Rosenthal, Aaronson & Co, and Rosenfeld, Lazarus & Benjamin warehouses, commercial streetscape, 275-277, 279-281 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Rosenthal, Aaronson & Co, and Rosenfeld, Lazarus & Benjamin warehouses, commercial streetscape, 275-277, 279-281 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 105698 1
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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
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Graphic materialsTextual material
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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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275-281, 283 Lonsdale Street MelbournePeriod: Late VictorianDate: 1891-2.275-281 Lonsdale Street MelbourneASSOCIATIONS: Rosenthal Aronson and Company;DESIGNER: Barnet, Nahum;BUILDER: Clements Langford Pty. Ltd..283 Lonsdale Street MelbourneASSOCIATIONS: Rosenfeld, Lazarus & Benjamin;DESIGNER: Nahum Barnet;BUILDER: Sutherland, James.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDY.Statement of SignificanceWarehouses275-7 (275-81), 279-81 (283) Lonsdale Street (see following references for historical qualifications)1892-3 (1891-2)History(applies to 275-81)Importers, Rosenthal Aranson & Co commissioned architect Nahum Barnet to design these two warehouses next to the thriving Levy Brothers & Co also importers. The builder was Clements Langford. Number 275-7 Lonsdale was brick and five levels and 279-81 was brick, of seven levels and half the frontage of the former. The land was owned by the J B Watson estate. Rosenthal Aranson were general importers of hardware, crockery, musical instruments, tobacconists goods and makers of jewellery. They claimed to be one of the oldest importing businesses in Victoria, having started the David Rosenthal and H Feldheim in 1852. Saul Aranson joined the firm later, eventually operating the London office. Other branches were in Brisbane and Launceston and a number of warehouses were kept in Melbourne. Whilst Levy Brothers continued on; Rosenthal & Aranson departed leaving an institution calling itself the Central Agency Co. Ltd. managed by John Bradshaw. Rope, cap and clothing makers occupied other floors, including wholesale stationers, Clarke & Co. on the first floor. Ten years later, in 1920, Clarke & Co were the major tenants but by then they were fancy goods importers, continuing past the next decade. Myer had absorbed both buildings by World War Two, having grown from the grouping of importers in this part of Melbourne, first established by Levy Brothers.DescriptionBoth buildings display well the highly mannered design approach utilized by Barnet late last and early this Century, particularly in his bold adaption of Italian Mannerist and English Elizabethan prototypes. Exaggeration of elements, such as pediments, on 229-81, is combined with deeply set. windows, a deeply arched Venetian window at the attic storey and a raised pedimented parapet entablature, providing here the Flemish gable effect of the English Elizabethan and Queen. Anne styles. All decorative elements are three dimensionally expressed, rather than overlaid as two-dimensional ornament. Barnet's normal verticality is absent from 275-7, where heavy string and cornice moulds rule off major element groups on the facade. Again windows are deeply set, but cement swags and paneling are maintained, albeit for maximum effect rather than maximum extent. Although similarly treated to 279-81, the raised parapet entablature lacks the crowning pediment. Both buildings possess boldly modeled facades and utilise a stylistic vocabulary peculiar to a small group of architects, including Askew, D'Ebro, De Lacey Evans and Barnet. 1891 (See 435-43 Little Collins Street).External IntegrityGround level replaced and canopy added, possible removal of an iron post verandah and addition of air units. Upper level windows have been altered in detail only and upper level walls painted in untraditional colours (part) .StreetscapeA strong pair which relate In finish, scale and, In part, (for 275-7 and 271-3) fenestration.SignificanceTwo strongly modeled elevations which, although reflecting the gradual influence of the English Queen Anne on commercial architecture, are - outstanding and near complete designs from an architect, renowned for his virtuosity in this area, also symbols of the emergence of this part of Lonsdale Street as a late 19th Century retail/wholesale centre..GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM identified as part of 275, 279-281 Lonsdale Street.MAHLSTEDT FIRE INSURANCE PLAN SERIESBlock 101910275-281 Clarke & Co pasted in, trustees of the late JB Watson 5 levels, masonry, steel girders, cast iron supports, Ground Floor Fire proof, Grinnell's Automatic sprinklers throughout - bridge at rear to 5 level store J Spicer & Sons… stairs iron enclosed.283 Young & Co …moved, pasted in, trustees of the late JB Watson 6 levels, masonry,.Melbourne University Library Collectionshttps://digitised-collections.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/70182Rosenthal Aronson & Company WarehouseRelated Dates: 1891Document TypePictures--Photographs--Photographic printsDigital Access Status: Digital resource available. Check Digital Resource field for linkConditions of Use: This image is provided for research purposes and must not be reproduced without prior permission of University of Melbourne Archives. For information about ordering a copy of this image contact the University of Melbourne Archives: archives@archives.unimelb.edu.auArchives Reference: 1960.0003.00001Digital Resource: https://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=105335URIhttp://hdl.handle.net/11343/70182DescriptionRosenthal Aronson & Company Warehouse, Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Built in 1891 by master builders, Clements Langford Pty. Ltd. Designed by N. Barnet, Architect. Sign on building reads 'General Merchants, estab'd 1853'. Another sign reads, 'To Let Apply W. W. Gudgeon, 469 Collins St.' The building company was originally established as Langford's small Richmond business around 1881, it became incorporated in 1923 and grew into one of Melbourne's largest building firms. Part of the Sargood, Butler, Nichol and Ewen warehouse can be seen.Inscription: Name, date and architect of building written in white beneath the photograph.Previous Control Number: UMA/I/2347Previous Control Number: OSBA/67.LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX:Record 76361 Barnet, Nahum; Rosenthal, Aaronson & Co Melbourne VIC Warehouses Langford, Clements - 275 Bridge Rd Richmond 1891 11 5 5268 MCC registration no 5268 [Burchett Index]. Fee 9.10.0two warehouses, Lonsdale & Arcade Lane.Guildford and Hardware Lane Heritage Study Lovell Chen 2016Rosenthal, Aronson & Co’s business expanded in the 1880s and by 1885, it was described as ‘general merchants, manufacturing jewellers, and importers of glassware, cutlery etc’.7 In late 1891, another renowned architect, Nahum Barnet designed an extensive new brick premises for the company at 275-281 Lonsdale Street. Rosenthal, Aronson & Co subsequently relocated from the site at Little Collins Street, although continued to own the prop.NEWSPAPERS (TROVE)The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)Saturday 9 July 1892 - Page 5https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8437899MESSRS. ROSENTHAL, ARONSON, AND CO.'S NEW PREMISES.The new premises of Messrs Rosenthal Aronson and Co were offered and general in porters which has of recently been erected in Lonsdale street near the junction with Swanston street form an architectural acquisition to that thoroughfare deserving of notice. They comprise two blocks of buildings one constructed at the rear of the other and connected by convenient bridge ways, the aria occupied being portion of the extensive piece of land belonging to the estate of the late Mr J B Watson of BendigoThe buildings are of bluestone brick and cement comprising six flats. That abutting, on Lonsdale street covers an area of 46ft x 145ft, the other being 50ft square The frontage of the former has a fine appearance with its Pyrmont (Sydney) freestone facings, solid blocks of Castlemaine granite in the lower story and altogether neat design which is in the Italian Renaissance style The granite as has been obtained from the deepest part of the Harcourt quarries at Castlemaine, and two blocks 16ft in length have been utilised for the jambs on either side of the main entrance. Though from a purely architectural point of view the main building has many recommendations, probably its main features are utilitarian By means of large windows in the front and several at the rear as much that has been obtained on the different floors as was conveniently possible to it is eminently well adapted for the purposes of the business of the firm, all the latest notions have been adopted to make it fireproof and more than that it may also be described as burglar proof The front windows have what are technically known as compressible grills which during the day are neatly folded up and hidden within the window encasements and at night are extended across the windows so as to form complete bars to ingress. The doors are iron plated, and the doors at the rear of the building have iron shutters As within the building there are three large strong rooms . These will be used for storing the most valuable jewellery, the travellers simples and the books of the firm. The jewellery strong room has Milner’s patent doors and grills, which can only be opened with the keys and inside there are three of the same maker’s best safes As a fire often originates in the basement of a building and under ordinary conditions soon finds its way to the ground floor, special precautions have been taken in the case of this building to secure complete insulation between the ground floor and the basement there is a flooring composed of weight bearing iron laid in concrete the other floors being constructed of bricks placed on end The staircases and passenger lift openings will be closed up every evening with Hallenstein’s patent shutters and the goods lifts are in accesses outside the main walls Thus every means is adopted for coalmine; a fire to one floor should it break out, and for the purpose s of extinguishment either portion of the premises is fitted with the effective Grinell sprinklers which brng into play showers of water as soon as a certain heat is produced for the sprinkler system 5200 gallons of water are kept stored on the roof of the main building If the solder securing any of the sprinklers be melted the passage of the water through the special pipe service brings a continuous fire alarm into operation the efficacy of the sprinkler system of fire extinguishment was tested in the basement of the building a short time ago with signal success Other precautions against fire have secured the unqualified commendation of insurance companies On each floor there are compartments set aside for unpacking articles and in the crockery packing rooms and the general paneling room on the basement there are iron receptacle into which all picking material will be swept every) night for the convenience of the general manager of the line there is telephone communication from his office to every department and in the case of departments which are divided between the two blocks of buildings there are also means of communication The ground floor of the main building is used for the jewellery department and the counting house, and for the convenience of customers … their negotiations with the jewellery salesmen there are three separate compartments the doors of which may be secured in order to obtain absolute prune) The book portion of this floor has been set apart for the display of electro-plated and optical goods. On the first floor the tobacco and hardware department is situated andThe architect of the buildings is Mr Nahum Barnet and they have been constructed under contract by Mr C Langford. They were started in October last and were finished by the end of June, one month under the contract timesee also https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112597626.The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954)Friday 2 July 1897 - Page 6FIRE IN LONSDALE-STREET.About 10 o'clock last night a fire broke out on the premises of Messrs. Rosenthal, Aaronson and Co., merchants, of Lonsdale-street. The alarm was sent in promptly to the Central Fire Station, and Superintendent Stein, anticipating a big conflagration, sent out the full strength of men and appliances. Fortunately, however, these precautions were unnecessary, as the flames were extinguished by the aid of the automatic fire sprinklers on the premises, and the damage done was only trifling.DIRECTORIES OF VICTORIA, MELBOURNE-SANDS AND KENNY, SANDS & MCDOUGALL1893275 Rosenthal,Aronson and Co, generali mporters283 Lazarus,Rosenfeld& Benjamin, general importers1904275-281 McLean Bros & Rigg, ironmongers283 Vacant1910275-281 The Central Agency Ltd — Bradshaw, John, mgrFirst floor-Gonrock. Ropewk Exp Co Ltd, rope mfrsSecond floor—Cohen, L., & Co, clothing manufacturersThird floor—Harrison, P., & Co, clothing mauufrsFourth floor—Federal Cap Factory—Lewis, Warren283 Young, Wm., & Co Prop Ltd, oil & color mers.283 Lonsdale Street Melbourne.GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM identified as part of 275, 279-281 Lonsdale Street.MAHLSTEDT FIRE INSURANCE PLAN SERIESBlock 101910275-281 Clarke & Co pasted in, trustees of the late JB Watson 5 levels, masonry, steel girders, cast iron supports, Ground Floor Fire proof, Grinnell's Automatic sprinklers throughout - bridge at rear to 5 level store J Spicer & Sons… stairs iron enclosed.283 Young & Co …moved, pasted in, trustees of the late JB Watson 6 levels, masonry,.LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX:76360 Barnet, N; Rosenfeld, Lazarus & Benjamin Melbourne VIC Warehouses Sutherland, James - 32 Murchison St Carlton 1891 07 18 5089, MCC registration no 5089 [Burchett Index]. Fee 3.10.0 warehouse
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1250289
| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 105698 1 | 1 PDF : 912 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |