Ask a librarian, Victorian history:
Since our opening we have looked at ways to connect with people who cannot come to our building. This includes a Travelling Library, a Country Member Postal Service and a Lending Library
The State Library Victoria’s ebook collection continues to grow at a rapid place. We now provide free access to over 200,000 ebooks on such topics as social sciences, family history,… Read More ›
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:
Interested in the early history of cinema? Curious about what daily life was like over 100 years ago? Would you like see the moon playing a banjo? Explore a collection of early cinematic wonders from the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras.
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:
Embark on a journey through remarkable voyages with the State Library’s collection of print and electronic resources detailing first-hand accounts of historic exploration.
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:
What did US President Kennedy enjoy for breakfast? How do I stop a nosebleed? What are some antidotes for poisoning? Find the answers using the database, Food History: Printed and Manuscript Recipe Books, a collection of books on cookery and domestic management.
Photography, Social life & customs, Such was life:
The Etkins collection consists of wonderful portraits of people and places throughout 19th century Victoria.
Explore the wonderful summery artworks of Aileen Brown, and see how her intricate linocut prints are made.
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:
Famous Victorian photographer George Rose (1851-1942) travelled to Korea and Japan in 1904, capturing rare scenes of everyday life in both countries. Dynamic and varied, his images bring alive scenes of people at the market, labourers at work, children, Japanese women in kimonos enjoying social activities, not to mention temples, local architecture and rural scenery. Join us for a fascinating glimpse into these lost worlds.
Collection spotlights, Social life & customs, Uncategorized:
Explore this collection of newly digitised gardening and horticulture periodicals of the early 20th century.
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.
The eleventh hour, the eleventh day, the eleventh month. Every year at this exact time we remember those who gave us the greatest gift: freedom. On November 11, 2024 the Shrine of Remembrance will commemorate it’s 90th anniversary.
In ‘Broken Glass (part 1)’, we looked at how the Library captures glass plate negatives, and explored some interestingly damaged photographs from the Library’s collection. In this – part 2 – we look at how the Library houses the negatives and show some more examples of unexpected beauty.
