Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Victorian history:
The Pictures collection at State Library Victoria contains many gems such as a posters collection of over 6,000 items, including 237 posters from Melbourne’s legendary Pram Factory.
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!
Victorians of yesteryear loved their picnics: despite heavy clothing, horse-drawn transport and no refrigeration, they made treks to the bush to enjoy food and recreation. Enjoy these picnic images from our pictures collections.
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:
Australian Newspapers Collection (1831-2000) database has images of each page of the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald from when they were first published right up to the end of 2000.
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Victorian history:
Sometimes called ‘bird’s eye view’ maps, isometric maps depict a view ‘from above’. This plan, produced in 1866, shows a remarkable point-in-time layout of Melbourne streets, the Yarra, Port Phillip Bay, and parts of Collingwood and East Melbourne. A closer examination reveals some of the fledging city’s most important social, economic and civic locations and buildings, as well as parks and reserves, including many which remain today.
Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:
For more than half a century, Vance and Nettie Palmer stood as beacons in the Australian literary landscape. In 1985, on the centenary of their births, the Victorian government established the annual Premier’s Literary Awards in their honour. Of particular note to us at the State Library is that it was here that Vance and Nettie first met.
Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:
In the mid 1950s, the American craze of drive-in theatres took off in Australia. A night out for the whole family without leaving the car, dressed any old how, chatting, eating, and watching a movie. What’s not to like? By the early 1980s 20 acres of prime land, given over to a drive-in only operating at night, seemed an extravagance. Several drive-ins still survive though, attracting crowds eager for the unique ‘drive-in’ experience.
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Social life & customs, Victorian history:
Let’s take a look at a selection of advertising posters used by the Victorian Railways in the 1930s and 1940s
Ask a librarian, Social life & customs, Such was life, Victorian history:
There are few sounds as synonymous with the beginning of summer as the strains of a Mr Whippy van floating on the breeze. But who was Mr Whippy really, and how did he get his start in Australia?
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:
Fascinated by literature? Want to find out more about Australia and explore the rich and diverse literature of Oceania? Then dive into Australasian literature online!
