In
1959 Florence Broadhurst established Australian (Hand Printed) Wallpapers Pty
Ltd., which later became Florence Broadhurst Wallpapers Pty Ltd, advertised as
"the only studio of its kind in the world". Her brightly-colored
geometric and nature-inspired oversized designs were all hand printed.
Technical advances made in her studio included printing onto metallic surfaces,
the development of a washable, vinyl-coating finish and a drying rack system
that allowed her wallpapers to be produced in large quantities. By 1972, her wallpapers reportedly
contained around 800 designs in eighty different colors and by the mid-1970s
she monopolized the quality end of the Australian market and was exporting
worldwide.
In
addition to being a prolific and legendary designer, Broadhurst was a starlet,
a socialite… and the victim of a murder that remains a mystery 35 years later.
For more information,
please visit florencebroadhurst.co.au. or see “Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret
and Extraordinary Lives” by Helen O’Neill.
Images (top to bottom): Signature Prints, Chronicle Books, Signature Prints.
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