Archive for 2015

A little bit easier to carry.

The man who shrank the book

December 29, 2015

Our stories:

Do you like to take your books with you; to read on the train, a park, or in a plane? You have a man named Aldus Manutius to thank for that.… Read More ›

Chess in Victoria

Chess in Victoria

December 28, 2015

Social life & customs, Such was life:

The Library’s Chess Collection reflects Victorian’s long enthusiasm for the game.

A Christmas Listening List

A Christmas Listening List

December 24, 2015

Music, Rare Books & Arts:

Christmas always brings with it a wealth of seasonal music, and who could resist the Wiggles and Santa Claus?

H98.100/3885. "Sgt. G. Spedding enjoying Christmas dinner at Caulfield Military Hospital". ca. 1940-ca. 1941.

A very Argus Christmas

December 18, 2015

Such was life, War:

The Library’s Argus Collection consists of thousands of newspaper photographs, mainly related to WW1 and WW2, many of which have been digitised.

Rare 17th-century works acquired

Rare 17th-century works acquired

December 15, 2015

News:

A selection of rare 17th-century English Civil War pamphlets have been acquired for the State Library’s Emmerson collection. The 33 pamphlets were purchased using funds bequeathed by John Emmerson to support ongoing additions to his exceptional collection of early printed English books.

The Howard Arkley Archive

The Howard Arkley Archive

December 14, 2015

People & professions, Such was life:

Howard Arkley (1951-1999) is acknowledged as one of the most important artists in contemporary Australian art. His archive was acquired by the Library in 2011 and consists of hundreds of drawings, sketches, watercolours, photographs and diaries which give insights into Arkley’s planning processes, influences and reading.

An itsy bitsy teenie weenie slice of summer

An itsy bitsy teenie weenie slice of summer

December 11, 2015

Rare Books & Arts:

You don’t have to be outdoors to enjoy summer.

The little blue building

The little blue building

December 4, 2015

Buildings & streets, Such was life:

There’s a little blue building outside Flinders Street Station. ‘When was it built?’, a curious library patron asked. The question led me to some interesting research involving milk cans, viaduct vaults and bananas.

1970s photos of Fitzroy and Castlemaine now online

1970s photos of Fitzroy and Castlemaine now online

December 3, 2015

News:

Thanks to the many generous supporters of our 2014 public appeal, we have recently made hundreds of never-before-seen historic photographs of Fitzroy and Castlemaine available online.

It can feel a little submarine like down here. Photograph: Teagan Glenane

Life behind the stacks

November 30, 2015

Our stories:

11 kilometres of books, papers and ephemera are hidden beneath the streets of Melbourne. Anyone can access them, but they’ll need a State Library card.