News from the Collections
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News from the collections Ian Potter Foundation Museum to exhibit specimens which This internship was established supports Tiegs Zoology have not been on general display for under the terms of Dr Hoff’s bequest, Museum the last 20 years, such as a lion in order to promote the study and The Ian Potter Foundation has skeleton and a mounted wedge-tailed promotion of prints held in the print generously provided a grant to the eagle. In this way these generous collections of the University of Tiegs Zoology Museum, which is donations of funds will bring about a Melbourne and the National Gallery part of the Department of Zoology in significant and lasting improvement of Victoria. Ms Bobele will research the Faculty of Science, to purchase in the quality of exhibits. For more prints made by the Bauhaus artist new, museum-quality display cases. information on the Tiegs Museum Ludwig Hirschfeld Mack (1893– Additional funds are being see www.zoology.unimelb.edu.au/tiegs/ 1965), many of which are held in the contributed by a private donor and by University of Melbourne Art the Zoology Department itself. Ursula Hoff Internship Collection at the Ian Potter Museum The Ian Potter Foundation, On 9 October 2009 the Ian Potter of Art. established in 1964, makes grants for Museum of Art announced the general charitable purposes in awarding of the inaugural Ursula Australia that advance knowledge and Hoff Internship, to Ms Stacie Bobele. benefit the community in the areas of Dr Ursula Hoff AO OBE was born the arts, community wellbeing, in London in 1909 and died in education, environment and Melbourne in 2005. Her conservation, health, medical research distinguished career encompassed art and science. It has generously history, curatorship and museum supported many of the University’s management, both at the University collections over the years, including of Melbourne and the National the Ian Potter Museum of Art, the Gallery of Victoria. From 1975 to University Library, the School of 1984 she was London advisor to the Physics Museum and now the Tiegs Felton Bequest. Educated in Zoology Museum. Hamburg, Munich and London, she When the Zoology Department was among the pivotal first moved from the Baldwin Spencer generation of European-trained art Building to its then-new building in historians who introduced the subject 1989, there was not enough space to to Australian universities. Her display all the interesting specimens significant legacy includes the in the Tiegs collection. Now development of the collection of additional space has been made prints and drawings at the National available, to accommodate new Gallery of Victoria, now one of the showcases and enable the Tiegs finest in the world. 50 University of Melbourne Collections, Issue 5, November 2009 Opposite: Norman Wodetzki, Queensberry Photography, Dr Ursula Hoff, on the occasion of being admitted to the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa at the University of Melbourne, on 10 December 1983. Photographic print, 18.5 x 14.5 cm. UMA/I/2310, University of Melbourne Archives. Below: Mortar and pestle, Chinese, Qing Dynasty, c.1870s. Medical History Museum, University of Melbourne. This item was purchased by Professor Emeritus Sir Douglas Wright (1907–1990), former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, while travelling with his wife in China in 1971. It was donated to the Museum by Lady Wright in 1992. Although designed as a practical tool for the grinding of herbs, form and function have been marvellously combined to achieve great elegance of design. New medical curator Following the retirement of Ms Ann Brothers, the Medical History Museum has appointed Susie Shears as curator. Ms Shears has over 25 years’ experience in museums and galleries, and comes to the University from the Victorian Tapestry Workshop where she was Director from 2004 to 2008. She has also worked at the National Gallery of Victoria, as Curator and then Director of the Geelong Art Gallery, as Manager of Design and Development in the Philatelic Group at Australia Post, and manager of the Australian Pavilion at the 1995 Venice Biennale. The temporary closure of the and botanical specimens. All the documents. In his address, Vice- Medical History Museum during exhibits are from University of Chancellor Professor Glyn Davis refurbishment of the Brownless Melbourne collections. highlighted many of the School’s Biomedical Library is providing the achievements, and warmly welcomed opportunity for an upgrade of the School of Physics Museum back many alumni and former staff collection database and other official launch and associates, including Miss Betty collection management and curatorial In April the School of Physics held Laby, whose father, Professor Thomas work which will result in a greater an official ‘opening’ for its museum. H. Laby (1880–1946), led Physics at emphasis on outreach and collection It may seem unusual to open Melbourne for nearly 30 years and access. Research inquiries will something that has been around for a whose sister, the late Dr Jean Laby, continue during the closure. The while, but the School felt that it was was also a physicist at Melbourne. Museum is scheduled to re-open in time to formally acknowledge the The Vice-Chancellor praised the March 2010 with an exhibition efforts of Associate Professor Ed work of Dr Muirhead who for some exploring the traditional tools of the Muirhead, former Chair of the 20 years supervised the cataloguing apothecary, including highly School of Physics, and others in and care of the collection. decorative apothecary jars, mortars preserving the School’s historic record Contributions from staff including and pestles, rare books illustrating through this unique collection of Nick Nicola and Phil Lyons were also medicinal herbs and their applications historical artefacts, photographs and acknowledged, as was the generous University of Melbourne Collections, Issue 5, November 2009 51 Mrs Fiona Caro and Professor David Caro AO OBE (former Head of School of Physics, Dean of Science, and Vice-Chancellor 1982–1987) with other guests at the opening of the School of Physics Museum in April. support provided over the years by the Library. In 1999 the Dhamma Communication, Faculty of Arts), Russell and Mab Grimwade Society began rendering the scriptures celebrates its 20th anniversary in Miegunyah Fund, the Ian Potter into Roman script. The project was 2010. Many of its students participate Foundation, the University’s Cultural completed in 2005, and the books are in the Cultural Collections Student Collections Committee and the now being ceremonially presented at Projects Program. Its alumni have Friends of the Physics Museum. various locations around the world, to gone on to work with museums, art assist and enhance studies of galleries and other collecting Tipitaka presented to Library Buddhist teachings. organisations across Australia and The University of Melbourne is the internationally. first institution in Australia to receive Cultural Connotations Art a Romanised edition of the Buddhist Curatorship Award The perfect Christmas gift Pali canon, or Tipitaka. A delegation The winner of the inaugural Cultural The cultural collections feature on the from the Dhamma Society, a Connotations Art Curatorship University’s desk calendar for 2010. charitable organisation with Thai Award, granted to the student who Fascinating artefacts, illustrations and Royal patronage, presented the 40 ranked first overall in the first year of artworks from the Grainger Museum, volumes in a colourful and formal the two-year Master of Art University Art Collection, Earth ceremony in the beautiful Gryphon Curatorship program, was announced Sciences Library Rare Book Gallery in the 1888 building on 21 recently. The winner, Ms Chelsea Collection, Classics and Archaeology October. The Chancellor, The Hon. Harris, commenced her course in Collection, Harry Brookes Allen Alex Chernov AO QC, accepted the 2007, and received an overall first Museum of Anatomy and Pathology, gift on behalf of the University. class average during the first year. She Rare and Historic Maps Collection, The Tipitaka is the earliest recently travelled in Europe, Baillieu Library Print Collection, surviving collection of scriptures in especially Poland, researching public University of Melbourne Archives the Theravada Buddhist tradition, programs in museums in preparation and the Medical History Museum which were committed to writing for her thesis in 2010. illustrate this handy CD-size from an oral tradition during the early The Director of Cultural calendar. It makes an excellent gift years of Buddhism (first century BCE) Connotations, Ms Annette Welkamp, which lasts until February 2011, in the Pali language in what is now presented the award in a ceremony at and is available from the Melbourne Sri Lanka. The scriptures were first the Ian Potter Museum of Art in July. University Bookshop for $16.00. printed in the 19th century and a Ms Welkamp is an alumna of the University staff can make bulk copy of that 1893 edition was University of Melbourne and her purchases of 20 units by emailing presented to the University in 1895 consultancy firm develops, [email protected]. by a representative of His Majesty implements and manages creative, King Chulalongkorn of Siam (now cultural and heritage projects. Thailand), and preserved in the The Master of Art Curatorship Special Collections of the Baillieu Program (School of Culture and 52 University of Melbourne Collections, Issue 5, November 2009.