This small archival collection of pre-digital graphic designs (approx 35 items) by a leading mid-late 20th century Australian advertising artist / graphic designer contains several award winning designs and some of the designer's key works, including elegant Commonwealth and Reserve Bank of Australia publications, bold poster designs for Jesus Christ Super Star and The Rocky Horror Picture Show of the 1970s, and quaint poster designs for Peek Frean's biscuits. It also includes a colourful poster promoting tourism to and within New South Wales which highlights the designer's whimsical sense of humour.

Most of the designs are brightly coloured, with simple lines and layouts, and massings of flat colour. Driven by clever ideas and catchy titles, they almost all embody the designer's strong mid-20th century style and aesthetic which was influenced by a style pioneered in Europe by mid-century modernist designers like Herbert Leupin and Raymond Savignac (whom Fish met while working in London) and American artists like Saul Bass.

Donald Fish's graphic designs complement works in the Powerhouse Museum's collection by Fish's contemporaries, especially those associated with the professional design associations (ACIAA estab 1937, IDA estab 1940, SDI estab 1948, etc) and the development and design of Australia's new decimal currency banknotes of 1966 (Gordon Andrews, Douglas Annand, Max Forbes, Alistair Morrison, etc).

Fish's works provide a window into the formative years of Australia's fledgling, then emerging graphic and industrial design industry, a sector which later become highly professionalised with dedicated University courses and professional career paths. It now sits comfortably within Australia's lucrative and rapidly expanding Creative Industries sector.

Anne-Marie Van de Ven, Curator, January 2011

Selection of works from the personal collection of the designer.

Biography: Donald Fish
Graphic designer, illustrator, writer and cartoonist
Career spanned over five decades from around 1945 to 2005. He produced logotypes, packaging, illustrations and TV commercials and award-winning Australian poster designs.

In 1951 Fish moved to London where he created posters for clients such as Cadbury's and National Benzole, and record covers for Decca and Telefunken. The humour and drama of the European posters Fish found in Paris in the early 50s - particularly the work of Leupin and Savignac - fuelled his passion for the medium. 'The most striking thing was the way they used ideas, because the idea is the lifeblood of a poster - the visual penetrates the eye, but the idea penetrates the mind,' said Fish.

Upon his return to Australia in 1954, Fish adopted the European-style poster - designing and writing arresting posters for national and international clients including AWA, the Commonwealth Bank, Johnson & Johnson, NSW Tourism, P&O, Peek Freans, Qantas, Reschs, Schweppes, STC and Tooths Beer. 1955-60 saw his work appear in prestigious international design publications such as Graphis and Modern Publicity. At this time, Fish shared a studio with renowned Australian sculptor Robert Klippel, with whom he also collaborated on various industrial and packaging design ventures.

In 1957, Gordon Andrews commissioned Fish to design two large murals for the Australian Department of Trade Food Fair in Cologne, Germany. Fish and Andrews also formed part of the group of designers and architects who inaugurated the Sydney chapter of the Industrial Design Institute of Australia in 1958.

Shortly after his return to London in 1961, the Australian Treasury invited Fish to submit designs for the new decimal currency of the 1960s, however he reluctantly declined the commission owing to his commitments in the UK.

Back in Australia again in 1964, Fish co-founded Kaleidoscope, an avant-garde antique shop in Woollahra, with wife Victoria and friend Grant Roberts. Its reputation was cemented when Liza Minelli chose the shop as a venue for her Sydney-based television show.

By 1970, Fish became Creative Director (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide) for the United States advertising agency, Compton International, winning a Bronze Lion at the Venice Film Festival for client British Airways with writer, John Flanagan. The same campaign also won a Silver Logie at the Chicago Film Institute in 1974. In 1976, Fish created vibrant poster campaigns for Harry M Miller's productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and The Rocky Horror Show. The latter was awarded Poster of the Year by the Outdoor Advertising Association of Australia.

Fish joined advertising agency Fountain Huie Fish in 1976 as a Partner, and went on to create an international campaign for TIME magazine in 1981 that utilised its iconic front cover. This was supported by the release of promotional 'Time' watches to media buyers. Other FHF clients included Club Med and Lufthansa German Airlines. After FHF was sold to Clemengers in 1987, Fish continued to create designs for clients like Northwest Airlines (US), Pirelli and Citroën until his retirement in 2005.

Don Fish's other significant passion is music and this passion led to a commission for a series of over 100 cartoons based on classical music themes the ABC magazine, 24 Hours. This series appeared in the magazine for around 10 years.

References:
Charlotte Fish, Don Fish, d*hub, 9 November 2007 (http://www.dhub.org/articles/1015)
Anne-Marie Van de Ven, curatorial interviews with the designer, 2006-2011

The Museum commissioned / published an article about Don Fish's work on d'hub during 2007. It was written by his daughter Charlotte Fish. http://www.dhub.org/articles/1015

The article received numerous blog comments following publication:
'I donÂ?t recall ever coming across the name Donald Fish before today. But after reading his daughter's brief biography - I'm very interested to learn more about the talented graphic designer and illustrator.'
Daily Design Discoveries, 16 December, 2007
http://dailydesigndiscoveries.com/post/21700090/australian-designer-illustrator-donald-fish

'Donald Fish is a graphic designer, illustrator, writer and cartoonist whose career spans 60 years. He worked primarily in Australia and England. These examples of his work are from 1957/58. It seems like I should have known about him before now. His cover design for in-house bank publication, Currency, looks like something I would have done. I love the playful type, the meandering legibility. Very unexpected for a bank. The wavy, overlapping lines in the single-sheet poster for AWA Radiola are also the kind of thing I find myself doing (and have done in various design comps through the years.) As the design industry continues to shine the spotlight on past American designers, i.e. Saul Bass, Paul Rand, Alexander Girard, it's refreshing to see how the rest of the world's designers interpreted and made use of these mid-century design cues. Thanks to his daughter Charlotte and Design Hub for bringing this talented man's work to the internet so that we may all enjoy.'
Cuckoo for Coconuts, 25 November 2007
http://www.cuckooforcoconuts.com/2007/11/donald-fish.html

Don Fish's original artwork for the Peak Freens poster of 1956, featuring his naughty girl character (christened 'Myrtle' at the time by an advertising exective), was exhibited in the Museum's 'In your face: contemporary graphic design' exhibition of 2006. The original large format 4x5 inch colour transparency for this poster and a recent reprint are represented in this small archival collection.

The State Library of New South Wales now holds the bulk of Don Fish's archive.

Archive comprising posters, advertising art, graphic design and photographic prints, designs by Donald (Don) Fish, London, United Kingdom and Sydney, Australia, 1950-2005

Record sleeve:

Record and record sleeve, Mary Martin and Ethel Merman Duet from the Ford 50th Anniversary Television Show, Brunswick, England, designed by 'D Poison' (pseudonym of Donald (Don) Fish), London, England, 1951-1955.
In 1951, Fish moved from Sydney to London (1951-1954) and became Group Art Director with the London Press Exchange designing posters for Cadbury Chocolates and National Benzole Petrol. During this time, he was also moonlighting as a freelance designer under the pseudonym 'D. Poisson' producing record cover designs for Decca, Telefunken and other companies.

Publications:

Booklet, Export Packaging / Supplement to Overseas Trading, September 1956, includes designs by Donald (Don) Fish in feature article, 'Presenting packaging by Designers in Australia', Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1956

Booklets (2), Commonwealth Trading Bank of Australia, Annual Report and Balance Sheet, designed by Donald (Don) Fish, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1957
Features a neatly cuffed hand holding a metal quill above a paper covered with numbers. Design won the Bronze Medal, Australian Commercial and Industrial Artists Association (ACIAA) competition / exhibition, 1957.

Booklet, Currency, monthly staff magazine of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Number 1, Volume 1, May 1960, designed by Donald (Don) Fish, published Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1960.

Magazine, Graphis 90, International Journal of Graphic Art and Applied Art, No 90 July/August 1960 Volume 16, Edited by Walter Herdeg, paper, Zurich, Switzerland, 1960.
A bi-monthly magazine, features 2 articles on Australian graphic design - Advertising Art in Australia by R Haughton James pp318-325 and Advertising Art for Australia Abroad by Charles Rosner, pp326-329. Australian designer, Donald (Don) Fish's work is published on pages 318 (Resch's Export Pilsener poster) and 325 'public project / a vital part of a good impression' poster featuring self portrait).

Brochure, Northwest Airlines, offset print on paper in cardboard sleeve, red, designed by Donald (Don) Fish, produced and printed in Australia, 1990-1992.

Posters:

Poster, 'Peek FreanÂ?s Biscuits/ So fresh, so good' poster, screen print on paper, 'FISH' printed lower right, signed by designer 'Donald Fish' lower right, poster designed by Donald (Don) Fish, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1956 (reprint 2010).
Single-sheet poster for Peek Frean's Biscuits. Was also produced as a 16 sheet billboard. Poster won Poster of the Year from OAAA, 1956. When presented to the Doug Evans the Account Director at Hawkins Advertising through whom the poster was produced, Evans immediately nicknamed the little girl 'Myrtle'. The name that stuck! The designer of biscuit-box label is unknown.

Poster, 'they flock there for contrasts / New South Wales / Australia', colour lithograph on paper, designed by Donald (Don) Fish, 'FISH' appears, lower right, litho print by William F Shey Pty Ltd lithographers, Sydney, issued by Department of Tourist Activities, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1955-1960.

Poster, 'Jesus Christ Superstar/ Spectacular New Stage Production / Harry M Miller's Greatest Ever Stage Hit / starring Trevor White & Jon English', landscape format, caption includes 'Produced in association with Trans Tours' and 'Adelaide Festival Theatre Jan 11-Feb 6', screenprint on paper, designed by Donald (Don) Fish, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1975 This poster was produced for Melbourne as both a single sheet poster and a 24 sheet billboard. Fish recalls that he had little to draw on for the poster design, other than photographs of the cast taken during rehearsals. He chose to blow up two very small photographic portraits to create a dramatic effect - with Jon English in red as the 'baddy', and Trevor White in white. (Ref: Don Fish conversation with curator, 17 February 2011.)

Posters (2), 'Harry M Miller's Hilarious New Stage Musical / The Rocky Horror Show / A little bit naughty and very, very funny! / Starring Max Phipps / at the Regent Palace/ 84 Johnston Street/ Fitzroy', screenprint on paper, one red, black and white, the other green, black and white, designed by Donald (Don) Fish, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1975.
Australia was the third country in the world (after the UK and the USA) to produce The Rocky Horror Show play which was adapted into the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1975. Actor Max Phipps played the lead role of Dr Frank N. Furter for the playÂ?s 18 month run in Melbourne from 1975 to 1977.
Don Fish recalls that Harry M Miller approached him to design the Rocky Horror Picture Show poster after the show moved from Sydney to Melbourne and the Melbourne audience wasnÂ?t attending in the numbers expected. The small (1.2 size ie less than 30 x 40 inch) Sydney poster was much raunchy, showing Reg Livermore in fishnet stockings and it wasn't working successfully in Melbourne. It appeared to Fish that the Melbourne audience was different, perhaps a little more conservative than Sydney. Fish deduced that the Sydney image was totally wrong for Melbourne so he decided to make a 'Fun Horror' poster, rather than a 'Horror horror' poster. He chose a different member of the cast showing a close up portrait of her with heavily made up eyes, mouth wide open and tongue poking out, and the slogan, 'A little bit naughty and very, very funny!'. He arrange for the poster to be printed in two different colours (red/pink for one and green for the other posters) with black and white. When pasted according to the designer's instructions (different colours side by side), they became eye-catching and the impact was immediate. This enhanced the showÂ?s visibility and drew in the crowds. 'They worked like a charm' said Don Fish, 'and Harry M Miller responded appreciatively.' (Don Fish conversation with curator, 17 February 2011.)
Awarded Poster of the Year award, Outdoor Advertising Association of Australia (OAAA) for Harry M Miller The Rocky Horror Show poster, 1976

Poster, 'Project Public / A vital part of a good impression', cognitive part of the portrait divided into the following areas: tidy appearance, courtesy, competence, speech, friendliness, and judgement, screenprint on paper, produced as an internal staff poster for Commonwealth Bank of Australia, designed by Donald (Don) Fish, Sydney, New South Wales, 1957-1958.

Poster, Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder, 'best for baby ... best for you', colour lithograph, designed by Don Fish, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1957.
Poster features container of baby powder, with childlike sketches drawn into the powder that the designer had just sprinkled onto the papaer on the pale cobalt blue background. In response to an impass which developed when Johnson and Johnson's Chief Executive Mr Northam wanted Fish to change his light blue background to the dark blue colour that appears on the container, Fish argued successfully to retain his lighter blue colour to the Mr Northam on the grounds that his cobalt blue was 'how the Johnson blue might look under the spotlight'. Personally, Fish was concerned that the preferred dark blue would make the poster disappear into the cityscape.

Promotional product design:

Watch, 'TIME', mens, glass, metal and leather, design modelled on the layout and colour of Time magazine, designed by Donald (Don) Fish as part of the Time magazine's media campaign he designed while a partner in Fountain Huie Fish advertising agency , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1980-1981.
Manufactured by Timex watches, Hong Kong who mistakenly added 'Timex' to the initial sample, rather than 'Time'on the watch face. TIME Magazine 'TIME Elevates / TIME Entertains' international colour magazine campaign won prestigious international CLIO Award, 1981

Stationery:

Letterhead, Lufthansa Holidays, travel logo and layout design by Donald (Don) Fish, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1986-1987
Type was the same as their logo, Don added a tail, like it was an aeroplane to the logo.

Letterhead, International Car Travel, for Citroen, logo and layout design by Donald (Don) Fish, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1990-2000

Christmas cards:

Christmas card, 'Browne & Bruce Advertising 8 Mount St. N. Sydney', ink on card, 3 wise men design, designed by Donald (Don) Fish, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1958

Christmas card, 'From everyone at our house / A Joyous Christmas and Happy New Year. The band at Fountain Huie Fish,' ink on paper, designed by Donald (Don) Fish, 1976-1987

Christmas card, 'May your Christmas be beautiful and your New Year bountiful. From Fountain Huie Fish', black ink on yellow card, designed by Donald Fish, 1976-1987

Photographs and proof prints (posters, mural, billboards, advertisements, cartoons):

Colour transparency, large format 4 x 5 inch, photograph of 'Peek FreanÂ?s Biscuits/ So fresh, so good' poster designed by Donald (Don) Fish, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1956.
This is the master image for the poster from which subsequent posters have been produced.

Photographic proof print, 'Australiens Fischindustrie' (Australain Fish Industries) mural, black and white ink on card, fish mural design by Donald (Don) Fish, for incorporation into Gordon Andrews' design for an Australian Food Exhibition held in Cologne, Germany in 1959, organised by Department of Trade, Melbourne, designed in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1959
The final mural was several metres high, and Fish also designed a horizontal mural featuring wheat and rice as part of AustraliaÂ?s food production.

Photographic proof print, colour, 'Beefeater Gin advertisement / the one that's extra distilled, why is abroad taking so much of Britain's gin?', photographs of people enjoying a drink, colour photograph with Asian [Japanese] model and script, designed by Donald (Don) Fish, London, 1961-1964

Photographic proof print, black and white, 'The great gin dilemma', Beefeater Gin advertisement with photographic portraits of men and women, designed by Donald (Don) Fish, Evening Standard newspaper, London, 6 June 1964

Photographic proof print, colour, 'BUTLERS Premium Bitter / Beer brewed and bottled by Newcastle Brewing Co Ltd Munigbung Road, Cardiff, NSW Product of Australia', beer label design by Donald (Don) Fish, 1970-2010 Photographic proof print, black and white, 'at the theatre bar take the necessary SCHWEPPES', photograph shows 3 Schweppes Ltd theatre program advertisements designed by Donald (Don) Fish, [London], 1963

Photographic proof print, black and white, 'I never miss an opening at the theatre bar Â? I take the necessary Schweppes', featuring 4 Schweppes Ltd theatre program advertisements designed by Donald (Don) Fish, [London], 1963

Photographic proof print, 'NBN Newcastle' logo, ink on paper, logo designed by Donald (Don) Fish, 1970-1976

Photocopy, colour, shows 'The Lufthansa Frankfurt 747. To the heart of Europe City. Departs Sydney for Frankfurt, Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays. Lufthansa 747.', billboard poster depicting a large Frankfurt sausage, designed by Donald (Don) Fish, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, around 1983

Photographic proof prints (16), black and white, ink on paper, 'Moment Musical' cartoons by Donald (Don) Fish, produced for ABC magazine, 2000-2005
Fish produced over 140 cartoons for the ABCÂ?s 24hrs magazine.

Photographic print, colour, shows 'Curiously refreshing Â? Schweppes Bitter Lemon' poster designed by Donald (Don) Fish, 1955-1960

Photographic print, colour, shows 'TOTAL' poster designed by Donald (Don) Fish, 1955-1960

Photographic print, colour, shows 'Go P&O to Britain' poster designed by Donald (Don) Fish.

Photographic print, colour, shows 'You can feel it doing you good Â? Sheaf Stout' poster designed by Donald (Don) Fish.

Photographic print, colour, shows 'VAMP! Kayser 'IT'KIT/ LOOK AGAIN LIPS! LOOK AGAIN LOVILINESS!' poster design by Donald (Don) Fish.

Photographic print, colour, shows 'Fly BOAC to Britain for the changing of the leaves' poster designed by Donald (Don) Fish, [1971].

Photographic print, colour, shows scraper board artwork of man in forest of quills, ink on paper, signed 'dF' lower right, created by Donald (Don) Fish, 1980-2005.

Photocopy, paper, 'When the world came to dinner', article by Donald (Don) Fish about the multi-cultural global world, appeared in the Australian newspaper for the features page, Sydney, New South Wales, mid 1990s.

Made: 1950 - 2005

Various

2011/18/1

1950 - 2005