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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Our stories, Victorian history:
The AFL is huge business these days, but in 1908 the ninth club to join the competition was a team of students from Melbourne University. The amateur students couldn’t match the growing professionalism of the other clubs, but they did produce stars such as Roy Park.
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:
This Online Collection Spotlight features the OECD iLibrary. The iLibrary includes a vast collection of high level research into all aspects of policy areas that effect our daily lives and our future.
Ask a librarian, Victorian history:
Shipboard journals provide a fascinating insight into the migrant experience, and if we’re lucky they continue once the passenger stepped off the ship onto dry land. When John Askew arrived in Melbourne in 1852, he encountered a bustling city full of gold-diggers and the upwardly mobile. His impressions are both insightful and amusing.
Overview of large map collections that can be found in State Library databases. More than 2000 maps are like hidden treasure, buried in our online collections.
What are your favourite festive food memories? Have you ever enjoyed Christmas Day lunch on the beach, up a mountain or aboard a ship? Do you remember pineapple glazed ham? Would you like the 100-year-old recipe for walnut stuffing? The State Library’s historic menus, cookbooks, photos and magazines trace Christmas foods from early colonial tables to the festive flavours celebrated by our diverse migrant communities. Dive in and rediscover your favourite Christmas dishes — or find inspiration for this year’s feast.
John Hinds, an artist, photographer and active ROAR member from 1986 to 1992 spent time capturing artists he personally knew and the spaces that they used to create their works. His photographs captured a unique and often unseen time and place, creating an invaluable insight into the art scene in Melbourne.
