Summary

Illustrated mail order catalogue advertising home furnishings issued by Andersons Pty Ltd, South Melbourne, circa 1920.

Andersons claimed to be 'complete house furnishers'. This extensive catalogue advertises a wide range of furniture and furnishings for the home, all available through mail order purchase as well as direct from their warehouse showrooms at 251-261 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne. The catalogue declares that it is 'up-to-date', and promotes Anderson's furniture as 'modern and artistic'. Many black and white photographs and illustrations are used throughout the catalogue, so that the purchaser can confidently select goods direct from the catalogue, just as if they were shopping for themselves at the warehouse showrooms. As well as individual items and suites of furniture, the catalogue also offers a variety of complete house furnishings of three or four rooms. Purchases were available on 'extended terms'.

A comprehensive alphabetical index appears at the start of the catalogue, ranging from B-W, and shows that items advertised include: baby carriages, blinds, bedroom furniture, clocks, couches, dining room suites, bedding, fire irons, garden furniture, ice chests, invalid chairs, kitchen furniture and utensils, laundry equipment, office furniture, organs and pianos, push chairs, rugs, carpets and linoleum, sewing machines, stoves, toilet ware, wardrobes and wire doors.

Included in the catalogue are two products for disabled people: an American oak wheelchair and a wheeled table to be used while in bed - 'Our Wounded and Invalided Heros need every comfort it is possible to give them - this is a recognized fact...' (page 128).

Physical Description

Quarto size 136 page black and white printed booklet with glue binding, with additional colour card cover. The cover is pale blue with dark blue and gold text. The front cover features a round cut-out showing a colour illustration on the following page of the faces of a couple reading an Andersons catalogue. The front and back covers also feature line drawings of the warehouse and showrooms. The first page is printed in black and red, and a small errata slip printed in red ink is bound into this page.

Title

'The Home Makers Furnishing Guide - Andersons - Clarendon St. South Melb.'

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