• 85/1497 Crucibles (6), ceramic, used at Sydney Observatory workshop, maker unknown
  • 85/1498 Ladles (2), (metallurgists), iron, used at Sydney Observatory workshop, maker unknown, c 1950
  • 85/1499 Pit saw, steel blade, wooden handle, used at Sydney Observatory workshop, maker unknown, 1950-1960
  • 85/1500 Pitch-fork, (garden or hay), used at Sydney Observatory workshop, 1930-1950
  • Two rain gauge measuring cylinders.
    85/1913 Rain gauges (2), measuring cylinders, glass, made by Angelo Tornaghi, used at Sydney Observatory, New South Wales, Australia, 1861-1900
  • 85/1914 Sieve, cylindrical, copper, used at Sydney Observatory workshop, [Australia]
  • 85/1915 Funnel, conical, ceramic, size 6 (or 9), used at Sydney Observatory workshop, [1930-1950]
  • 85/1916 Mortar & pestle, ceramic, used at Sydney Observatory workshop, made in [England]
  • 85/1917 Cylinder, glass, graduated, used at Sydney Observatory
  • 85/1918 Cylinder, glass, graduated, stoppered, used at Sydney Observatory, Australia, 20th century
  • 85/1919 Measuring vessel, possibly rain gauge, glass with spout, used at Sydney Observatory
  • 85/1920 Tubing (2 pieces), chemical glassware, used at Sydney Observatory
  • 85/1921 Watch glasses (2), used at Sydney Observatory
  • 85/1922 Test tube, fused silica, used at Sydney Observatory
  • 85/1923 Tube, sealed glass, containing liquid, used at Sydney Observatory
  • 85/1924 Glass discharge tube, used at Sydney Observatory
  • 85/1925 Discharge tubes (3), glass, (containing powders), used at Sydney Observatory
  • 85/1926 Vessels (5), glass, handblown, used at Sydney Observatory
  • 85/1927 Filter flask, glass, used at Sydney Observatory, Crown, Australia
  • 85/1928 Boiling flasks (2), glass, used at Sydney Observatory
  • 85/1929 Funnel & filter chamber, porcelain/glass, used at Sydney Observatory, Buchner's, Japan/England
  • 85/1930 Roentgen tubes (2), X-ray, used at Sydney Observatory, Newton & Co, London, England

Names

Victa Lawnmower Collection

IDs

2033

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/collection=Victa_Lawnmower

Descriptions

A collection of objects relating to Mervyn Victor Richardson and the Victa company. It includes lawnmowers, the first dating from 1953, as well as archival material and promotional material such as signs and pamphlets.

Mervyn Victor Richardson developed the Victa rotary lawn-mower in August 1952. It was not the first rotary lawn-mower ever developed, but it was cheaper, lighter and easier to use than the mowers that came before. Mervyn advertised his new mowers and sold them from his home. Demand for the mowers was high with the growth of post-war suburbia. Soon Mervyn had to expand the business to a new location and Victa Mowers Pty Ltd was born. From the early days Victa effectively used marketing to promote and sell its mowers. It pioneered TV advertising in Australia, using celebrity endorsements and combining them with extensive newspaper and print media campaigns. Victa set up a network of distributors and trained them in promotion and sales. By 2002, after almost 50 years of operation, 6.5 million Victa mowers had been sold in 30 countries around the world. This collection of artefacts and objects includes a number of Victa lawnmowers including the first Victa mower. It also contains photographs, publicity material, catalogues and videos of TV advertisements.

Some material included in this collection may be subject to copyright.

By appointment

Parts of this collection are digitised and available on the Powerhouse Museum website.

Subjects

Archives; Catalogues; Lawnmowers; Photographs; Signs

Australian product design; Gardening; Suburban life

Mervyn Victor Richardson; Victa

Coverage Spatial

New South Wales, Australia

Coverage Temporal

1953

2008

Related Collections

Dates

2012-05-30 23:41

2011-03-08 15:02