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Design for the prototype of the Angove 'handy gallon pack' wine cask

Morro, Wytt, 1922-2012c. 1968

State Library of South Australia

State Library of South Australia
Adelaide, Australia

Wytt Morro was probably Australia's most important graphic designer of wine labels. His labels for Stonyfell Metala and Orlando Barossa Pearl in the 1950s started a golden age of wine label design in Australia. He is best known for a dazzling series of labels for Wolf Blass starting in the 1970s.

Angove's created the wine cask in 1965. Early cask design required the inner plastic sleeve to be cut, and after use to be folded over and secured with a rubber band or paper clip.

The Library is fortunate to hold Wytt Morro's extensive personal papers as one of its wine related Business Record Groups.

In a letter to the State Library dated 21 May 2007, Wytt Morro gave some background on the invention of the wine cask. Some extracts are:

THE BAG: Naturally the actual container of the wine was a plastic bag, for strength it was decided to have a doubled bag, a 'douplex' that I recall being purchased from Charles Steel a Victorian company, they being the most advanced plastic fabricators in Australia at that time.

THE SIZE OF THE BAG: Many trials of sizes and proportions were tried to contain one gallon of wine i.e. (six bottles) plus the proportional dimensions of the box to make it convenient to handle and fit into a refrigerator!

CARRYING THE BOX; I vaguely recall we had a black plastic handle made that fitted into two slots in the top of the box.

THE MANNER OF ITS FUNCTIONING; By opening a perforated opening aperture on the side near the bottom of the box extracting a section of the bag and then cutting above the seal to pour the wine. To CLOSE, fold the 'spoult' double and sliding on a paper-clip.

THE GRAPHIC DESIGN ON THE BOX: A simple BOLD illustration of facts. A. Here was a container of 6 bottles of wine! B. The manner of opening and closing...for future use. With NO attempt at aesthetic appeal, as later we did in time for Gramps, Hardy's, Kaiser Stuhl, and an advanced idea we did for Seppelts whereby elevating the box from within the sleeve meant that the person could pour the wine straight in their glass on the table. Not over the edge of the table as is the method today!

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