Armistice Day captured in WWI diary
With the announcement of the World War I armistice on 11 November 1918, many soldiers felt both joy and disbelief. Stretcher-bearer Percy Samson captured it in his diary.
Our stories
The three musketeers of the Golden Age of children’s book illustration
The Robinson brothers, Thomas, Charles and William Heath delighted in referring to themselves as the three musketeers. They spent much of their early adult life in their father’s studio and later shared studios with one another, all three establishing themselves as book illustrators.
2018 Victorian Community History Award winners announced
A book about the history of mental health during the gold rush in Victoria has been awarded top prize at the 2018 Victorian Community History Awards.
Travel guides for the discerning traveller
When you step outside your comfort zone to explore the world, suddenly a little book is the only safety blanket you’ve got. Whether the iconic red bindings of a Murray or Baedeker, or a dogeared Lonely Planet, travel guides have been clutched in the hands of discerning travellers the world over. Discover their varied forms in our collection.
Banned books
Arts & literature, Our stories:
Throughout history, when those in power have felt threatened by the ‘dangerous’ ideas contained in the pages of books, the offending books have been banned, stripped from shelves, and even burned. But censorship isn’t just a thing of the past. Take a look at prohibited and censored books, old and new.
Illustrated children’s books: Kay Nielsen (1886-1957)
Arts & literature, Our stories:
Kay Nielsen’s delicate illustrations combined the exquisite motifs of the Art Nouveau movement with oriental influences. The elaborate, decorative artworks bring brilliant colour tinged with a hint of eeriness to the pages of children’s fairy tales.
Australia’s golden age of cycling
Exhibitions, Our stories, People & professions:
Cheering echoed throughout the streets of Sydney in November 1937 as some 60,000 people gathered along the last 80 kilometres of Hubert Opperman’s epic trans-continental ride. Once as famous as cricketer Don Bradman, endurance cyclist ‘Oppy’ is currently featured in the Changing face of Victoria exhibition. Discover objects from his career, loaned to us by Museums Victoria.
Empress Josephine and the last emu
In France, in 1822, the last surviving Australian dwarf emus died. The emus had made the unlikely journey from their their homes on Kangaroo and King Islands to the splendid gardens of Empress Josephine Bonaparte’s Malmaison.
Books celebrating NAIDOC Week 2018
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island women empower past generations and pave the way for future generations of Indigenous Australians. This selection of recent books by Indigenous Australian women reflects the literary achievements of Indigenous women and their gift of empowerment to children.
Early history of movable and pop-up books
Arts & literature, Our stories:
Pop-up books enthral readers for many reasons: their ingenuity, their beauty, and because they challenge the two-dimensional nature of printed books. Explore the range of paper engineering mechanisms that have been used in books for more than 700 years.
