Guide to the Papers of John Kendrick Blogg

Series 1. Chemical notebooks, 1869-87

Blogg's career as a chemist began in 1869 as a junior partner in his uncle's Toronto pharmacy. In Melbourne in 1884 he established a successful manufacturing enterprise, initially known as J.K. Blogg and Company, which prospered and became well known for its products such as 'Ontario' laundry blue, 'Argus' worcestershire sauce, 'Sunshine' shoe blacking and 'Snow White' baking powder. The firm, which operated under a succession of names, also pioneered the extraction of perfume from Australian native trees and plants, and exported large amounts of wattle blossom and boronia extracts to London. Trading as Blogg Bros., the company held the appointment of official perfumer to the Governor of Victoria, Lord Brassey, between 1895 and 1900.

This series comprises two notebooks kept by Blogg in his work as a manufacturing chemist, containing handwritten entries and pasted extracts from newspapers. The first, begun in Toronto in 1869, records methods for experiments and gives recipes for a range of chemical products such as boot and furniture polish, perfumes, parchment and cleaning fluids. The second volume opens in 1887, and lists ingredients and processes for the manufacture of soaps, inks, sauces, glues and other commercial lines.

Other papers relating to the operations of Blogg's chemical companies are filed in Series 2.

Series 2. Correspondence and papers, 1880-1936

Letters and other papers documenting Blogg's various endeavours as a chemist, woodcarver and poet, which were formerly kept by family members in presentation binders, together make up this series. Featuring amongst the items are letters Blogg exchanged with prominent individuals such as the statistician Sir George Knibbs, the poet Archibald Strong, prime minister Alfred Deakin, the businessman and art collector Sir Russell Grimwade and the writer Nettie Palmer. Blogg also wrote to George Meredith and Rudyard Kipling admiring their writings, and their replies, dated 1909 and 1914, are filed in Folder 3.

Amongst other varied documents filed in Folder 1 are instructions for the manufacture of soap, patent documentation for the polymerisation of vegetable oils, and agreements and registration documents relating to the firms Rocke Tompsitt and Company, J.K. Blogg & Co. and Blogg Bros. Folder 2 contains scientific papers written by Blogg on the distillation of Australian essential oils, together with copies of his baptism certificate, and letters of introduction brought with him to Australia in 1877.

Folder 3 includes long letters written by Blogg to his wife whilst overseas in 1918, and three entries in the Victorian Centenary Poetry Competition, in which he was an unsuccessful entrant in 1934.

Blogg's scientific notebooks are filed in Series 1; other letters from Knibbs and Palmer can be found in Series 6.

Series 3. Woodcarving, c. 1903-90

According to family tradition, Blogg took up woodcarving as a hobby following the death of his first wife Annie in 1893. His immersion in the craft has also been attributed to an increasing deafness, although it is known that he had always decorated cabinet work and made items of furniture. The works were carved from solid pieces of wood using only hand tools, without joins or superimposition of timbers. In later years Blogg moved away from the decorated panels featured in his early work, to representations of native gums and wattles which were notable for their lightness of effect.

This series is chiefly comprised of photographs of Blogg's carvings, but also includes some design sketches of panels and details, and articles written about his work in wood. The photos include examples of his many commissions, such as the carved panel presented to the Governor of Victoria, Lord Carmichael (1859-1926) and decorated box given to the King Albert of Belgium (1909-1934), as well as the pulpits and hymn boards which decorate a number of Victorian churches.

Other papers and photographs relating to Blogg's carvings are filed in Series 2 and 6.

Series 4. Verse and hymns, 1916-36

Throughout his life Blogg wrote poetry and hymns, but immersed himself more fully in writing as his deafness became more pronounced. As well as exploring the themes of love, war and religion, many of the verses celebrate his passions for roses and the game of bowls. These regularly featured in the Australian rose annual and the journals Bowls and Bowling life, and Blogg also submitted poems to the Bulletin under the pseudonym 'Ralph the Rover'. An anthology of Blogg's poetry was published as Selected poems by the Melbourne chapter of the Disabled Men's Association in 1927 to assist in fundraising.

Included in this series is a leather covered note pad of draft verse (dated 1916-26), together with many single sheet manuscripts of poetry. Other papers and correspondence relating to poetry and hymns written by Blogg are filed in Series 2.

Series 5. Biographical and family papers, 1876-87

This series comprises family history papers and memorabilia relating to Blogg, his children and his second wife Margaret. Also included are two miniature paintings of scenes linked to the Davids family, Blogg's maternal grandparents. A number of items document the history of St Stephen's Presbyterian Church, Surrey Hills, of which Blogg was an active member for many years.

A copy of Blogg's baptism certificate is filed in Series 2/Folder 2.

Series 6. Papers relating to Legacy in sculptured wood by Marjorie Morgan, 1884-1992

In 1993 , Box Hill City Historical Society Archivist, Marjorie Morgan published a study of Blogg under the title Legacy in sculptured wood : an appreciation of the work of John Kendrick Blogg, 1981-1936. She had been an admirer of Blogg's ornate carvings for many years, and set about researching and documenting his varied career as a permanent tribute to his achievements.

This series comprises one folder of notes, correspondence, photographs and family papers borrowed by Morgan from Hugh Stevenson for purposes of her research. Amongst the materials are letters from Sir George Knibbs (1938) and Nettie Palmer (1929?), a photograph of Blogg & Grist premises (c. 1884), and a copy of Leaside (a poem about Blogg's childhood home which was destroyed by fire in 1914). As well as using this specific grouping of papers, Morgan also drew widely from items in other series in the compilation of the book.

Series 7. Newspaper cuttings, 1894-1943

A cuttings album kept by Blogg containing clippings from papers including the Dandenong advertiser, Stock and station journal, The Age, Mount Alexander mail, The Argus, The illustrated London news, The Hamilton spectator and Table talk. A number of the items record Blogg family events such as weddings. The album continued to be added to by Blogg's second wife, Margaret, after his death in 1936.