Arts & literature, Our stories:
Kay Nielsen’s delicate illustrations combined the exquisite motifs of the Art Nouveau movement with oriental influences. The elaborate, decorative artworks bring brilliant colour tinged with a hint of eeriness to the pages of children’s fairy tales.
Social life & customs, Such was life, Theatre:
Under the eye or the corner of the mouth? Does the position of your beauty spot mean you are a flirt, engaged or just cheeky? Stars, pigs and horses; from the eighteenth century onward, the beauty spot has an alluring past.
Step back in time to the old-fashioned servo, where consumer choice was de rigueur, and service was king.
Arts & literature, Such was life:
The Library has digitised some wonderful photographs taken during the filming of the 1920 Australian silent movie, ‘The breaking of the drought.’ Melodrama, song, dance, water ballet, seduction, ruin and redemption; this movie has it all. And a happy ending too.
Exhibitions, Our stories, People & professions, Uncategorized:
Cheering echoed throughout the streets of Sydney in November 1937 as some 60,000 people gathered along the last 80 kilometres of Hubert Opperman’s epic trans-continental ride. Once as famous as cricketer Don Bradman, endurance cyclist ‘Oppy’ is currently featured in the Changing face of Victoria exhibition. Discover objects from his career, loaned to us by Museums Victoria.
Arts & literature, Our stories:
Pop-up books enthral readers for many reasons: their ingenuity, their beauty, and because they challenge the two-dimensional nature of printed books. Explore the range of paper engineering mechanisms that have been used in books for more than 700 years.
Once upon a time a staff member sat in the dais in the La Trobe Reading Room, watching over any chattering public. I asked two long term SLV librarians how this used to work.
Cities & towns, Exhibitions, People & professions:
Opened in 1853 on the banks of the Yarra River, the Cremorne Gardens was Melbourne’s first amusement park. Featuring fireworks displays, tightrope dancers and Australia’s first hot air balloon ascent, the gardens brought theatre and spectacle to the newly established British colony.
People & professions, Such was life:
The rich goldfields of Victoria attracted thousands of migrants and prospectors from all corners of the globe, but they were not rich for everyone.
People & professions, Such was life:
A minister of religion and a young lady confronted by a rejected suitor and his angry mother, a court case, battles over alcohol laws, fiery preaching, love, tragedy and death. Just one small story in the pages of Trove historical newspapers.
