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June 2003
Background
This report offers a review of recent major acquisitions of
significance and trends in collection development activity in the National
Library. It does not describe the large volume of acquisitions of both
Australian and overseas materials that are routinely acquired through deposit,
purchase or donation to build the collections. During the financial year
2002-2003 it is estimated that the Library will acquire over 300,000 collection
items in a large range of formats.
Australian Printed Materials
The National Library continues to acquire many printed works
associated with the European discovery and exploration of Australia.
- Kippis, Andrew. Leben des Capitain James Cook:
aus dem Englischen. Hamburg, Hoffmann, 1789. 2 volumes. Beddie
35. Very rare German first edition one of the first biographies of
Cook. The Library also holds this item in microfiche.
- Cook, James Viaggi intorno al mondo fatti dal
capitano Giacomo Cook. Venezia, Presso Antonio Zatta e Figli, 1794-1795. 4
v. An unusual Italian edition of Cooks collected voyages
- La Perouse, Jean-François de Galaup. Resa
omkring jorden af Herr de la Perouse aren 1785 och foljande: sammandrag:
Stockholm, Johan Pfeifer, 1799. Ferguson 290. First Swedish translation
of La Perouse.
- White, John. Journal of a voyage to New South
Wales. Melbourne, Edition Renard, 2002. This deluxe edition of the
1790 work comprises copies 11-50 and includes in addition to the 65 coloured
plates, a complete set of 65 uncoloured plates taken from a copy of the
uncoloured original issue. These uncoloured plates have never before been
reprinted in this form. The Library has copy no. 13.
A number of books related to Australia and not previously held in the
Librarys collections have been received. These include nineteenth
and twentieth century imprints.
- Travies, Edouard. Buffon en estampes: planches
et illustrations. Paris, Ledot Aine, ca. 1860. 2 volumes. This work
depicts both accurately (4 plates) and inaccurately (1 plate) Australian and
Papua New Guinea fauna. The unusual and incorrect depiction is that of
the koala concerning its anatomy, wombat like walk and back clinging
infant. The work, eligible for Ferguson, but not listed, is regarded as
one of the rarities of nineteenth century natural history illustration with
only two known holdings in the world.
- La terre illustrée, or Tableau
pittoresque do globe sous le rapport physique, botanique et ethnographique:
atlas de 13 planches impremées sue carton et coloriées.
Bruxelles, Kiessling et Compagnie: Paris, Librairie Louis Janet, ca.
1875. A geographical atlas for children consisting of a series of plates
with commentary. Australian references include five maps and a plate of
the human races including Races Australiennes. The Library does not
hold many childrens materials of this nature for the second half of the
nineteenth century. There are no known holdings in Australia
- Scheuermann, Jakob Emmanuel. Zonen-Gemalde,
oder, Darstellung der jedem Himmelsstriche eigenthumlichen organischen
Naturgeschopfe. Winterthur, Switzerland. Caspar Studer, 1842. A set of 10
plates showing climactic zones for the use in schools lithographed by J.E.
Scheuermann. The schematic representations show various landscapes and
their inhabitants with typical flora and fauna. 3 of the plates have many
Australian images. This acquisition further complements the
childrens encyclopaedic work of Bertuchs Bilderbuch fur
Kinder and the poster Uit de Australische dierenwereld (Holland,
1900)
- Maund, B. The botanist; containing accurately
coloured figures of tender and hardy ornamental plants, with descriptions,
scientific and popular, intended to convey both moral and intellectual
gratification. London, Groombridge, [1837-1842] 5 v. in 2. A popular
work presented in well set out sections including geographical notes, the
plants introduction, cultivation and current growing places.
Contains historical information concerning the explorers, expeditions,
individuals, major botanical publications, English nurseries, botanical gardens
associated with the plants, allowing scholars to trace the movement of
Australian flora into England and Europe. The illustrated botanical work
represents the tail end of popularity for Australian plants, which were
beginning to be superseded by easier to grow tropical exotics. The work
contains approx. 50 plates and descriptions of Australian flora (eg, grevillea,
kangaroo paw, acacia, waratah, correa) with a quarter of these from the Swan
River colony and King Georges Sound, W.A. The acquisition
complements other Library holdings in this area.
- The missionarys farewell: valedictory
services of the Rev. John Williams, previous to his departure for the South
Seas, with his parting dedicatory address to the British churches and the
friends of missions. London, John Snow, 1838. Ferguson 2679b.
- Keats, Thomas W. A practical guide to the best
means of testing gold. Intended for the use of emigrants to the gold
regions. London, Saunders & Stanford, c1852.
- Borlase, James S. Blue cap the bushranger: or
the Australian Dick Turpin. London, Hogarth House, [1879?]
- Nelson, Victor. Boomerang Bob of the bush.
London. 1927. This story was serialised in 12 issues of the English
childrens periodical The Champion, Vol. XI, no. 263 no.
274, Feb. 12 April 30, 1927.
- Grey, Zane. An American angler in
Australia. London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1937. 1st UK
edition. The Library holds the US edition. This UK edition is now quite
scarce and very expensive on antiquarian dealers sites on the Internet.
- The complete works of Gaius Petronius done
into English by Jack Lindsay; with one hundred illustrations by Norman Lindsay.
London, Fanfrolico Press, 1927. This edition is limited to 650
copies. The Librarys copy is no 549, signed by Jack Lindsay.
- Goss, Lia. Target for their dark desire,
adapted from the original story by Carter Brown. 1984. Artists book
produced and illustrated by Lia Goss with a selection of text illustrated with
etchings. Limited edition of 6 copies. This work complements the
Librarys extensive holdings of Carter Brown works. The Library
holds this title in both English and French.
- Elyard, Samuel. Letters to a Jewess. Nowra,
Samuel Elyard, 1897. Text in English and Hebrew. Ferguson 9430. First edition
of this rare work. The introduction notes that As Hebrew type was
not available in Australia, the author imported it from England
the book
has been printed with the authors hands.
- Elementary exercises in Hebrew grammar for use
in the Hebrew School and for home practice. Sydney, Andrews, 1894.
Ferguson 10354. Another rare item, this pamphlet provides lessons in both
Hebrew and English.
- Ridgway, Charles. The apothecarys fatal
error: an episode in the life of the author. Yokohama, Fukuin Printing Co.
1907. Includes an account of voyage to Australia and time spent in
Western Australia.
- MacCartie J. C. A handbook for Australian
brewers. Melbourne, Lawrence & OFarrell [1884]
- Franc, Maude Jeanne. Minnies mission: an
Australian temperance tale. London, Sampson Low, Marston, Searle &
Rivington, 1878.
- Loudon, J.C. An encyclopaedia of cottage, farm
and villa architecture and furniture: containing numerous designs for
dwellings, from the cottage to the villa, including farm houses, farmeries, and
other agricultural buildings
London, Longman, 1833. The first
edition of an architectural handbook for amateurs and professionals during the
1830s and 1840s. Broadbent in The Australian colonial
house states that this edition was the principal architectural handbook
for amateurs and professionals, which exerted a vast influence on the colonial
architecture in New South Wales.
- Menpes, Mortimer. Lord Roberts, London, A
& C Black, 1915. 1st edition.
- Master Emery, Some village verse. Lima,
Ohio. The author, 1903. Limited edition of 500 copies. A collection of
poems from the 1890s, many featuring Sydney and Melbourne.
- Newell, Averil. The red witch. London,
A&C Black, 1937. 1st edition. Illustrated by Ida Rentoul
Outhwaite.
- Dale, Alice M. Marcus Warwick, atheist.
London, Kegan Paul, 1898. No recorded holdings on Kinetica.
- Brandon, John G. The death in the quarry.
London, Wright and Brown, [1941] 1st edition. No recorded
holdings on Kinetica.
The Library is constantly seeking Australian periodicals not
represented in the national collection, or individual issues missing from its
sets. Among the most recent acquisitions are:
- The Kan-Karroo Kronikle [Cairo?] Printed
and published for the Amusement Committee, [1914]. Vol. 1, no. 1
(28th October 1914) Vol. 1, no. 11 (2nd December
1914) Collective printing of the 11 issues of this troopship magazine produced
on board the Karoo on the trip from Melbourne to Suez between October
and December 1914.
- Osteralia [At sea, H.M.A.T.
Osterley, 1917.] no. 1 (March 2 1917) no. 6 (April 6 1917)
Complete set of a shipboard newspaper recording the incidents on board the
troopship Osterley carrying Australian troops to England.
- The
2ndnineteenth; the magazine of the 2/19
Battalion A.I.F. Association and its earlier title The nineteenth: the
magazine of the 2/19 Battalion A.I.F. Association. The Library received a full
set of this journal Vol. 1, no. 1 (March 1961) Vol. 42, no. 2 (July
2001). There is only one other holding recorded on Kinetica for this
journal.
- Pals annual: for the boys of Australasia
1927. The final volume of this notable magazine for Australian children. This
acquisition completes the National Librarys holdings as issues for
1921-1926 are already held.
- House & Garden; Successful Entertaining;
Grass roots and Earth Garden. All issues filled gaps in our
collection.
- Australian bottle review; national
newsletter. Vol. 1, no. 2 (April 1975) Vol. 7, no. 42 (Dec/Jan
1982). The Library previously held two issues and now holds a complete
set of this journal.
- Australian antique bottle collector Vol. 1,
no. 1 (1982) Vol. 1, no. 4 (Dec/Jan 1983) - 4 issues. These issues
complete the Librarys holdings for this journal.
- Barbed wire and bamboo, the journal of the
Ex-Prisoners of War Association of Australia was received. Early issues
from 1950 to 1955 have filled gaps in the collection. This is the second
donation of issues from this journal, and the Librarys set is almost
complete.
Australian documentary heritage is also represented by more ephemeral
or insubstantial material, and the National Library collects a varied selection
documenting aspects of Australian life.
- McMahon, Marie. Nyuntu a_ nangu maruku ngurangka
nga_ranyi: kulint jaku ulu_runya ma_lakungku ngura walytja piti ungkuntja
1985-angka = You are on Aboriginal land: commemorating the hand back of Ayers
Rock to traditional owners, 1985. Westgate, NSW. Jalak/Redback Graphix,
1985. Broadside 96 x 113 cm. Limited edition of 53 copies. Includes the
holograph signatures of 10 traditional owners.
- Emigration to Western Australia. [Dublin,
ca. 1837] 1 folded sheet. This very interesting folded sheet is intended
to advertise the attractions of the colony to potential emigrants. It is
unrecorded.
- The lamentation and farewell of the unhappy
convicts who were sentenced to transportation at the Summer Assizes, 1829, now
lying in Newcastle Gaol. [Newcastle?], Printed for the publisher by Kay
and Simpson, 1829. 1 sheet, 33 x 12 cm. Eligible for Ferguson though not
listed. This broadside is about transportation to Van Diemens
Land. It concerns the fate of seven prisoners in Newcastle Gaol awaiting
transportation to Van Diemens Land for their crimes. The
acquisition of this broadside complements the Librarys small collection
of broadsides on Van Diemens Land.
- Australian Aborigines Conference
sesqui-centenary day of mourning and protest to be held in The Australian Hall,
Sydney on Wednesday 26thJanuary 1938.
Aborigines and persons of Aboriginal blood only are invited to attend.
Leaflet. Published by the Aborigines Progressive Association.
- Souvenir of Australian tour 1908 & 1909.
Manchester, R. Scott & Co. Rugby League Kangaroos tour. 1908 was
the first year that Rugby League separated from Rugby Union.
Interestingly, this item also includes photos of the English, Welsh and
Australian Wallabies rugby union teams.
- 1929 Australian Grand Prix Two hundred
mile Australian Grand Prix under the auspices of Victorian Light Car Club,
Cowes March 18, 1929. On reverse hand-written rules of the race and
starting positions with the name of each competitor and their grid positions.
Poster 50cm. x 31 cm
- Olympia 1956; De sjunde olympiska vinter-spelen
I Cortina dAmpezzo och De sextonde olympiska sommarspelen I Melbourne
utgiven av Tore Nilsson. Stockholm, Ahlen & Akerlunds,
1956. Written in Swedish, regarding the Winter Olympics at Cortina
dAmpezzo, equestrian events at Stockholm and Summer Olympics at
Melbourne.
- Outdoor advertising, Sydney, Hollander
& Govett Ltd, 1905? A record of Sydney advertising posters and views
of an unfamiliar Sydney. Holland & Govett dominated Sydney in the
production of posters and controlled most of the available outdoor advertising
sites. Here they list sites available and show examples of their
posters.
The Library collects a representative sample of calendars each
year. Through selective acquisition a small number of examples from
previous years are added to the collection.
- The century booklet calendar for 1900 and
1901. Adelaide, J.L. Bonython & Co. [1899] Produced by John
Hunter Co. Ltd of Adelaide, Western Australia and Broken Hill. The richly
illustrated publication is primarily a boot and shoe catalogue. Secondly, it is
of great interest regarding the South Australian contingent to the Boer War
with seven full pages on this featuring the Mounted Contingent, the
Bushmens Contingent, Nurses, etc. It also features political
luminaries of the day eg. State Premiers and the notables of the Federal
Convention in 1897.
- A donation of a complete set of National Bank of
Australia calendars from 1957 until 2001. Each calendar covers a specific
subject which includes background notes on the works and brief biographies of
the Australian artists.
A number of posters from World War II relating to the civilian and
domestic effort in Australia were acquired. Topics featured include the
Australian Comforts Fund; civilian help for the war effort, loans, bonds and
certificates and stamps to aid the war effort; recruitment of women into the
services; and recruitment of men into the services. Artists included
Walter Jardine and the cartoonist Les Such.
Australian Electronic Publications
The Librarys Electronic Unit seeks out and archives significant
Australian websites and other electronic documents as a way of preserving this
aspect of Australias published heritage material. The following
examples of items recently archived show the diversity of the material being
collected and preserved.
- Canberra bushfires - A
collection of websites created in response to the bushfires that devastated
parts of Canberra in January 2003. A selection of news and media sites,
local government sites, images, personal accounts and bushfire relief services
have been included in PANDORA.
- Iraq
conflict - This collection includes websites providing comment,
opinion and information on the crisis concerning the disarmament of Iraq and
subsequent Iraq War of March-April 2003.
- Croc
Festival Website of the event that celebrates youth culture in
remote communities, involving indigenous and non-indigenous Australians in
visual and performing arts, sport clinics and careers markets.
Asian Collections
Law is an important area of collecting for the National Library and
legal materials relating to Asia are in high demand. Although there is a
good printed collection of legal texts built up over the years, readers are
finding that electronic resources offer better search functions and ease of
use. Two CD-ROMs containing Indonesian and Japanese legal texts
respectively were recently purchased. Together with the Chinese law
database on CD-ROM, they form a good foundation for building up an electronic
collection in this important area.
With funding contribution from the Japan Foundation in Sydney, a 23
volume set of work titled Nihonjin no kaigai katsudo ni kansuru
rekishi-teki chosa was recently acquired. Originating as an internal
government study completed shortly after the Second World War on Japanese
immigrants and Japanese industries overseas during 1868-1945, this first time
published work provides valuable historical information into Japanese
activities in occupied areas including Korea, Taiwan, Manchuria and later China
and Southeast Asia
The latest census on the Chinese population, the largest in the world,
carried out in 2000, is now gradually being published for all 31
provinces. Compared to the last census in 1990, the publications this
time are more readily available to overseas collecting institutions and so far
the volumes for two provinces, together with that for the whole nation, have
arrived in the Library.
The National Library has arrangements with Australian embassies in
Thailand, Cambodia and Laos to acquire publications from the region for the
Library. The Library has acquired Ancient inscriptions of
Cambodia, a beautifully illustrated four-volume set published by UNESCO in
Phnom Penh, on the ancient history of Cambodia through a study of Khmer
inscriptions. From Laos Phon khong kansamluat sathiti kasikam,
1998/1999, a 19-volume set of agricultural statistics of the country by
province was acquired. In comparison to Cambodia and Laos, there is much
more electronic publishing in Thailand. A recent addition to the Thai
CD-ROM collection is Khomun Watthanatham 76 Changwat, four CD-ROMs
containing detailed information on the social customs and cultures of 76
provinces in Thailand.
Overseas Materials
The Library purchased a substantial run of The Guardian
newspaper on microfilm. This title, published by the Church of England,
provides social, intellectual, political and theological commentary and is an
important historical source particularly for the Victorian and Edwardian
periods.
The latest unit of Goldsmith-Kress Library of Economic Literature
comprising 582 titles on 46 reels of microfilm was received. This
supplement reflects the range of the literature of economics in Europe in the
seventeenth to nineteenth centuries.
Providing access to electronic resources is a priority for the
Library. During the period under review, the following important
resources have been made available to readers.
- Times digital archive 1785-1985.
Published by Gale and fully searchable, this online version of The
Times (London) has already been proven popular with readers. High
resolution digital images have been produced from microfilm.
- Declassified documents reference system
(DDRS). Full text database and index published by Gale.
DDRS is an important source of information about United States
post-World War II domestic policy and international relations. It is the
only compilation of materials that are recorded as they are released by United
States government agencies, the National Archives and Presidential
Libraries. DDRS contains over 78,000 documents, constituting
more than 450,000 pages of material. The database is fully searchable and
provides greatly improved access to the contents of this collection. This
order replaces the Librarys subscription for the microfiche version.
- Oxford reference online was purchased
through the Council of Australian State Libraries Consortium. The subscription
provides access to over 100 dictionaries and reference books. Titles
include Oxford dictionary of modern quotations, Oxford dictionary of art,
Dictionary of political biography, Whos who in the twentieth century
and Dictionary of Finance and banking.
- Digital dissertations - an international
index to post-graduate dissertations and theses. Replaces the print
subscription to Dissertation Abstracts.
- NewzIndex index to New
Zealands key business publications. Replaces the print index which
ceased in June 2002.
Manuscripts
The Library regularly acquires diaries of nineteenth century seamen,
travellers and emigrants who visited or settled in Australia. Two recent
examples are the diaries of William Balham, who arrived in Sydney in 1879, and
Thomas East, who arrived four years later and spent his first weeks languishing
at the North Head quarantine station. Of particular interest is the
journal of Lieutenant James Hay, who served on the Australian Naval Station in
1880-83. Containing many delightful drawings, it records in detail the
tours made by British warships in the Western Pacific and describes a punitive
expedition following the murder of an officer in the Solomon Islands. It
should be a useful source on cross-cultural relations in the Pacific.
The surveyor R H Mathews and the zoologist Sir Baldwin Spencer were
two of the major figures documenting Aboriginal society, beliefs and customs at
the turn of the twentieth century. Some interesting letters and
manuscripts have been added to the Mathews Papers, one of the most heavily used
manuscript collections. The Library has also acquired annotated copies of
two of Spencers books. The extensive annotations of The
Aboriginal tribes of central Australia (1899) date from the 1920s and show
his response to the writings of Carl Strehlow and others in the years since his
book was published.
Acquisitions of modern collections of personal papers are quite
diverse. They include the papers of Archbishop Hugh Gough and Canon
William Edwards (the first headmaster of Canberra Grammar School), the
politician Sir Fred Chaney, the sports writers John Worrall (formerly a Test
cricketer) and Harry Gordon, the feminist and public servant Elizabeth Reid,
the musicians Andrew Ford, Margaret Kartomi and Patrick Thomas, the theatre
producer Robin Lovejoy, the writers Rosemary Dobson, Jack Hibberd, Mark
OConnor and Judith Wright, the historian Ann Moyal and the doctor and
leader of the Greek community Spiro Moraitis. The last instalment of
papers of Judith Wright was received; over a period of 30 years there has been
28 instalments. All but two of these collections were donated, in some
cases under the Cultural Gifts Program, which provides a taxation incentive for
donors.
The Australian National University Library is divesting itself of
manuscript holdings and several collections were offered to the National
Library. Among the more substantial collections are papers of the poets
Flexmore Hudson and A.D. Hope, the lawyer J G Starke and several collections
relating to immigrant communities. The largest is the Russian
Émigré Collection, containing papers and publications of families
and individuals who left Russia after the 1917 Revolution and who eventually
found their way to Australia.
Maps
The Library has acquired a rare pair of collapsible terrestrial
globes, one in French and the other in German, produced by Carl Bauer in
Nuremberg in about 1825. They were designed as an educational tool for
young geographers and show William Parrys discoveries near the North
Pole. They are accompanied by a set of notes and miniature sheet maps of
Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia, and various European countries.
Other early items are a map by Nicolas Sanson of the imagined Arctic and
Antarctic regions, printed in Amsterdam in about 1690, and eleven globe gores
for the southern hemisphere of a territorial globe, compiled by the French
cartographer Nicolas Bion in about 1700. The gores depict the eastern
coast of Australia in a vaguely accurate way (although linking New Holland to
the New Hebrides) and may be based on the world map of Jean Baptiste
Nolin. One of three known copies of the Nolin map was purchased by the
Library in 2002.
Turning from the eighteenth century to the last six months, the
Library has acquired on CD-ROM digital remote satellite imagery showing the ACT
and surrounding region before and after the January bushfires.
Music
The euphoria surrounding the presentation of the Sculthorpe collection
in December 2002 has generated considerable interest in music donations.
Richard Divall donated his collection of music scores and orchestral
arrangements representing his 35-year career as an operatic conductor in
Australia. Materials relating to early rock musicals were presented by Michael
Wade, a musical director and later publisher. In addition to sheet music,
manuscripts, programs and ephemera the collection also includes an early
musical typewriter. The last instalment of the Don Banks collection was
also received, comprising sound recordings, videos and photographs. Alan
Stiles presented his newly published editions of works of the New
ZealandAustralian composer Alfred Hill. Early items received have
included a valuable piece of 19th century sheet music entitled In
the Diggings and the program of Nellie Melbas concert tour in
1902.
Oral History
Interviewing for the Librarys oral history collection has
concentrated on eminent Australians in numerous fields, ranging from law to
obstetrics. They include Sir James Gobbo; the political scientist and
former editor of Quadrant Robert Manne, economist Don Lamberton,
historians Ann Curthoys, Bill Gammage and Susan Marsden; marine biologist David
Pollard, medical researcher Alan Trounson, newspaper executive Andrew Clark,
retired public servant Sir Richard Kingsland and the politician Senator Aden
Ridgeway, in this case reinterviewed by Jackie Huggins and Peter Read as part
of the Seven Years On project which is interviewing young Indigenous
leaders. At the time of the earlier interview, recorded in 1995, Senator
Ridgeway was Director of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council.
Literature and the arts are well represented among recent
interviewees. Recordings were made with the playwrights Alan Seymour and
Nick Enright (who has since died) and the poet Michael Thwaites (who at
different times was an ASIO officer and a librarian). The Librarys
Curator of Dance, Dr Michelle Potter, has interviewed the dancers and ballet
directors Eileen Kramer, Ray Crook, Ross Stretton, Marilyn Rowe and Ian
McRae. Among other interviewees have been composer Roger Smalley,
folklorist Bill Scott, folksinger and historian Danny Spooner, singer and
songwriter Ted Egan and conservator Professor Colin Pearson.
Pictures
The Librarys record of Tasmanias wilderness areas was
enhanced by the acquisition of 20 colour
exhibition prints by eminent
photographer and conservationist, Peter Dombrovskis. Dombrovskis was
born in Europe in 1945 and emigrated to Australia with his mother in
1950. He was strongly influenced by Lithuanian-Australian pioneer
conservationist and photographer Olegas Truchanas, and by landscape
photographers of mid-century America such as Ansel Adams.
Dombrovskis exquisitely beautiful landscapes have a strong political
element and he made them freely available for use by conservation
organisations. Through publication in the Wilderness Calendar series,
calendars and books, or use in illustrated lectures, his photographs influenced
many Australians. One of the photographs acquired by the Library, Morning mist, Rock Island Bend,
Franklin River, Tasmania, 1979, played an important role in the
successful campaign to prevent the construction of the dam on the lower
Franklin River, Tasmania.
In January, the Library arranged for staff photographer Damian
McDonald to join a small group of media to photograph damaged buildings at the
Woomera Detention Centre following a protest by detainees. The damage to
the Centre was extensive and was widely reported in the press both in Australia
and overseas. McDonalds photographs complement
photographs of the Baxter
Detention Centre just before it was opened, and photographs of a range of
protests on the refugee issue in various capital cities. The Department
of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs does not permit
photography inside detention centres while detainees are in residence.
A comprehensive collection of over 1,650
original cartoons by George
Molnar was acquired by donation through the Cultural Gifts Program. The cartoons are a
significant addition to the Librarys pictorial record of public opinion
of architecture and town planning issues; the relationship of people to the
built environment; the ethics of public space; popular opinion on politics and
politicians at the international, national and local levels; and Australian
social history.
A collection of photographs of the Tasmanian 19th century
photographer George Cherry and his family were acquired by donation from Mrs
Jennifer Baume to complement Cherrys papers. The collection
includes fine examples of ambrotypes and other early photographic
techniques.
The Robin Lovejoy Archive was acquired by purchase from Mrs Patricia
Lovejoy. The pictorial component of the collection contains 51 costume designs
in watercolour, gouache and ink, 55 set designs in watercolour, ink and oil
paint, 353 photographs of theatre and opera performances dating from 1948 to
the early 1980s and a number of drawings and sketches, a poster and a
hand-drawn card. The photographs in particular are a significant addition
to the Librarys pictorial record of Australian theatre performances in
the decades following World War II. The costume designs for
Corroboree will complement the Librarys holdings relating to
John Antills score.
