Monthly Archive for August, 2009

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Steel by Adolf Lazi

Published by Paula Bray on August 21, 2009 0 Comments

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This photograph was taken in 1938 by Adolf Lazi (1884-1955), a commercial German photographer from Stuttgart who was associated with the Neue Sachlichkeit (new objectivity, new realism) movement.

Concrete pipes, turbines, iron bars and other ‘unaesthetic” objects, removed from their everyday context and shown in a new dramatic way were often chosen as subjects for the new realism photography. The close-up of polished steel cylinders shown above is a good example of Neue Sachlichkeit aesthetics.

In keeping with the new realism principles, Lazi emphasized the need for analytical approach and technical precision in photographic work. Sharp focus and clean lines were endorsed and favoured over the vagueness and “artistic blur”. “A hair must remain a hair” reads a quote from Lazi Archiv, the website dedicated to his work. This type of photography found its direct application in advertising and is still widely practiced today.

Adolf Lazi died in 1955, but The Lazi Academy is still operating under the management of his son Adolf Ingo Lazi.

For the Powerhouse Museum Adolf Lazi’s work is also significant due to its link to the Hedda Morrison collection. Hedda was a volunteer in Lazi’s studio in Stuttgart from September 1931 to August 1932.

Photography by Adolf Lazi
No known copyright restrictions
Post by Iwona Hetherington, Rights & Permissions officer

Sydney Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef exhibition

Published by Paula Bray on August 20, 2009 4 Comments

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The Sydney Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project is growing. Surrounded by pins and yarn, two of the curators Michaela Davies and Charlotte Haywood were happy to discuss the process of the installation, commenting on the amazing amount of work that has gone into the project and the diverse materials that have been used as yarn. Wire, VHS tapes, rope and fibre optic cables have all been utilised, along with traditional wool.

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This is a worldwide project that began in America and has been taken up by the Stitches Collective which is run by Michaela Davies, Charlottes Haywood, and Claire Conroy. Many hundreds of hands have contributed to the vibrant installation that is being carefully pinned together to recreate a wonderfully tactile coral reef display for the Ultimo Science festival. The design incorporates not only the beautiful and colourful but is blended to bleached and toxic coral to raise awareness about changes to world reef systems due to climate change.

The completed display and workshops run from the 21st-30th August 2009

Photography and Post by Emma Bjorndahl, Digital Services volunteer
© All rights reserved

Haunted pond

Published by Paula Bray on August 19, 2009 1 Comment

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This photograph has the intriguing title of ‘Haunted Pond’ and is enlarged from the right frame of a stereo photograph taken sometime between 1855 and 1865. We have no idea how the pond came to be haunted; perhaps someone accidentally drowned, or some other more sinister event occurred there. But whatever occurred the Victorian taste for the macabre appears to have attracted two women who seem to be enthralled at staring at this melancholy scene.

No known copyright restrictions
Post by Geoff Barker, Assistant Curator

Woven from her heart

Published by Paula Bray on August 18, 2009 0 Comments

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We have used this beautiful image many times in the project, Ties with tradition: Macedonian aprons designs. It tells a lot about the tradition and culture behind Macedonian apron making.

The woven aprons in this image, all with different patterns and colours, demonstrate the variety of designs popular in the region of Ohrid. The apron in the foreground of this photo is a typical design from the isolated mountain village of Vevcani. This particular apron was woven by Spasija Aleksoska in the 1960s in Macedonian and was given as a gift to her Granddaughter in 1987.

What I also love about this image is the way that Spasija’s hands are featured, demonstrating the technique of weaving aprons. With the beautiful designs of the aprons and the character in Spasija’s hands you can really see a life, a history deeply woven into the tradition of Macedonian apron making.

Photography by Marinco Kojdanovski
© All rights reserved
Post by Rebecca Evans, Assistant Curator

We want your labels

Published by Paula Bray on August 17, 2009 0 Comments


Visitor label display, originally uploaded by Powerhouse Museum.

This is the display dedicated to the many visitor written labels in the Odditoreum. We are encouraging visitors to share their own interpretation of the unusual objects featured in this display.

The Odditoreum features some unique and strange objects from deep within the vaults of the Museum’s collection. Children’s author Shaun Tan has created some intriguing stories about the weird objects featured that blur the line between fact and fiction.

You can read some of the labels in this set on Flickr and I will be highlighting more on Photo of the Day.

Photography by Paula Bray
License: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0

Last day of the Sydney Design Festival

Published by Paula Bray on August 16, 2009 0 Comments


Sydney Design 09 badge, originally uploaded by Powerhouse Museum.

The Sydney Design Festival finishes its two week celebration of design today. This 16-day program has celebrated local and international design and showcased events, exhibitions, speakers, tours, markets and workshops designed to engage and inspire audiences.

If you have taken any photos during this two-week festival we would love you to share them in our Sydney Design group on Flickr. Thanks to the members who have been contributing the great images already.

Photography by Marinco Kojdanovski
License: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0

What’s been going on in Omnibus Lane?

Published by Paula Bray on August 15, 2009 0 Comments

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Walking to work in the morning has been made a little bit more interesting lately with a fantastic graphic design exhibition that has been featured in a little laneway near the Museum. This exhibition, Eye Saw, has been produced by graphic designers about graphic design. The mantra of this exhibition is

“the designer’s desire to explain to a world – where visual communication in myriad forms is omnipresent – precisely what it is they do and what its benefits are.”

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This visual feast, located in Omnibus Lane, Ultimo will be up until tomorrow and has been one of the exhibitions featured during the Sydney Design Festival. This is worth checking out before it gets pulled down, plus it is free. It would be great to see this laneway used as an exhibition space all year round as this is what it looks like for the rest of the time-
View Google Maps.>

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Photography by Paula Bray
© All rights reserved

On board the SS Mariposa

Published by Paula Bray on August 14, 2009 1 Comment

This image comes from the Tom Lennon photographic archive and was taken on board the SS Mariposa in 1934. Tom Lennon was a commercial and portrait photographer, operating his studio at 64 Victoria Road, Drummoyne, NSW during the 1930s and 1940s. We have acquired 1796 negatives from this collection that cover topics such as balls and dinners held in Sydney, weddings, funerals, work events, parties, portraits, pets, fashion, horse races, and various places and events in Sydney.

Lennon was the official photographer for the industry magazine ‘Dance Band News’ and our catalogue record states that this man may be the dance band singer. The actual negative for this reproduction was stored in a box inscribed in pencil with ‘Ross Gordon / & Trixie / (17/6/34)’.

Photography by Tom Lennon
No known copyright restrictions

Visitor written label

Published by Paula Bray on August 13, 2009 2 Comments


Visitor written label, originally uploaded by Powerhouse Museum.

This image was taken in the Odditoreum display that features a selection of weird and wonderful objects from within the vaults of the Museum’s collection. This is a label that has been written by one of our audience members. We are encouraging the participation of visitor written labels with a display dedicated to showing the creative imaginations of the audience highlighting their response to some of these unusual objects. I love this one, it reads:
“Global warming shoes. As sea levels rise there is no reason to get wet!” by Anna age 13.

These are the Shoes, designed by Vivienne Westwood, featured in the label.

Photography by Paula Bray
© All rights reserved

French Tissue

Published by Paula Bray on August 12, 2009 2 Comments

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This stereo photograph of the Salon de Louis XIV in the Tuileries was taken between 1860 and 1870 and was published by ‘B. K.’ in Paris, France. Stereoscopic transparencies like this are commonly known as ‘French Tissue’. The mounts of these photographs are cut away to allow light to pass through the thin albumen print. This enables the photographer to create a number of special effects such as hand tinting the paper or backing them with a translucent sheet of coloured material. Some of these effects are so cleverly done that when held up to the light the photograph appears to be in colour.

No known copyright restrictions
Post by Geoff Barker, Assistant Curator