Preserving and interpreting 20th century paint and design trade literature in Australia

^{Image Credit:  Museums Victoria Paint Archive}

ABOUT

The project will facilitate the documentation, analysis and interpretation of paint colour charts and design trade literature spanning the 1930s-1970s held in Museums Victoria’s collection. This rare collection has the potential to enable in-depth research and increase knowledge about historical paint finishes in Australia. In a national first, the project will digitally scan and technically analyse selected archival material to understand the composition, style and aesthetic trends of building finishes. It will provide the opportunity for creating heritage-industry standards in colour matching; enrich the museum’s digitised collections and historical interpretation; facilitate student mentoring; and cement collaborations towards a larger study.

AIMS

Museums Victoria (MV) holds a significant collection from the Dulux Archives following its dissolution in 1999. 1208 items include the Dulux Paints Trade Literature and Paint Tins Collection, plus over 600 paint manufacturer colour charts and guides in the McCrohan Collection. Virtually none of the collection is image-captured. This project aims to pilot a method for digital image-capturing, and investigate this rare collection of paint samples and related trade literature through:

1. Initial collection scoping, conservation and toxicity condition analysis;
2. Pilot digital scanning of selected materials;
3. Contextualisation through investigation of national historical collections, and existing scholarship on the history of paint and interior finishes including their manufacturing, marketing and uptake by design industries;
4. Establishing framework of future work in light of expert input – including colour and materials analysis.

This project, and future work, will therefore investigate these questions:

• How can historical paint samples be made publicly accessible and useable through colour matching and digitisation techniques? What physical treatments are required to ensure stability and accessibility?
• How do the material and colour characteristics of collection materials reflect trends in design and manufacturing in Australia in light of existing scholarship?
• How can trade and popular literature and catalogues be interpreted and contextualised to reveal social, cultural and design histories in the mid-20th C. including changing demographics, the role of women and new migrant populations as taste and home-makers?
• How can collection materials be contextualised to particular historic buildings and  interiors

OUTCOMES AND ENGAGEMENT

1. Digitised paint swatches, charts and trade literature will be accessible, discoverable and usable through the inclusion of highlights from the extensive collection on MV’s online repository and linked to UoM’s web resources. Expert knowledge from professional digitisation, and input from the Cripps Institute will ensure that the digitised examples meet industry standards in colour description, fidelity, reproducibility, paint material analysis.
2. Expert professional input from the workshop and an expert advisory group will provide a framework and guidance document for digital outcomes which can be built upon in future work.
3. Incorporation of social, historical and technical knowledge into the interpretation of the paint collection via a project website – including examples of buildings, furnishings, fixtures, stories and interiors. This will ensure accessibility to the interested public, professional conservators and heritage professionals.
4. Project findings will lay the groundwork for a future project funding to extend the work of this seed project and create a significant digital resource and potential book / public exhibition application – likely an ARC
5. Mentoring outcomes will be achieved through a series of Masters-level internships to train the next generation in documentation and analysis skills.