Cultural Collections Projects Program 2010 The University of The year in review Each year around this time as I look over the names Johanesen chose to work with the Alan Villiers of the students and volunteers who have worked Collection. The goal of this project was to help on projects with the University’s cultural collections, preserve items held in the collection through the I am always impressed by the number of people adoption of basic conservation procedures. For the who have participated in this program and at the project Danielle re-housed collection items to help quality, breadth and scope of the work achieved. ensure their preservation and longevity. These achievements in themselves are great, but in addition to these excellent results there are also Special Collections further benefited from the the less tangible ones that should be taken into assignment of Jane Beattie and Ester Blau on two of account such as skills learnt, professional networks its projects. Jane commenced work on the nurtured, friendships made, collections knowledge Documenting and Rehousing of Newspapers increased and interests stimulated. These great project, which required her to create lists of results happen because enthusiastic students and newspaper publishing information, content and volunteers get involved with the University’s cultural storage location, create labels and document this collections, and collection staff extend the reach information onto a spreadsheet. Jane undertook of their collections through the facilitation of the placement to satisfy her love of all things placements. It leads to a rewarding and ongoing historical. Meanwhile Ester, studying for her relationship that ensures all parties involved, including the collections, benefit from this exchange.

Much has been achieved in 2010, in fact this year has proven to be busier than previous ones with more volunteers and students taking up projects, and more waiting for the opportunity to secure a project with their chosen collection. Following below, in no particular order, is a summary of the projects that were worked on this year and the students and volunteers who worked on them…

For her industry placement, Amanda Winters (Masters in Information Technology, Queensland Amanda Winters working in Special Collections in April. University of Technology) worked with Special Collections on a cataloguing project. She worked Graduate Diploma Information Management, RMIT, alongside a team of cataloguers on rare books, undertook a Special Collections cataloguing theses, incunabula and new acquisitions. Also placement where after specialist training she working in Special Collections, was Library and catalogued the C.M. Hotimsky collection. The Information Management student Barbara Nicholls project enabled her to gain a unique insight into the cataloguing process while being able to utilise ( D iploma Library and Information Services, Box Hill her Russian language skills – an added bonus she Institute). Barbara recently commenced a project said. with the McLaren Collection of Australiana, which sees her working on a selection of items from the collection and rehousing them to meet The Baillieu Library Print Collection benefited this conservation standards. This is part of a large year from five students working with its rich holdings. ongoing project that has had several students and Earlier in the year Executive Master of Arts student, volunteers work on it during the year including Gemma Lumley (University of Melbourne) worked Glenda Lonsing (Graduate Diploma Information & as a catalogue and research assistant adding to Library Studies, Curtin University of Technology). As the information contained on EMu (Electronic part of the project Glenda had to identify priority Museum), the Print Collection’s electronic items within the collection for re-housing. Working catalogue. Kate Hughes and Jenny Anderson both on another aspect of Special Collections, and studying for their Masters of Cultural Material studying for a Master of Library and Information Conservation ( University of Melbourne) spent time Management at Charles Sturt University, Danielle

The University of Melbourne working closely with a selection of prints from the Master of Art Curatorship student, Clare Saunder collection and adding to information on the catalogue. (University of Melbourne) worked on a cataloguing Mathieu Lartigau a Diploma of Education student project at the Museum. Through the project she ( University) also completed a placement with expanded on existing catalogue entries and also fully the Print Collection this year. For his project he worked catalogued previously un-accessioned items into the on the collection catalogue, researched a selection of collection. This project required her to complete prints and also assisted with the preparation of manual catalogue worksheets, assign accession collection items for exhibition. Master of Art Curatorship numbers, photograph objects and then add this student Viona Fung (University of Melbourne), chose to information to the catalogue. Another Melbourne undertake a project with the Print Collection after student, Mathilde Lester (Bachelor of Arts) completed curating a ‘virtual’ exhibition for her Virtual Print Room research on some of the microscopes on display within subject. Through her placement she has been the museum and created object labels which have augmenting existing catalogue information on EMu been incorporated into the ornate wooden display and will be continuing her placement into the new year cases within the Museum. where she will be researching Japanese prints within the collection. The University of Melbourne Archives (UMA) this year hosted nine students and volunteers on various projects The Ian Potter Museum of Art had several students with its collections. Emily Cheah completing her Masters working with their collections this year. Anna Taylor , in Cultural Heritage (Deakin University) and Minna Muhlen-Schulte worked on the UMA’s 50 th anniversary Bachelor of Arts/Commerce student (University of exhibition Primary Sources: 50 stories from 50 years at Melbourne) was keen to gain some experience in the the Archives. They provided assistance in various aspects of the preparations from the researching of exhibition content through to helping with the installation of the exhibition.

Earlier in the year Natalie Johnson (Graduate Diploma Information Management, RMIT) completed an archive documentation and rehousing project with the Century Mine Collection. The project required her to list, arrange and where necessary re-house the collection to meet archival standards. Jocelyn Penington undertook research relating to company records held at the UMA to identify current company status and increase our knowledge of the business collections. Meanwhile, Moyra McAllister has been working with a selection of early archival files from the business collections identifying and preparing details for the new database Mathilde Lester studies the display in the Medical History Museum . that relate to acquisition, ownership and access. Bob Appleyard has utilised his knowledge of the mining art industry that would complement her academic sector in his project work with the Rio Tinto Mining studies. Through her Potter placement she worked on a Collection where he has been documenting the de-accessioning research project that enabled her to relationships between various subsidiaries and learn about this sensitive area and general day to day businesses. This work will provide an additional source of collection management duties within an art museum. intellectual control over the mining collection and will Another project at the Potter involved the Gerard be utilised in an updated subject guide. Staying in the Herbst Collection, a collection of international poster mining sector, Steven Richardson (Master of Information art. Two students, Gabrielle Fanning ( Bachelor of Arts, Management, RMIT) has been working on an archival University of Melbourne) and Nigel McBain ( Master of documentation project that has seen him assisting in Information Management, RMIT) undertook this the processing and listing of the Shell Company of conservation and cataloguing project which required Collection. Meanwhile, Barbary Clarke and them to learn how to flatten rolled up posters through a Ardy Tibby have continued with their ongoing volunteer humidification process and then catalogue these work with the Victorian Women’s Liberation and posters onto EMu. Both were keen for the opportunity to Lesbian Feminist Archive . work within an art museum and gain skills through working closely with a collection. Two very different significance assessments have been completed on collections this year. Earlier in the year This year a couple of students worked with the Museum Studies student Melanie Horder ( Deakin interesting collections of the Medical History Museum . University) took up the challenge of a week long stay at Dookie campus just outside of Shepparton to expenses paid professional placement with the cultural commence work on an assessment of the Dookie collections of the University of Melbourne. Katy was in College Historical Collection . The collection comprises Melbourne in August and during that time she worked a wide range of items dating from the 1860s to the 1990s that detail the history of Victoria’s oldest agricultural college and includes farm equipment, documents, photographs, animal and plant specimens, farm journals and sporting memorabilia. Meanwhile Anna Corkhill a Master of Art Curatorship student (Melbourne) has been completing a significance assessment on the MONIAC machine (Monetary and National Income Computer) housed in the Department of Economics. In contrast to the Dookie project which encompasses a varied collection of some fifteen hundred artefacts, the MONIAC project focuses on just one – each collection however has presented different challenges which Melanie and Anna have met with confidence and skill. Once completed both significance assessments will aid future collection Katy Wade and the bust of Sir Walter Scott used in her display. management decisions about these unique and interesting collections. on a variety of collection management based projects. These projects included researching classical prints in Earlier in the year, third year Bachelor of Arts student the Baillieu Library Print Collection; developing artefact Emily Wubben ( Melbourne) worked as assistant information sheets for the Classics and Archaeology Collection at the Ian Potter Museum of Art; creating a curator on the exhibition Wilson Hall: Centre and children’s activity sheet at the Medical History Museum; Symbol of the University that was held in the Baillieu curating a display from Dr John Orde Poynton’s Sir Library. Through the project Emily developed and Walter Scott collection, and lastly contributing research researched exhibition themes, wrote text panels and and information to a forthcoming exhibition guidelines assisted with exhibition layout and installation. manual. A busy month! All agreed the first exchange of

the Program was a great success with Katy reporting at Lastly, and still in the area of research, Trevor McAllister, the end of her placement: has been working with the School of Chemistry’s

Historical Collection. He has been investigating a For me it was very rewarding, as a lot of the skills I learnt selection of items from the collection which will be will be useful when I go into my line of work. It has also included in a web-based exhibition that will showcase broadened my interests within museums and the collection and the School’s history. The aim of the collections, as I have worked in areas such as project is to make the collection more accessible to a conservation that I have never considered a future in wider audience (the collection having previously been before...Finally, from a personal level, I have found in storage for many years). working with the collections rewarding. It will definitely

help me in my studies and has given me a chance to develop both my professional and personal skills. International Student Exchange Program This year also saw the Student Projects Program go The second part of the exchange will take place early international through the inaugural International next year when Bachelor of Arts student Emily Wubben Student Projects with Collections Award supported by travels to the University of Birmingham. Emily will be the University Library and the U21 network. The pilot spending a month from mid January 2011 working with program was developed between the University of Birmingham’s extensive collections. We are all looking Melbourne and the University of Birmingham with the forward to hearing about her experiences and know purpose of facilitating an exchange between the two that she too will gain some invaluable professional skills universities where the successful recipients would have and insight that will help her in her chosen career path. the opportunity to work on various aspects of museum Congratulations to Emily for being the recipient of this and collection-based work hosted by the partner prestigious award. university. It is hoped that the Award will continue beyond the United Kingdom student Katy Wade (Masters in pilot year and plans are being developed to extend its Heritage Management) was chosen to be reach to other universities within the U21 network. Birmingham’s first recipient of the award. Through the award Katy had the opportunity for a month long, The University of Melbourne An insiders view… Below, two students write about their recent of the Hall’s history were brought to life. Perhaps the most challenging task undertaken by curator Jason experiences with the University’s collections . Danielle Benjamin and myself, was deciding upon what was to Johanesen discusses her recent placement with Special be included, as we were spoilt by choice. Items in the Collections in the Baillieu Library, while Emily Wubben exhibition were drawn from the University of Melbourne outlines her experience and work on the Wilson Hall Archives, Baillieu Library Print Collection, Special exhibition held earlier in the year. Collections and the Ian Potter Museum of Art, as well as the State Library of Victoria. One item that particularly Alan Villiers Collection caught my interest was Charles Bristow Walker’s After working on the Alan Villiers Collection, I have leather-bound photo album (c.1888-89). I found his begun to wonder about the man who loved ships and charming scenes of the campus very effective in sailing so much that he amassed an enormous number making me contemplate the rich history of the of books and ephemera on the subject. Alan Villiers University. Consequently, to me, this album aptly was the kind of man you read about in Hemingway signifies how the past can strongly speak to us in the novels, an adventurer, writer and photographer, who in present. the industrial age of steam-driven vessels wanted to go to sea in wind-powered ships with masts and rigging. His Moreover, I particularly enjoyed the dialogue that was fascination with ships began as a child, when he would prompted by the exhibition. For example, in a walk to the Melbourne Docks and watch ships sailing conversation I had regarding the exhibition, I up the river. According to Villiers, sailing ships embodied discovered that a family friend had actually worked on romance and adventure and awakened his dreams of renovations for the "old" Wilson Hall. The exhibition one day setting sail across the ocean in one of those therefore encouraged the exchange of stories and I felt ships. privileged to be a part of that process. I found my role to be a most valuable opportunity to engage with the His wish came true. After his apprenticeship on a University’s collections firsthand and to develop skills square-rigged , Villiers would become an essential to my future career aims as a curator. authority on sailing most of the traditional wind- Emily Wubben powered ships still sea-worthy. He was a Master Mariner, circumnavigated the world and captained the Wrap up…. Mayflower II. His adventures at sea led Villiers to write I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone over thirty books. Some of these are found in his who has been involved with the Program this year - to collection, tucked away beside books on sailing the students and volunteers, your dedicated and regulations, slavery, ships, modern sailing, and great enthusiastic contribution to the collections is wonderful sailors like Lord Nelson. There are also a few unique to see and yields excellent outcomes for the collections treasures as well, a Raid Spotters Note Book from World and hopefully yourselves. To the collections staff who War II and from 1797, a book on sailing and bread have had the opportunity to work with students and making. volunteers this year, thank you again for continuing to

support them. Through this enterprise the University’s Working on this collection has been rewarding, I have cultural collections continue to benefit and our long developed new skills and understanding of preservation term understanding, management, access and techniques. But there is a deeper more personal appreciation of the collections is considerably experience as well. The Alan Villiers Collection is more enriched. than the individual items in it. To me it represents a life’s work, a passion and a glimpse of a man, whose dreams sailed the seas. Have a wonderful Christmas and happy new year. Danielle Johanesen

Helen Arnoldi Curating the Wilson Hall Exhibition Cultural Collections Projects Coordinator As I am a student of the University of Melbourne, I have December 2010 accumulated my own stories about Wilson Hall, the most vivid being my memories of exams. Consequently, I thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to be the Assistant Curator of the exhibition, Wilson Hall: Centre and Symbol of the University. Through this project, I gained the enlightening experience of learning about Wilson Hall from other peoples’ perspectives. The exhibition brought together original architectural drawings, artworks, photographs and artefacts associated with the Hall, through which past narratives