new company formed by Ernest and Alfred Wunderlich as this was the year they patented their new zinc ceiling process. By the end of the century demand for their lightweight ceilings and roofs had grown to the point where they were used in preference to plaster in practically every major museum, church, hospital, town hall, school, railway station across Australia. By 1895 Wunderlich had completed the installation of new machinery at its Redfern Plant, in Sydney, and their being able to increase output is probably one of the main reasons they began printing catalogues. These catalogues were initially targeted at regional areas and served as both a resume of the work they had performed and a list of styles and methods of installation provided by the company. They also served another purpose which was to try to expand Wunderlich's business into more remote areas as … the success of our work in every Colony of the Australasian Group, has naturally stimulated the parasitic, not to say piratic, habit in the incompetent mimic and the cheap copyist. Geoff Barker, Assistant Curator, April 2010 References Wunderlich Catalogue 1895 Wunderlich Catalogue 1899