Frederick Ward Collection

Full description

Collection of design drawings related to the work of Frederick Charles Cecil (Fred) Ward (1900-1990). It also includes correspondence and personal papers. Historical notes: Frederick Charles Cecil (Fred) Ward, (1900 −1990), furniture and interior designer. Frederick (Fred) Ward, furniture and interior designer, was a pioneer in the modern industrial design movement in Australia, and is particularly noted for his timber furniture. In 1932 he established an interior design consultancy in Collins Street, and also around this time began selling his designs to the Myer Emporium. He joined the staff of Myer in 1935. In the post-war period he worked with Myer and as a freelance designer, and in 1947 launched Patterncraft, a range paper patterns for low-cost simple furniture. In 1948 he was commissioned to design furniture and furnishings for University House at the Australian National University, Canberra (ANU), and subsequently became the design consultant to Australian National University from 1949 to 1961. Other major projects included the Reserve Bank of Australia, the National Capital Development Commission, Australian Academy of Science and the National Library of Australia. Fred Ward was a founding member of the Society of Designers for Industry (1948), and of the Industrial Design Institute of Australia (1958). He was awarded a MBE for his services to design in 1970, and was awarded a Life Fellowship of the Design Institute of Australia. The collection is arranged chronologically and is listed by job. It includes 2 plan drawers and five boxes. These comprise original drawings for furniture 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, 1960s and 1970s including for Myer Emporium (1950s); blue prints for Home Beautiful magazine (1950s); various projects for the Australian National University (1952-1956); the External Affairs Department, Canberra (1952); the National Library of Australia (1963-1968). It also includes street furniture for the National Capital Development commission, and some designs by Derek Wrigley (1924- ) who worked with Ward in the ANU Design Unit. The archive also includes research files for Michaela Richards book, ‘The Best Style: Marion Hall Best and the Australian Interior 1935-1975’, Craftsman House, 1993.