Posts relating to all things artistic, musical, creative and inspirational from the study of history and culture and its modern manifestations
The Dixson Library, State Library of New South Wales has digitised an album of 126 pencil and watercolour drawings by H. Grant Lloyd containing a number of views of Newcastle and the townships of the Hunter Valley in October 1878 and February-March 1879. The title of the album is: Volume 2: Sketches of N. S. … More Newcastle & The Hunter Captured in Watercolours by H. Grant Lloyd, 1878-1879
Actor Who Played Macbeth Identified The following selection of photographs were taken in the early 1960s and part of the much larger Hannan Photographic archive held in the University of Newcastle’s Special Collections since 2014 and have been identified by Career-Ready Placement (WIL) student undertaking GLAM sector experience at the Auchmuty Library’s GLAMx Lab. University … More Who Played Shakespeare’s Macbeth in Tighes Hill (N.S.W.) in 1961?
An Amazing Photographer of Light and Shadow Look into the penetrating eyes of Ralph Snowball. What an amazing photographer and legacy. An photographic artist who recorded the living peoples places and events in a dance of light and shadow. Inspirations We were recently visited by a beautiful couple whose surname was “Love” and wished to … More The Space Time Expanse of the Ralph Snowball Archive
On the eve of the Newcastle Premiere of Little Richard: I Am Everything at the Regal Cinema in Birmingham Gardens, here is a timeline of events and eye witness accounts relating to Richard’s famous epiphany in the middle of Newcastle Harbour when he threw his jewellery off the Stockton Punt. Sincere thanks to Rock ’n’ … More Little Richard in Australia Throwing His Rings and Jewellery Off The Stockton Punt Into Newcastle Harbour 11 October 1957 – A Timeline of Events
Acquisition of Original Newcastle 1889 Colour Lithograph Special Collections in the Auchmuty Library of the University of Newcastle (Australia) recently acquired this original colour lithograph of Newcastle NSW in 1889. Please click on the image above to access the high resolution version in exquisite detail. Many thanks to David Threlfo who produced this promotional video … More Newcastle in 1889 (The Original Colour Lithograph)
During March, Special Collections shared social media posts of some of the region’s amazing women and their contributions. We received heartfelt comments and memories about Dr Anne Von Bertouch OA (1915-2003) Anne was gallery director of the Von Bertouch Gallery 1962 – 1998 in Newcastle located in Cooks Hill. Her galleries played a big part … More Fringe Histories series- Dr Anne von Bertouch OAM
The engraving above of “Newcastle N.S.W. was published in the Supplement to “The lIlustrated Australian News for Home Readers” on the 3 November 1875. The “Key to the View of Newcastle” was published over a month later on the 29 December 1875. It was also (apparently) published in The Illustrated Sydney News of the 8 … More Newcastle in 1874
During January 2022 Dr Alison Clark from National Museums Scotland contacted HLH, she is conducting provenance research on a brass breastplate in their collection. Dr Clark would like to find out more about the individual who was given the breastplate, and asks who gave it to him, and how the breastplate came to Scotland. “The … More Aboriginal breastplate ‘Sandy, Chief of Coringori’
A possible missing piece to a historic panorama of glass negative plate photographs taken in 1906 by renown Newcastle photographer Ralph Snowball has come to light in Melbourne after 115 years. Robert Watson noticed the set of images posted on the Lost Newcastle Facebook Group by a retired Associate Professor from the University of Melbourne, … More Missing Piece of Historic 1906 Newcastle Panorama Found After 115 Years
One of the more bizarre episodes in the history of aerial photography occurred during World War I with the use of “squadrons” of homing pigeons, each equipped with a single shot camera on a time-fuse. The photograph (above) illustrates 3 different types of cameras used by the ‘pigeon squad’. History of Aerial Photography and the … More The History of Aerial Photography