The Lewis & Skinner online archive of Melbourne signwriting documents

Online raw data archive of sign writing documents, orders, photographs, drawings and other records pertaining to the former Lewis & Skinner signwriting company based in South Melbourne and later bought by the Frank Mason advertising company. Includes records of commissions undertaken on walls, hoardings, shop fronts, milk bars and service stations for the Vacuum Oil Company (Mobil Oil), Robur Tea, Cadburys Chocolate, Groves McVitty (Medallion Shoe Polish), BALM Paints (Dulux), Swallows & Ariell, International Harvester, Richmond Brewery, Caltex, Ansett, Myer, Noon Pies, Taumans Paints, Rosella Fods and Francis Longmore (White Crow Tomato Sauce). Most records are from 1948 to 1956, although there are some dating back to the 1920s. Records have been scanned in jpeg image format and organised by suburb and area using a customised version of the Omeka archival web system. They have also been tagged thematically and have geolocation information added wherever possible. Scanning and uploading is continuing.
Project Organization Unit: Centre for Cultural Diversity and Wellbeing, Victoria University