State Library Victoria Preservation

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.

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.

A-Z of Collection Care

February 24, 2023

Collection, Collection Care, Conservation, Digitisation, Preservation, Preventive conservation, Registration and loans, Tips and tricks:

Curious about the effects of light or the stories behind old repairs? Ever wondered why old books yellow over time? Keen for a peek behind the scenes of Library exhibitions? Read on!

Bushfires: protecting your treasures

December 22, 2020

Collection Care, Conservation, Preservation:

It’s bushfire season again. How can you reduce the risk of loss of treasured objects before a disaster and what sort of salvage strategies can you use to recover them? If you live in an area where bushfire is an all too real possibility, it’s never too soon to start planning for their preservation.

Adam Lindsay Gordon and the Adam & Eve Hotel

August 7, 2020

Collection Care, Preservation, Such was life:

A photograph of an old cottage inspires an investigation into the connections between Australian author Adam Lindsay Gordon, John Kinmont Moir and the mysterious Adam & Eve Hotel.

Cigarette cards: preservation of a small, but unique collection

July 10, 2020

Collection Care, Our stories, Preservation, Social life & customs:

Collectible cards as we know them today have a very long tradition, dating back to the mid-late nineteenth century with the production of cigarette cards. A small, but unique collection of these wonderful items were recently rehoused by our Preservation team.

Ledger recording details and placement of seed varieties sewn in the gardens at Sunnybrae, 1984-2005 (YMS 16267, Box 62)

The archive of a pioneer ‘slow’ food restaurant

May 29, 2020

Collection Care, People & professions, Preservation, Social life & customs, Such was life:

Coinciding with the reopening of many of Victoria’s restaurants after lockdown, we celebrate the story of Sunnybrae, a much-loved regional restaurant ‘in the middle of a paddock’, and the early innovations in food provenance and seasonal, sustainable produce that it became known for.

Collection Care from home

May 26, 2020

Collection Care, Conservation, Our stories, Preservation, Preventive conservation:

The majority of the work undertaken by Collection Care staff requires physical access to the collections. The recent Library closure as a result of COVID-19 has meant staff are unable to access studios and labs for the time being, prompting a re-imagining of how they normally approach their roles.

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