State Library Victoria – Collection Care

Melodrama in Miniature – the conservation treatment of model set pieces from the 1902 play ‘The Breaking of the Drought’

February 7, 2024

Theatre in early Melbourne was a vital part of community. Audiences were dazzled by the ambitious set designs of John Brunton, brought to the stage by Bland Holt’s immensely popular theatre company. Some model set pieces for plays such as The Breaking of the Drought have survived this whirlwind, finishing their journey within State Library Victoria’s walls. Careful conservation will allow this legacy to endure for many years to come.

Rosella Preserving Company

November 29, 2023

Collection Care, Conservation, Preservation:

Some companies preserve and conserve food stuffs, but here in Collection Care, we preserve and conserve Victoria’s cultural heritage. Which, fittingly enough, now includes archival material from the Rosella Preserving Company, an iconic Australian business celebrated for its sauces, pickles, canned fruits, jams, soups and vegetables. ‘Rosella’ is a name familiar to many households with the colourful parrot logo adorning its products, including the pantry staple tomato sauce.

Careful work for Howard Arkley’s ‘Casual Works’

November 1, 2023

Collection Care, Conservation:

State Library Victoria recently acquired 27 works on paper from Howard Arkley’s 1988 exhibition, Casual Works: Working Drawings, Source Material, Doodles, 1974-1987. This material forms part of a larger collection… Read More ›

Knitting, coding, and the stars: caring for a time-based media artwork in a library collection – Part 2

October 9, 2023

Collection Care, Conservation, Preventive conservation:

Through a two-part blog, gain a behind-the-scenes insight into ‘Stargazing’, a contemporary multimedia artwork that was the centrepiece of the Library’s Handmade Universe exhibition. Learn about the process of preparing it for display, a preventive conservation treatment undertaken once the artwork was deinstalled, and considerations for its care and future access.

Conservators prepare rare treasures for new digital exhibition

September 26, 2023

Collection Care, Conservation, Rare Books & Arts:

Come behind-the-scenes and learn how our conservators prepared a range of rare treasures for the new online exhibition, Beyond the Book: A digital journey through the John Emmerson Collection.

Knitting, coding, and the stars: caring for a time-based media artwork in a library collection – Part 1

August 4, 2023

Collection Care, Conservation, Exhibitions:

Preserving the Saunders Family Archive

June 27, 2023

Collection Care, Preservation, Preventive conservation:

The Saunders Family Archive offers an enticing glimpse into the ordinary lives of a working-class family in Melbourne from the early 20th century. Alongside papers and photographs sits an array of objects and textiles that were saved and reused many times over as was befitting of the times. In this blog, the Preservation team shares insights into the work involved in rehousing this extraordinary collection.

Baron Ferdinand von Mueller’s Educational Collections of Australian Plants

May 26, 2023

Collection Care, Preservation, Preventive conservation:

Baron Ferdinand von Mueller served as Government Botanist and Director of the Botanical Gardens in the mid-1800s. He compiled and published ‘The Educational Collections of Australian Plants’ (1873-1876), motivated by a desire to bring botany to the masses. The Library’s edition was recently rehoused by our Preservation team.

A-Z of Collection Care: Part 2

April 28, 2023

Collection Care, Conservation, Preservation, Tips and tricks:

Looking for some more insights into the day-to-day activities of the Library’s Collection Care team?

Part 2 of the A-Z of Collection Care series takes us from marvellous maps to pesky pests and beyond.

Reconstructing Brockhoff’s Crispette billboard – Part 2: Conservation treatment

March 28, 2023