Behind the curtain: the lives of Dolia and Rosa Ribush
Ask a librarian, Performing Arts, Theatre:
Dolia and Rosa Ribush arrived in Melbourne from Riga, Latvia in 1928. They played a pivotal role in the theatrical and cultural life of Australia.
Postcards from the beach
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Victorian history:
It wouldn’t be a summer holiday without a hastily sent postcard that arrives home a few days after you do. Explore some of Victoria’s favourite beach towns through images from our extensive postcard collection.
The Ryerson Index: a family history discovery tool
Family matters, Research tips & tricks, Websites:
The Ryerson Index can be a wonderful help to family history researchers. It’s a research tool for finding information about deceased family members and friends: a free online index of historic and current Australian newspaper death and funeral notices.
40+ years of the Tote
Ask a librarian, Music, Our stories, Popular music, rock, Victorian history:
Music, protests and sticky carpet; as the Tote Hotel celebrates 40 years of live music, we look back on the long history of this iconic Melbourne pub.
Christmas and holiday traditions we love
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Victorian history:
Take a festive jaunt through our image archive as we explore some of our most beloved Christmas and holiday traditions.
Luna Park: 110 years of fun
Ask a librarian, Victorian history:
You can’t visit Melbourne and not at least have a selfie with the iconic entrance of Luna Park, a favourite spot for fun-seekers of any age.
Online Collection Spotlight: Berg Fashion Library
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:
Want to know what Monks in 1100 thought of men that wore pointed shoes? The history of headscarves and their persecution in Western fashion? Head to toe! The history of hats, hemlines, and heel heights are available at your fingertips through Berg Fashion Library.
Your local milk bar
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Victorian history:
Take a walk down memory lane as we explore a newly digitised collection of photographs of milkbars from the 70s and 80s taken by Melbourne photographer, Christopher van der Craats.
Melbourne’s murals: capturing a history of our street art scene
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
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.
Such was life
A passion for adventure: Agatha Christie in Victoria
In 1922 Agatha Christie accompanied her husband on an around the world tour to promote the British Empire Exhibition in 1924. On her travels, she spent 10 days in Victoria- find out what she thought…
Arts
Victoria’s State Artist: Harold Freedman
Cavalacde of Transport, The Story of Fire and The history of Australian thoroughbred racing are some of Melbourne’s largest and most seen artworks. These were from the hands of Harold Freedman, locally born and bred, whose exploration of monumental art came later in his life.
