Broken glass 2: eclectic boogaloo. More imperfect gems from the Pictures Collection

Broken glass 2: eclectic boogaloo. More imperfect gems from the Pictures Collection

November 21, 2024

Ask a librarian, Photography, Preservation:

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.

Online Collection Spotlight: Naxos Spoken Word Library

Online Collection Spotlight: Naxos Spoken Word Library

November 15, 2024

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories:

Love a good story but feeling overwhelmed by that heavy book, classic literary prose, or confounding nature of James Joyce’s wit? Want to explore new and classic literature, biographies, histories, and philosophies but struggling to find the time? Then listen up and be inspired by the range of audio books available through Naxos Spoken Word Library!

Greater love hath no man. 90 years of the Shrine

Greater love hath no man. 90 years of the Shrine

November 10, 2024

Ask a librarian, Buildings & streets, Victorian history:

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.

Broken glass: accidental beauty in the Library’s photographic collection

Broken glass: accidental beauty in the Library’s photographic collection

November 7, 2024

Ask a librarian, Photography:

We are always looking for that perfect image of the past. While often seen as a detriment, broken glass and chemical emulsion damage on early photographic glass plate negatives can have their own particular beauty. Explore a selection of interestingly damaged photographs from the Library’s collection.

The clairvoyant and the magician: Mystic Mora and Doc Rowe

The clairvoyant and the magician: Mystic Mora and Doc Rowe

October 31, 2024

Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:

A clairvoyant and a magician – a magical pairing you might say. For the celebrated entertainment duo Mystic Mora and Doc Rowe, it was a union that brought extraordinary success and fame, and a life full of exotic travels and uncommon adventures.

Discovering Sylvia Plath’s novel: The Bell Jar

Discovering Sylvia Plath’s novel: The Bell Jar

October 27, 2024

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Rare Books & Arts:

In honour of Sylvia Plath’s 92nd birthday, we explore the resources available at the Library for exploring the themes and context of Plath’s only published novel: The Bell Jar

Local History Grants Program is now open

Local History Grants Program is now open

October 23, 2024

Grants, News:

The Local History Grants Program are now open. Up to $15,000 can be awarded to projects that preserve, record or publish Victorian local history.

Melbourne’s Marvellous Madame Weigel

Melbourne’s Marvellous Madame Weigel

October 21, 2024

Collections, People & professions, Such was life, Victorian history:

Madame Weigel’s Journal of Fashion became a staple of Australian life for those interested in being well dressed, well presented, and well informed. This treasure trove has recently been digitised and made available online.

Online Collection Spotlight: Political Extremism and Radicalism

Online Collection Spotlight: Political Extremism and Radicalism

October 18, 2024

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories:

Discover the philosophies and tactics of extremist groups in the 20th century with the Political Extremism and Radicalism database.

Mary Fortune: pioneer of Australian detective stories

Mary Fortune: pioneer of Australian detective stories

October 15, 2024

Arts & literature, Ask a librarian, Victorian history:

Mary Fortune was the author of the longest running 19th-century crime fiction series published in a periodical and one of the earliest female crime writers in the world.

Such was life

On the case: Detective Piggott and the development of forensics

On the case: Detective Piggott and the development of forensics

November 3, 2025 1 comment

The early 1900s was an exciting time to be a detective. Innovations in science and technology, combined with the popularity of detective stories shifted crime fighting away from the seedy world of informers, which had influenced the early years of policing, towards the detection of crime using scientific methods and forensic evidence. Find out about how one Victorian detective contributed to the development of police forensics.

Arts

Online Collection Spotlight: Fairchild Books Library

Online Collection Spotlight: Fairchild Books Library

October 14, 2025 0 comments

Fashion! Fascinating, addictive, rejected, embraced. Take a closer look at all the layers that make up this phenomenon in the Fairchild Books Library database.