Summary

Alternative Name(s): Table Lamp

Toy standard lamp made by Mrs Johanna Harry Hillier, nee Gyles, circa 1929-1935, in which was stored toys made from MacRobertson's Max Mint wrappers of waxed paper, printed with a diamond shape in blue and orange with a background of red and blue zig-zag lines.

Mrs Hillier came to Australia from England in 1881. She was a milliner by trade and made a set of these toys for each of three grandchildren. She began by making the fans and then progressed to a variety of other toys. A set of 56 figures, pieces of furniture, costume and costume accessories was donated to Museums Victoria by one of her granddaughters.

Physical Description

Doll sized standard lamp made of wood, wire and Max Mints wrappers, pink fabric thread and pink beads. Wooden base rests on circular pink fabric base edged with platted wrappers. Lamp has wooden stand with twisted wrappers wrapped around it. Attached to the top of stand is a wire and thread lead which secures a glass and metal minature light globe. The lamp shade is made of a wire frame with pink fabric wrapped over it. On the outside of lamp shade, cut Max-Mint wrappers are sewn in circular layers. Sewn onto the bottom of the shade are pink beads on threads forming a beaded fringe. At end of bead fringes are bead crosses.

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