Designer Desire: John Hanna

We mentioned John Hanna in a previous post a few years ago, but haven’t actually featured him as an artist in his own right before.

A native of Australia, John Hanna (1919-1992) was an illustrator and cartoonist; his professional career began with him drawing cartoons for newspapers in Sydney. We were introduced to his work through the cover artwork that he created for Country Fair Journal during the 1940s.

Apparently, he also worked under the names Jack Hanna, J. Hanna, Wiz, J. C. Hanna and John Charles Hanna. His cartoons featured annually in Australia: Week-end Book between 1943 and 1946, where he signed his work as ‘Wiz’.

Some of his Country Fair designs have recently been reproduced by designer-maker, Jenny Duff gracing coasters and table mats. Original copies of Country Fair are available to buy on Amazon and eBay.

In a comment on the Asbury & Asbury website, Hanna’s son, helpfully shared some insight into his father’s work history:

My father started as a cartoonist, mainly with the Argus in Melbourne, until he emigrated to England in 1947. He got a job in the art department of S. H. Benson, the first advertising agency to be registered as a limited liability company, famous for it’s Guinness advertising and for employing Dorothy Sayers in the “literary” department. About 1950 he went freelance and mainly designed posters and other ad material for a variety of brands such as Walls ice cream, Sugar Puffs and Peak Frean biscuits. His Walls ice cream “deckchair” poster is visible on Walls ice cream UK 1950 Prints All Posters.co.UK. He was a member of the Society of Industrial Artists, now renamed the Society of Chartered Designers, and some of his work is featured in their 1951 publication Designers in Britain 3. Worried about the increasing use of photography on advertising he accepted the offer of a job as art director of an ad agency in Sydney in 1961. After a few years he went freelance again which enabled to extend his work to book illustrations etc. One of these books was about folk dancing written by his daughter Nicky Lo Bianco. He lived in Avalon Beach, near Sydney, until he died in 1992.

Additional image credits:
Fulltable | Muybridge’s Horse

Auction alert: 20th Century Design & Retro Interiors

East Bristol Auctions is holding their 20th Century Design & Retro Interiors auction – including street art on Friday 1st October 2021 from 9:55am.

Justin is the one who first pointed me in the direction of this 20th Century Design & Retro Interiors sale. He already knew of East Bristol Auctions and thought it was a good one to share on our Auction Alert series. I looked at the catalogue and could have picked about ¾ of the 690 lots to feature – there’s some great quality on offer. The sale estimates, in my opinion, are temptingly low; ‘come and buy me’, as they say in the trade.

The auction house uses Royal Mail and Parcelforce services to deliver small items internationally. They offer furniture delivery within a 30 mile radius of their auction house for a fee from £35.00 plus VAT. Delivery within England, Wales, Scotland & Ireland, excluding Highlands & Islands, costs from £40.00 plus VAT.

To bid at our auctions you will need to register directly with us (in person, over the phone, or via email) or sign up online via the-saleroom.com or eastbristol.co.uk. Our buying fees direct are 19% of the hammer price, plus VAT on the commission (22.8% in total). If you bid online additional fees will apply and these are namely 4.95%+VAT (the-saleroom.com) and 3&+VAT (bid.eastbristol.co.uk). In all instances, buyers are asked to check the specific fees before bidding as occasionally an auction may have different commission rates set.

Lot 2: Original 1960’s retro floor standing rocket lamp
Estimate: £100 – £150
Rocket Lamp – A retro vintage 1960’s Space Age teak wood and spun fibreglass floor standing lamp standard light comprising of a double bulb fitted centre, cylindrical fibreglass shade / diffuser and raised on shaped teak wood legs. Measures approx; 113cm tall.

Lot 13: Ronald Stennett Willson – Wedgwood – Sheringham candlesticks
Estimate: £40 – £60
Ronald Stennett Willson – Wedgwood / King’s Lynn – Sheringham – A graduating pair of retro 1960’s studio art glass candlesticks / tea light holders with one having 3 bladed rings and the other two. Each having a translucent peach glass colourway. Each measures approx; 16cm x 7cm diameter.

Lot 24: Franco Albini mid 20th century cane & bamboo satellite hoop chair
Estimate: £100 – £200
Attributed to Franco Albini – A retro mid 20th Century Italian wicker / cane and bamboo satellite lounge hoop chair. The circle tub shaped chair of round form raised on ebonised tubular legs with black atomic feet. Wear commensurate with age, overall a good example. Measures approx; 81cm x 80cm x 58cm.

Lot 92: Retro vintage 1970’s Troika manner pottery lamp
Estimate: £50 – £80
A large retro vintage 1970’s studio art pottery lamp in the manner of Troika. The light of brutalist form having three groups of circular panels raised on a tapered pedestal base. No visible makers marks. Measures approx; 78cm tall.

Lot 236: Shop display / butchers advertising display pig
Estimate: £40 – £60
A contemporary shop display / butchers advertising point of sale display pig constructed from hard acrylic moulded in a standing position with painted facial features. The pig being black with a white strip. Measures approx; 30cm x 58cm x 21cm.

Lot 567: Vintage wooden articulated artist’s mannequin
Estimate: £40 – £60
A large retro vintage 20th Century wooden articulated artist’s mannequin table / desk top figurer supported by a single metal steam raised on a circular base. Measures approx; 55cm tall.

Lot 496: Retro vintage Italian mid 20th century bamboo crib
Estimate: £80 – £120
A retro vintage mid 20th Century Italian Boho bamboo & cane Childs crib / cot or bed having two curved ends with various woven cane patterns to the sides. Slatted base and all raised on wheel castors. Slight wear and would benefit from tightening. Measures approx; 90cm x 145cm x 66cm.

Lot 611: Retro 20th century wool shag pile floor carpet rug / runner
Estimate: £50 – £80
An original retro vintage mid 20th Century wool shag pile floor carpet rug / runner of rectangular form having a red ground finish with dark orange and black colours forming patterns throughout. Measures approx; 138cm x 70cm.

Auction alert: Fine Art & Antique Auction

Are you a BBC 6Music listener? Strange question to come out with? The reason I ask something like that on this Auction Alert post, is because 6Music DJs all play music that is an ‘eclectic mix’… and so are the lots in the sale we’re featuring this week. Furniture, jewellery, paintings, textiles, clocks and books are just a few of the types of items on offer.

Trevanion & Dean Auctioneers based in Whitchurch, Shropshire are holding one of their regular 2-day, Fine Art & Antique Auction sales. It takes place on Wednesday 22nd & Thursday 23^rd September 2021 from 9am.

There’ll be a buyer’s commission charge of 20% + VAT. If you plan on bidding online, you can bid live through their website here for a further 2% + VAT. They also offer live, online bidding through the-saleroom.com and easyliveauctions.com, please note, bidding on these platforms also incurs additional charges.

If you wish to bid remotely and have any winning lot(s) delivered to you, the auction house explains:

If you are unable to collect your winning lots, Trevanion Auctioneers offer a limited in-house P&P service for small, non-breakable items during the week following the auction only. We use Royal Mail Special Delivery for goods up to a value of £2000 weighing no more than 2kg. We also use DHL but goods will not be covered by insurance unless requested.

Lot 58: A Georg Jensen silver coloured fruit bowl
Late 20th century, modelled in the form of a lily pad, signed to the underside, 30cm diameter
Estimate: £60 – £100

Lot 364: After John Boultbee (British, 1753-1812), ‘The Durham Ox’
Engraving on paper by John Whessell (circa 1760-circa 1840), printed in colours with hand finished additions, published by John Day 1802.
Printed inscription to lower margin reading ‘To The Right Honorable Lord Somerville, This Print is with great respect humbly dedicated, by his Lordship’s most obedt. humble Servant John Day. This wonderful Animal is now the property of Mr. John Day of Harmston, near Lincoln, and was March 20 1802, six years old. Subscriptions taken for this Print in the first Year, amounted to two thousand and upwards, from whence the Public opinion of this beautiful Animal may well be ascertained. This Ox is still in a growing and improving state, and weighs according to the computation of the best judges 30 Score pr. Quarter, which is 300 Stone 14 lb to the Stone’,
54.5cm x 67.5cm,
Framed and glazed
Estimate: £200 – £300

Lot 616: A Hadrill & Horstmann ‘Pluslite’ industrial work lamp
20th century, the counter-balanced parallel motion frame supporting a lamp housing with fold-down magnifying lens, in original grey paint with applied maker’s label, 48cm high (max)
Estimate: £150 – £250

Lot 705: Three clear-glass cloches
Late 19th/early 20th century, each of typical bell-shaped form below a moulded button handle, tallest 23cm (3)
Estimate: £100 – £150

Lot 943: Staples Ladderax shelving wall unit
The painted metal ladder racks supporting a three drawer chest, a glazed cabinet with sliding doors and a single door cabinet, along with three shelves, 214cm W x 40.5cm D x 201cm H
Estimate: £300 – £500

Lot 945: Set of six 1960s Ercol blonde elm & beech wood kitchen chairs each chair with a stick back above a shaped elm seat, raised upon cylindrical tapering legs united by peripheral cross stretchers, impressed British kite mark and 1960 to the underside along with a stamped registration mark ‘884923’ (at fault)
Estimate: £100 – £200

Designer Desire: Gino Colombini

It was only last week when we bought a vintage bright orange plastic waste paper basket that we learned anything about Gino Colombini.

Gino Colombini (1915-2011) was an Italian product designer who worked primarily in plastic. From 1933 to 1952, he worked in the Milan practice of the architect and designer, Franco Albini. Together, they co-designed the rattan ‘Margherita’ chair in 1951. From 1953 until 1960, Colombini was the first technical director of Kartell for whom he created many domestic products including the waste paper basket that we bought.

His designs are featured in the book Kartell: The Culture of Plastics published by Taschen in 2013.

Colombini won the Compasso d’Oro award on five occasions; 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960. The Museum of Modern Art in New York have a number of his designs in their permanent collection.

Our orange bin will shortly be for sale in our space at Valley Antiques in Hebden Bridge. However, if you can’t get over to West Yorkshire, you can often find examples of his products on 1stDibs, Bukowskis and Etsy.

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Additional image credits:
Bukowskis | Pinterest

H is for Home Harbinger

Tag: vintage

Designer Desire: John Hanna

Auction alert: 20th Century Design & Retro Interiors

Auction alert: Fine Art & Antique Auction

Designer Desire: Gino Colombini