John Twycross (born in Hampshire UK in 1819) did not move to Australia until after gold had been discovered in central Victoria in 1851. John and two of his siblings arrived in Dec 1853 but found Melbourne to be boiling hot, prone to devastating bushfires and lacking visual culture. Fortunately Melbourne’s population boomed in the 1850s so Twycross became a successful merchant and a land owner. Commercial opportunities were everywhere. In the early years the two brothers concentrated on exporting wool and animal hides, and eventually brother James returned to Britain to direct the Australian imported goods into Bradford’s woollen mills. Then James expanded into London, Basingstoke in Hampshire and Wokingham in Berkshire.
The book Visions of Colonial Grandeur: John Twycross at Melbourne’s International Exhibitions was written by Charlotte Smith and Benjamin Thomas (Museum Victoria Publishing, 2014). It explores the history of this city’s international exhibitions via the art collection of C19th merchant John Twycross. We will start in 1869.
The book Visions of Colonial Grandeur: John Twycross at Melbourne’s International Exhibitions was written by Charlotte Smith and Benjamin Thomas (Museum Victoria Publishing, 2014). It explores the history of this city’s international exhibitions via the art collection of C19th merchant John Twycross. We will start in 1869.
That year the trustees of the emerging National Gallery of Victoria wanted to hold an exhibition that “could not fail to stimulate the interest already felt by the community in the culture of the fine arts”. Since the gallery’s collection was still small in 1869, the trustees requested that community-minded citizens loan their pictures, curiosities and articles of vertu for display. And since 1869 was a happy time for merchant John Twycross, he was very happy to respond. He lent least 17 works of art to the exhibition of "Works of Art, Ornamental and Decorative Art" held at Melbourne’s Public Library that year. The exhibition was a hit, with both Victoria’s colonial collectors and the viewing population.
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John Twycross was now a happy and prosperous man. Aged 51, he married the very young window Lizzie Burrell Clutterbuck in 1870 and adopted the two children from Lizzie’s first marriage. In 1871 and in 1874 they had two more babies together.
The family soon moved into a grand, single storey, 13-room brick house they had built on the corner of Glenhuntly Rd in Caulfield called Emmarine. After Emmarine had been designed and completed, Twycross added a two-storey art gallery onto the house, specifically to house and display his art treasures. When Emmarine's portrait was painted in 1875 by architectural artist William Tibbitts, the art wing could clearly be seen, over Glenhuntly Rd.
In this boom period of the 1880s, Melbourne proudly hosted two international exhibitions so that the very latest in trade and culture could be seen by huge crowdss in the city’s newly-built Royal Exhibition Building. It is hard to imagine just how exciting it must have been to see goods brought to Melbourne for sale from all over the world. Most people know about the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London and perhaps the 1878 and 1889 Expositions Universelles in Paris . But as the authors of Visions of Colonial Grandeur point out, the Melbourne International Exhibitions of the 1880s had not really been on anybody’s radar. It is therefore excellent that the book includes many photos of pavilions from other countries: clearly Germany, France, India and other countries were excited to participate.
Successful the exhibitions were! They brought huge numbers of visitors from within Australia and abroad, creating opportunities for new businesses. It gave Melbourne a place on the world stage and exposed Australian products to the trading world. Manufacturers loved these exhibitions because visitors came from all walks of life
I had imagined that Melbourne’s 1880 and 1888 International Exhibitions were a chance for collectors to display Australian art objects to the world, not for wealthy collectors to buy up more Australian art for themselves. Yet that is exactly what happened to Twycross. During his many visits to Melbourne’s beautiful Exhibition Building, he purchased hundreds of exquisite fine art objects and paintings, building his collection to ever greater size.
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Smith and Thomas' book, 2014
Top row of images: Chinese ivory, Royal Exhibition Buildings, Twycross and daughter
As a result of the exhibition’s success, the Victorian Academy of Art was founded in 1870. Their first exhibition was held in 1870, their second was held in 1872 and their third in 18723. John Twycross immediately secured life membership and promised further financial support for the organisation. The academy also enabled close contact between Twycross and Melbourne’s very best artists, especially Louis Buvelot and Eugene von Guerard.
John Twycross was now a happy and prosperous man. Aged 51, he married the very young window Lizzie Burrell Clutterbuck in 1870 and adopted the two children from Lizzie’s first marriage. In 1871 and in 1874 they had two more babies together.
The family soon moved into a grand, single storey, 13-room brick house they had built on the corner of Glenhuntly Rd in Caulfield called Emmarine. After Emmarine had been designed and completed, Twycross added a two-storey art gallery onto the house, specifically to house and display his art treasures. When Emmarine's portrait was painted in 1875 by architectural artist William Tibbitts, the art wing could clearly be seen, over Glenhuntly Rd.
In this boom period of the 1880s, Melbourne proudly hosted two international exhibitions so that the very latest in trade and culture could be seen by huge crowdss in the city’s newly-built Royal Exhibition Building. It is hard to imagine just how exciting it must have been to see goods brought to Melbourne for sale from all over the world. Most people know about the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London and perhaps the 1878 and 1889 Expositions Universelles in Paris . But as the authors of Visions of Colonial Grandeur point out, the Melbourne International Exhibitions of the 1880s had not really been on anybody’s radar. It is therefore excellent that the book includes many photos of pavilions from other countries: clearly Germany, France, India and other countries were excited to participate.
Successful the exhibitions were! They brought huge numbers of visitors from within Australia and abroad, creating opportunities for new businesses. It gave Melbourne a place on the world stage and exposed Australian products to the trading world. Manufacturers loved these exhibitions because visitors came from all walks of life
I had imagined that Melbourne’s 1880 and 1888 International Exhibitions were a chance for collectors to display Australian art objects to the world, not for wealthy collectors to buy up more Australian art for themselves. Yet that is exactly what happened to Twycross. During his many visits to Melbourne’s beautiful Exhibition Building, he purchased hundreds of exquisite fine art objects and paintings, building his collection to ever greater size.
Watercolour painting of the Twycross family home Emmarine,
painted by William Tibbits in 1875.
Source: Museum Victoria
Source: Museum Victoria
Mrs Twycross must have been a tolerant wife indeed for he not only spent a great deal of money on things that took his fancy, he also built an entire tower beside the family house Emmarine to store it all. He bought paintings, statuary for the garden and endless decorative art objects like vases and glassware. Being a porcelain fan myself, I most loved Meissen porcelain and Japanese porcelain, but I must admit that the Chinese ivory pieces are just gorgeous.
The book shows the modern reader excellent photographs of the most significant art works in the Twycross collection. The chapters are well structured: 1. Portrait of a collector; 2. Melbourne's 19th century exhibitions; 3. Experiencing the exhibitions; 4. Courting collectors and 5. A collector's legacy. For me, the book gives a contemporary analysis of the cultural tastes and collecting habits in Melbourne in the later C19th. So I would have liked a chapter on Twycross’ collection at home, but I realise this book was written to display public visions of colonial grandeur.
This book’s publication coincided with the 10th anniversary of UNESCO World Heritage listing of our Royal Exhibition, a building well-loved and much used by Melburnians of every generation. Students have always sat their final exams there, as I did, occasionally raising their eyes to the heavens for inspiration from stained glass windows and decorative walls. The Carlton Gardens which surround the building are beautiful.
The book shows the modern reader excellent photographs of the most significant art works in the Twycross collection. The chapters are well structured: 1. Portrait of a collector; 2. Melbourne's 19th century exhibitions; 3. Experiencing the exhibitions; 4. Courting collectors and 5. A collector's legacy. For me, the book gives a contemporary analysis of the cultural tastes and collecting habits in Melbourne in the later C19th. So I would have liked a chapter on Twycross’ collection at home, but I realise this book was written to display public visions of colonial grandeur.
This book’s publication coincided with the 10th anniversary of UNESCO World Heritage listing of our Royal Exhibition, a building well-loved and much used by Melburnians of every generation. Students have always sat their final exams there, as I did, occasionally raising their eyes to the heavens for inspiration from stained glass windows and decorative walls. The Carlton Gardens which surround the building are beautiful.