b'5When our father died, in 1956, our mother decided toshe belonged, at least in spirit, to the same generation. She carry on the business with a focus on prints, paintingshad an interest in international events and the printmakers and Chinese porcelain, which, as she explained, seemedshe supported were experimenting with new subjects: manageable. She was greatly helped in this by severalsporting scenes, women at work, a jokey attitude to home collectors who generously traded pieces through the Printand garden work. On the subject of historical prints, our Room and from whom she learned a great deal. Severalmother had said The Australian market is a wayward other timely events helped her in those early days ofbusiness with highs and lows, especially lowsand I felt business in her own right. A great friend, Harry Tatlockthe need to encourage young printmakers to exhibit, which Miller, had gone to London and was working with thewe did, with varying success. Redfern Gallery and, with his assistance, mother arrangedWhen 105 finally came to demolition, The Print Room to have several exhibitions of French prints and posters,moved to the second floor, 15 Collins Street. The premises quite a radical departure in the otherwise artistically staidincluded a large balcony overlooking Collins Street, which post-war environment of Melbourne. was great for exhibition openings. However, as our mother said, Against all this my realIt would be true to say that by this time at least half the interest was in Australianathe prints from the earlybusiness of the Print Room was in Asian art, including Voyages and early topographical prints. There was a realChinese porcelain, Japanese lacquer and Japanese interest in historical prints in the sixties, seventies andwoodblock prints as well as South-East Asian textiles. eighties. There was a period of pride and confidence inMother was one of the first Australian gallerists to visit our history. There was a distinctly humanist element inChina, beginning on the early 1970s. She made an annual the collectors of those days. They were deeply interestedpilgrimage to London and made frequent trips to Japan, in the aboriginal inhabitants, the early voyages andCambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia, always acquiring new contemporary science, especially the botanical anditems for the gallery. She rarely stood still.zoological depictions of Australia by the early artists.The Print Room stayed at Number 81 until 1979, whenMost recently, and with our mother having reached her Conzinc Riotinto came to the rescue and gave our parentshundredth birthday (and still working!) we moved the the front first floor of 105 Collins Street. The building wasbusiness to 310 Rathdowne Street, Carlton and it is from to be demolished at some stage so The Print Roomthat lovely old building that we are finally saying goodbye and other congenial tenants were able to make use ofas a gallery. a wonderful space which also came with free parking.Can one still make a living in a print gallery? To quote from And the rent was VERY reasonable! It was around thisthe title of a recent book on Margaret Preston, The Art of time that our mother started to exhibit a group of womenConstant Rearrangement, you need to be eclectic, flexible, printmakers. Her sympathy with them seems natural to us:willing to explore new avenues and carry other work.To give mother the final words:It is probably true that we would not have survived if we had dealt only in prints. Every now and then an important painting, or a fine piece of Chinese porcelain would make a difference. Tom Roberts Coming South, and Russell Drysdales Maria are two such works that saved the day.We thank all our clients and friends, past and present, for your support, encouragement and friendship and, on our parents behalf, we wish you many years of health and happiness enjoying the works of beauty and creativity with which you live and work.Philippa Kelly, Patricia Williams and Joanna Lulofs'