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Muriel Binney's copyright registration of her frieze 'Sydney Harbour Foreshores at Sunset', 24 September 1907
Muriel Binney's copyright registration of her frieze 'Sydney Harbour Foreshores at Sunset', 24 September 1907

Muriel Binney's copyright registration of her frieze 'Sydney Harbour Foreshores at Sunset', 24 September 1907

Subject or historical figure (Australian, 1873 - 1949)
Maker (Australia, founded 1905)
Date1907
Object number00028257
NameCertificate
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 328 x 202 mm, 1 mm, 0.007 kg
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Jerry Grover
DescriptionMuriel Binney registered the artistic content of her frieze soon after completion to take advantage of any commercial opportunities that could arise, such as its reproduction as wallpaper.HistoryAt the 1907 Women’s Work Exhibition this ambitious panorama was entered with 23 other designs in the Fine Art Category class for 'Best original design for a frieze’, the prize being a guinea. As was the case with half the work in the exhibition, it was not for sale. However, evidently aware of the potential of her frieze for reproduction as a wallpaper, Binney applied for and was granted copyright on it in September 1907. Binney showed a diverse collection of work at the Melbourne exhibition along with the frieze including copper-plate etchings, an 'ingenious invention’ (probably the child’s cot and playground later shown in London) for which she won a second prize, a poster design 'for Biscuits’, a painted fire-screen and various painted silk products. Binney's frieze was not awarded a prize, yet was nevertheless chosen to be sent on to London for display in the NSW Court of the Australian Pavilion at the Franco-British Exhibition, held in London in 1908. The harbour frieze was seen to fit perfectly with the aims of the London show which was to encourage trade, commerce, tourism and immigration to New South Wales. According to the exhibition commissioners, 'the fine hand-painted frieze of Sydney Harbour by Mrs Binney, which stretched half way round the Annex’ was a factor 'in impressing upon the public the artistic side of Sydney’. Mrs Binney was awarded a silver medal for it and she received another for her cot and playground. Some time after Binney had patented her frieze it was cut into six pieces, possibly for installation in the Franco-British Exhibition. Afterwards it remained with the family, although descendants have no memory of ever seeing it on the walls of any family home. It has now been restored to its original four sections.