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NEWSLETTER No. 109 DECEMBER 2014 NEWSLETTER No. 109 DECEMBER 2014 Serving the community, families, schools, students, historians and other researchers Images in Light Many of our public and private buildings contain superb examples of 19th and 20th century coloured leadlight. Some of the best-known examples in public buildings and monuments are the ruby-glass panelled ceiling of the Springthorpe Memorial in the Boroondara General Cemetery, and the Contents windows of Holy Trinity Church in High Street. Others are not as well known. A number of private houses are now owned by organisations, such as ‘Wilton’ in Cotham Road, which was acquired by the Kew RSL in 1948. A consultancy SOCIETY ACTIVITIES 3 report was commissioned by the RSL, which investigated the leadlight News about exhibitions, special windows in the house1. The writer of the report contended that the painted events, past and future meetings glass panels of birds, inset into a number of windows in the building, were probably executed by the firm of Smyrk & Rogers (1880-1903), who were PRESIDENT’S REPORT competitors to the better-known firm of Ferguson & Urie (ca. 1854-99). [In 4 time, the Kew Historical Society hopes to mount a photographic exhibition of Transcript of the President’s Report stained glass in domestic interiors, in which the birds of Wilton will feature.] given at the October AGM When we visited nine significant houses in Kew, while preparing for our MAKING NEWS current exhibition at the Kew Court House (see p.3), we encountered a 5 Stories of Kew that made the news number of extraordinary leadlight windows and doors. Some of the most in the past memorable were at Ivy Grange (1864), Ramornie (1890), Dalsraith [now Campion House] (1906), Heald Lawn (1913), and the Beament Residence BIRTH & DEATH IN KEW (1925). 6 Gough Whitlam’s family and While Charles Vickers designed Ivy Grange, it is probable that the majority of birthplace the coloured and etched glass in its windows was commissioned during the construction of the tower wing in the 1870s. The intensity of cobalt blue glass UNPACKING THE PAST panels, in which Scottish thistles are etched, are matched by other laminated 7 Preserving 19th century textiles and painted glass side panels of golden acorns on a ruby-glass ground. These and costumes in the collection ruby glass panels in the window beside the stairs to the tower surround large panes of frosted glass. The frosting was achieved by acid etching a sheet of KEW IN THE 1890s DEPRESSION plain glass in which decorative arabesques had been previously outlined 8 Part 2: Distress in Kew, continues using wax or another resistant substance to preserve the transparent areas. Andrew Frost’s account of the 1890s Depression Many of the techniques used by glass artists in the late 19th and early 20th century had been in use for hundreds of years. Cont. Page 2 Front-page Leadlight panel, Dalsraith. Kew Historical Society, 2014. Right Leadlight, Beament Residence Kew Historical Society, 2014 Visions of Light (cont.) The owner of Ramornie, 24 Pakington Street, explained how local children once called Ramornie the ‘butterfly house’, as the windows in the entrance hall, when illuminated, resembled butterflies in flight. On closer inspection, the butterflies are the red and orange fruit and green leaves, linked by curling tendrils. Each of the berries uses ‘crown glass’ which was spun to cause the molten bubble of glass to flatten leaving a thicker bull’s-eye at the centre. This traditional glass blowing Kew Historical Society Inc. technique dates to the early 14th century. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE The windows in Dalsraith, 99 Studley Park Road, and those at President: Dr Keith Kendall Heald Lawn, 5 Adeney Avenue, share many similarities, Vice President: Assoc. Prof. Don Garden Secretary: Tony Michael perhaps not surprisingly given Henry Hardie Kemp (1859- Treasurer: Margaret Robinson 1946) was architect of both houses. The leadlight in the Archivist: Robert Baker entrance to Dalsraith includes two panels of brown and gold Curator: Tony Michael Dutch Iris in the door, surrounded by side and upper leadlight Members: Andrew Frost | Mel Lawrence | Mary Kelleher | panels depicting red poppies. The design reflects the Debbie McColl-Davis prevailing art nouveau style. MONTHLY MEETINGS Walter Burleigh Griffin designed the Beament Residence, 33 The Kew Historical Society holds monthly meetings in the Uvadale Grove. Turnbull and Navaretti (1998) contend that Phyllis Hore Room at the rear of the Kew Library. Meetings “the leadlight front door, which is located (as usual) on the are held at 8:00pm on the second Wednesday of the month, side of the house, is probably the best Australian example of unless otherwise announced. Refreshments are provided. Meetings are open to members and non-members. geometric leadlight in the prairie School tradition”2. While the geometrically arranged glass of the door and its surrounds are KEW COURT HOUSE the best known examples of leadlight in the house, panels of Members of the Society played a key role in the preservation geometrically-arranged leadlight extend across the front of the and restoration of the historic Kew Court House complex. ground storey. Volunteers staff the Kew History Centre on Level 1 three days a week: alternate Thursdays (11.00am–1.00pm), and every These, and other fine examples of domestic leadlight, are part Friday and Saturday (11.00am–1.00pm). Look for our sign. At of a broader exploration of architecture and decorative arts the Centre, you can ask questions about Kew's history and forming the ‘Beyond the Gate’ exhibition at the Kew Court view displays from the Society's collection. Inquiries about House, open to the public every Friday and Saturday between houses and past residents can be made using the Sands and McDougall Directories. 11.00am-1.00pm (closed 19 December to 15 January). The houses and public buildings mentioned above represent a NEWSLETTER This newsletter is published quarterly and is distributed to all small proportion of the fine examples of leadlight in domestic members. Some additional copies are made available to and public buildings in Kew. The Society invites owners of the community. If you would like a copy of a particular issue, houses or custodians of buildings to send to us photographs of please contact the Editor, fine examples of leadlight in situ. Or, if required, we could [email protected]. photograph it for you. We hope to include the best local WEBSITE examples, with the birds of Wilton, in a subsequent exhibition. www.kewhistoricalsociety.org.au 1. Hughes, Bronwyn, ‘Smyrk & Rogers; Hughes & Rogers; Charles Rogers MEMBERSHIP INQUIRIES & Co. Stained Glass Manufacturers, Melbourne c.1884-1903’, Hughes + See page 10 of the newsletter or contact the President, Dr Hughes + Associates, Mt EliZa, 2008. Keith Kendall. 2. Turnbull, Jeff & Navaretti, Peter, The Griffins in Australia and India, Phone 0402 117 971 Miegunyah Press, Carlton South, 1998, p224) Email [email protected]. References Lewis, Miles, ’11.05.1 Glass’. Mileslewis.net. Accessed 28 Nov. 2014. Editor Kew Historical Society Inc. Inc. No. A0010789W ABN 97 824 890 237 PO Box 175 Kew VIC 3101 KHS Newsletter, No. 109/2014 ISSN 0155-1337 2 EXHIBITIONS DICKINSON LECTURE APRIL MEETING Mrs Jeanne Pratt AC Carole Woods: Red Cross BEYOND THE GATE A History of Raheen Women at War - Leadership on Kew Court House Mrs Jeanne Pratt’s lecture about her the Victorian Home Front 1914- 188 High Street, Kew acquisition of Raheen, and the 1918, & Ends March 2015 decisions required to maintain and Prof. Judith Smart: Women A photographic exploration of nine enhance the heritage value of her Waging War on the Home Front significant houses in Kew, each selected house drew an audience which 1914–19. to represent a particular decade included Andrew McIntosh MLA, Jesse Phyllis Hore Room, Kew Library from the 1840s to the 1920s. The Serle, and the twin daughters of W.H.S. Wednesday 8 April, 8:00pm exhibition focuses on the architecture Dickinson. Mrs Pratt’s lecture is to be A double bill describing elements and design elements of these houses, the first in an annual series of lectures of the Home Front in Australia using historic and contemporary sponsored by the Society. during the First World War. photographs and drawings. The exhibition can be viewed on Thursday, MAY MEETING Friday and Saturday from 11,00am- NOVEMBER MEETING 1.00pm, or by appointment. Tony Michael Assoc. Professor Don Garden Kew: Now + Then Rolling Countryside and Fresh In our final meeting for the year, Tony Air: How the Environment presented an illustrated talk describing Helped Shape Kew what has changed in Kew as ‘progress’ Phyllis Hore Room, Kew Library has chewed up that to which we had Wednesday 13 May, 8:00pm become accustomed, to be replaced by There are many factors that shape what we see today. the geographic development and nature of our suburbs. These, together with 19th century under- standings of disease and health, led FUTURE MEETINGS to suburbs such as Kew being the Ramornie, 24 Pakington St. 2014 most preferred in Melbourne. FEBRUARY MEETING A MODEL KEW HOME Dolores San Miguel Kew Library The Secret Love Letters: A Family Civic Drive, Kew New Members History Les Littlechild, with the assistance of Phyllis Hore Room, rear Kew Library The Society welcomes the Margaret Robinson, has mounted a Wednesday11 February, 8:00pm following new members: Alia display, focusing on a typical lounge- Reflections of an only child, growing up Porter, Max Hardman, Felicity room of the 1920s and 30s. The exhibit in Kew, with two adoring parents, Renowden, and Richard Poore. uses objects and items from our whose romantic background caused collection. Les has also loaned some many a tongue to wag! Dolores will Quarterly Book items from his personal collection.
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