Ask a librarian

Lucy Lucy. Photograph by Shannyn Higgins, 2020. H2021.6/1-14

Melbourne’s murals: capturing a history of our street art scene

November 28, 2022

Ask a librarian, Victorian history:

Melbourne is famous for its cafes, laneways and of course, its street art. CBD sites like Hosier Lane and Duckboard Place boast bright murals that people from all around the world now travel to see and to take that quintessential selfie in a painted laneway. We truly own our title as the street art capital of Australia!

Modern dance individualism: the art of Sonia Revid

Modern dance individualism: the art of Sonia Revid

November 22, 2022

Arts & literature, Ask a librarian, Dance, Such was life, Victorian history:

In 1932 Latvian born Sonia Revid brought expressionist dance to Melbourne. In Berlin in 1921 Sonia had studied under Mary Wigman, but developed her own unique style. Her performances included spoken word and introduced Melbournians to modern interpretive dance. She opened a dance school and was a notable figure in the local art scene of the 1930s. Unfortunately she died in 1947 at age 45.

From the Seine to the Yarra: Art Deco in Melbourne

From the Seine to the Yarra: Art Deco in Melbourne

November 15, 2022

Ask a librarian, Buildings & streets:

Are you a lover of Art Deco architecture? Take a tour of Melbourne city and discover the Art Deco gems we have right here.

Christie's auction house. [199-]. Photo by Rennie Ellis. This work is in copyright; H2011.150/2778

Online Collection Spotlight: Australian Art Auction Records

November 11, 2022

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:

Are you curious about the value of an artwork or piece of furniture that you own? Or perhaps you are interested in what it might cost to buy a piece by Lisa Roet or Brett Whiteley? The Australian art auction record database can shed some light upon what works have sold and for how much.

Night city Skyline, John Gollings

Federation Square — a brief history

October 26, 2022

Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:

A look back, tracing some of the history of Melbourne – on and around the site of Federation Square.

Lola Montez

From Bavaria to Ballarat: wild times with Lola Montez

October 19, 2022

Ask a librarian, Victorian history:

From love affairs with kings, to political intrigue, to wild times in the Australian goldfields and cities, few have lived lives as riotous or colourful as Lola Montez.

Online Collection Spotlight: Disability in the Modern World: History of a Social Movement

Online Collection Spotlight: Disability in the Modern World: History of a Social Movement

October 9, 2022

Collection spotlights:

Are you interested in social justice or human rights? Are you keen to learn how people with disability stood up for their rights? If so, come on a journey into the online database Disability in the modern world: History of a social movement.

The family that grew up with the Melbourne Zoo

The family that grew up with the Melbourne Zoo

October 5, 2022

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Victorian history:

Learn how one family’s singular obsession with the natural world contributed to the Melbourne Zoo we know today.

From Frankston to Melbourne on foot: marathon running in Victoria

From Frankston to Melbourne on foot: marathon running in Victoria

October 2, 2022

Ask a librarian, Victorian history:

On 10 October 1909, 54 runners lined up at Frankston to compete in the first ever Victorian Marathon. Since that date marathon races have been a constant, and much loved, feature of the Victorian sporting calendar.

Message in a bottle

Message in a bottle

September 30, 2022

Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:

There is always a romance to a bottle washed up on a lonely shore, containing a message from the past and from far away. This may be a message of greeting, of despair, for science or sometimes even a hoax.