In 1863 Charles Troedel set up his own lithographic printing firm in a small shop in Collins Street, Melbourne, with a press he had brought with him from Europe three years earlier. After enjoying great initial success with the Melbourne Album, a book of lithographic views of the city he had produced with François Cogné and Robert Wendel, in 1865-1866 Troedel produced a series of chromolithograph 'Pictures' by Nicholas Chevalier which was similarly popular. According to Peter Cudmore in the Dictionary of Australian Artists... to 1870:
During this competitive period of litho-printing and engraving Troedel always appreciated the value of employing first-class artists and lithographers, and the commercial art employment he offered played a significant role in assisting the careers of many artists of later note... (811).
Arthur Streeton was an apprentice of Troedel, and other employees and/or collaborators included J. B. Philp, Edward Gilks (c.1822-?), Eugen von Guérard, Robert Russell, H. J. Johnstone (1835-1907), Hans Praetorious, Blamire Young, Percy Leason, Charles Nuttall, Charles Wheeler (1880-1977) and Lionel Lindsay.
Troedel opened a branch of his firm in Sydney under the supervision of Walter Akhurst in 1877, lasting until about 1881 when Akhurst left to start his own business. In the early 1890s Troedel again began a printing firm in Sydney, this time in partnership with former employee Edward Cooper. This partnership was short-lived and Cooper returned to the main business in Melbourne. Cooper was manager of Troedel's factory in Flinders Lane when it was destroyed by fire in 1904. Charles Troedel died two years later and his son Walter went into partnership with Cooper from 1910.
Though he made his name with the production of art prints, Charles Troedel & Co. specialised in commercial lithography: including packaging and labels for food products, tobacco and beverages, bank forms, share certificates, posters and sheet music. The firm did also produce books, and printed the newspaper The Clarion.
