The Chief Librarian and the soap thieves
Our stories, People & professions:
In 1887, someone was stealing the State Library soap- or was it ‘someones’?
Our stories
From celebrity to the streets, the power of photojournalism
Our stories, People & professions:
Over the course of his 50-year career, news photographer Bruce Postle captured images of the rich, the famous and the powerful. But on many occasions, his work also involved the most humble and vulnerable people in the community.
‘Dear Walt’: Whitman in Victoria
Victorian school teacher Bernard O’Dowd entered a brief but remarkably intense and intimate correspondence with American poet and iconoclast Walt Whitman.
A hidden treasure, no more: Conservation treatment of ‘View of the north shore’
Collection Care, Conservation, Our stories:
Conservation treatment has returned strength and aesthetic unity to this vibrant watercolour, allowing this important artwork to be appreciated by the public once more.
Walking the blue lake
Buildings & streets, Cities & towns, Our stories:
Dr David Sornig ponders the history of West Melbourne’s lost wetlands, and takes us on a collective journey around the area.
Evolution of a fiery redhead
One of the most enduring figures in Australian popular culture is ‘Miss Redhead’, who first appeared on the Bryant and May Redheads matchbox label in 1947.
Hang ten with Rennie Ellis
Rennie Ellis combined his two true loves of surfing and photography when he captured the thrills of the annual Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach. A dozen of Ellis’s surf photographs are featured in The changing face of Victoria exhibition, ranging from 1970 to the mid-’80s.
Medieval lives: Working women in English society, 1300–1500
Our stories, People & professions:
Until the late 20th century, the important role played by medieval women in the peasant household was largely ignored by historians.
Women changing the world, part three: Physical autonomy
Arts & literature, Our stories, Politics, Social life & customs:
In the third and final part of our exploration of works by women that have changed our world, we focus on women’s reproductive rights.
Women changing the world, part two: political equality
Arts & literature, Our stories, Politics, Social life & customs:
Campaigns to secure the right to vote for women helped progress women’s political equality. Discover the ground-breaking women leading the charge through the rare books in this ‘World of the book’ display.
