eNews May 2017
Welcome to the Library’s eNews for May! There is a lot happening at the Library this month with the opening of our new exhibition Melodrama in Meiji Japan and a range of events to engage and inspire, including conversations, lectures and curator talks.
The world of Meiji Japan revealed in new exhibition
Discover the drama, tragedy and intrigue that defined an era of change in Japan in the Library’s latest exhibition, Melodrama in Meiji Japan, due to open on 24 May. Showcasing the largest focused collection of Japanese art in Australia, the exhibition features a selection of woodblock prints from over 20 artists. Created to illustrate Japanese novels, these beautiful kuchi-e images depict the upheaval of the Meiji period (1868–1912) during the transition from feudal society to modern western-style state.
Read more
On Monday 22 May, be among the first to see the exhibition by joining our Friends for an exclusive preview.
Book now
In other news
Tracking our boys in war
For families at home, news of loved ones on the battlefields in wartime was as valuable as gold. Newsreels and newspapers offered some information, but it wasn’t until the advent of newsmaps that families could actually track where their loved ones were, often on the other side of the world. Our Curator of Maps, Martin Woods, has researched our rich collection of newsmaps to produce the book Where Are Our Boys? by NLA Publishing. Martin recently offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse of his research to a video crew from the Department of Communications and the Arts.
Watch the video
Regular features
Book of the month
Louisa Atkinson’s Nature Notes
Presented in the style of a sketchbook, and organised by season, this book teams Louisa’s beautiful drawings and paintings of Australian plants, animals and birds with short extracts from her nature writings.
Buy the book ($34.99)
Enter code NATURE at checkout for 30% off (online only) until 31 May. No further discounts, standard shipping rates apply.
On the blog
Guest blogger Dr Adam Trainer from the State Library of Western Australia introduces us to a wonderful music collection. Discover how the addition of the Western Australian New Music Archive enhances Trove’s coverage of Australian musical life.
Other top blog picks this month include:
Sharpen that quill
A uniform for a dapper diplomat
Unbound: war letters
‘Letters are all that I have to live for now.’ Read about the intimate, affirming and reflective letters between Lieutenant Aldred Baldry, on active service in France in the First World War, and his wife at home in country New South Wales, in Issue 2 of Unbound.
Read more
Research and resources
A century of Tasmanian news
Trove’s partnership with the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office brings you more than 30 newspapers, ranging from The Tasmanian and Austral-Asiatic Review to the Tasmanian Punch, which was based on the London satirical magazine. Ian Morrison of LINC Tasmania sheds light on these fascinating titles.
Read more
Partner with us to digitise a newspaper or journal on Trove: andp@nla.gov.au or (02) 6262 1005
Who’s Who in Australia
Curious about an Australian personality or prominent person? Look them up in our suite of Who’s Who databases: Who’s who in Australia, Who’s who in business in Australia and Who’s who of Australian women. Login with your Library card and satisfy your curiosity.
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Need some help with your research, or some tips and strategies to point you in the right direction? Check out our Ask a Librarian service.
For access to a wide world of online books, journals, newspapers and more, explore our eResources.
Event highlights
Don’t miss: Australian Lives: An Intimate History
Stories are a great way to inform people about what it is to be human.–Kim Bear
Through the oral histories of 50 men and women, Australian Lives takes a personal look at how we have been shaped by contemporary history, how we have made our lives and, in so doing, created Australian society. Join Professor Frank Bongiorno (ANU) and authors Anisa Puri and Alistair Thomson as they introduce us to ordinary Australians with extraordinary lives.
Wednesday 31 May, 6pm, free
Book now
Author talk
The Unmourned by Meg & Tom Keneally
The Unmourned is a brilliant collaboration by author Tom Keneally and his daughter Meg. Hear more about their creative partnership and the gripping historical crime series Monsarrat.
Wednesday 3 May, 6pm, $20 (includes refreshments)
Book now
Conversation
The Unknown Judith Wright
Judith Wright remains a giant figure within Australian art, culture and politics. Drawing on the Library’s collection of Judith Wright’s papers, Professor Tom Griffiths and Dr Georgina Arnott explore her life’s work.
Thursday 11 May, 6pm, free
Book now
Lecture
On War: Centenary of Commonwealth War Graves
In 1917, Fabian Ware petitioned for the Imperial War Graves Commission. Join Major-General Paul Stevens as he reflects on its legacy and the commemoration of those who died in war.
Tuesday 16 May, 5.30pm, free
Book now
Curator talk
Melodrama in Meiji Japan
Join Dr Gary Hickey, curator and scholar of Japanese art, as he introduces the Clough collection of kuchi-e woodblock prints and explores recent scholarship of the art profiled in the exhibition.
Wednesday 24 May, 12pm, free
Book now
Lecture
Who Shafted Les Darcy?
What made Australian boxing legend Les Darcy stow away to America? What crime led Australian and American newspapers to vilify him mercilessly? Researcher Roger Ley revisits this century-old cold case.
Wednesday 24 May,
6pm, free
Book now
Storytelling
National Simultaneous Storytime
Celebrate reading and literacy with astrophysicist Brian Schmidt as he reads this year’s book, The Cow Tripped over the Moon, written by Tony Wilson and illustrated by Laura Wood.
Wednesday 24 May, 10.50am, free
Book now
Learning in May
Getting Started @ the Library
Thursday 11 May, 3pm, free
Finding Passenger Lists
Tuesday 23 May, 11am, free
Social Media for Genealogists
Wednesday 31 May, 12pm, free
Free tours
Treasures Gallery
Daily, 11.30am
Behind the Scenes
Thursdays, 2pm
Discover Your National Library
Saturdays, 2pm
Collection item of the month
Miniature books abound in the Gerrit Stafford collection
There is something magical and whimsical about miniature books. They boast a 4,000-year history, dating from the creation of cuneiform tablets in Ancient Mesopotamia. In the 8th century CE, the first miniature book was printed in China, and since then printers and publishers across the world continue to publish these tiny works. Popular titles include religious texts, literary classics and children’s books. The Library defines a book as miniature when the height is no greater than 4 inches!
Through the generous donation of over 200 items by retired librarian Gerrit Stafford, the Library’s collection of mini books ranges from 18th-century almanacs to works in foreign languages and those with bespoke cases. You can request to view some of these tiny treasures in our Special Collections Reading Room, and you can also see a selection of them in the latest refresh of the Treasures Gallery. Don’t miss the adorable set of Beatrix Potter children’s tales, a mini edition of Norman Lindsay’s The Magic Pudding and a complete set of The Illustrated Pocket Shakespeare.
Explore the collection
Images: 1. nla.cat-vn5744773; 2. Cover detail of Louisa Atkinson’s Nature Notes; 3. trove.nla.gov.au/work/192944559; 4. Annie Baldry, Letter to Aldred of 17 September 1917, Papers of Mackay Family, MS 10290, courtesy Mackay Family Association; 5. nla.news-article232957724; 6. nla.cat-vn6262011; 7. Ask a Librarian; 8. Meg & Tom Keneally, courtesy Penguin Random House; 9. Cover detail of The Unknown Judith Wright; 10. nla.cat-vn4809831; 11. nla.cat-vn5744662; 12. nla.cat-vn3775045; 13. National Simultaneous Storytime, courtesy Scholastic Australia; 14. Miniature books in the Gerrit Stafford collection
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No Images? Click here Images: 1. nla.cat-vn5744773; 2. Cover detail of Louisa Atkinson’s Nature Notes; 3. trove.nla.gov.au/work/192944559; 4. Annie Baldry, Letter to Aldred of 17 September 1917, Papers of Mackay Family, MS 10290, courtesy Mackay Family Association; 5. nla.news-article232957724; 6. nla.cat-vn6262011; 7. Ask a Librarian; 8. Meg & Tom Keneally, courtesy Penguin Random House; 9. Cover detail of The Unknown Judith Wright; 10. nla.cat-vn4809831; 11. nla.cat-vn5744662; 12. nla.cat-vn3775045; 13. National Simultaneous Storytime, courtesy Scholastic Australia; 14. Miniature books in the Gerrit Stafford collection |
