Australian Museum of Design

The Australian Museum of Design is the custodian of more than 7,500 original hand drawn designs by Australian artists, and our inspiration is to share them with new generations of designers, artists and art lovers across the world.

The design library is a treasure trove of carefully protected artworks for more than 30 years. From time to time, a selection of designs were accessed and used to handprint wallpaper and fabrics. The original Florence Broadhurst designs were formally part of this design library until early circa 2000.

Today, Sydney business woman, Margaux Everett developed a way to not only preserve the historic designs forever but has designed a pathway to release them to the world through commercial licensing, exhibitions and product sales.

More than 50 years ago, the art of design was created by hand, individually drawn on layers of film positive to build up to the final creative piece.

The technical experience of the artist to visualise the end design and separate it in their mind into layers that all matched perfectly when it came together, as well as each side matching up to produce a perfect reproduction.

It was a skill that seemed would all but be lost, if not for the desire to save and protect Australian Design History from the mid 1800’s to the 1980’s.

Our project in preserving and protecting the fragile designs will be to meticulously scan them, and the beautiful flaws only achieved through hand drawing. The process of digitising the original hand drawn designs and ultimately making them available digitally to the world

Argyle Pl, Millers Point, New South Wales 2000, AU