Inside the Collection

Photograph of Australian-made Braille note-taker, the Jot a Dot

Beyond the object: collecting design process material

February 18, 2013

Debbie Rudder
This neat Australian-made Braille note-taker, the Jot a Dot,  is on display in the Powerhouse Museum's version of Wallace & Gromit's World of Invention. I selected it to complement the story of inventor Louis Braille, which came with the exhibition but without any objects.
Photograph Clare Hotel, 2010

The Clare is closing

February 13, 2013

Charles Pickett
The Clare Hotel on Broadway is closing this year. It will open again, but not as the comfortably crumpled venue of recent times. The Clare’s past and likely future are reflective of the fortunes of Sydney pubs.
Photograph of expedition to establish first Observatory on Kosciuszko

Expedition to establish first Meteorological Observatory Kosciuszko, 1897

February 11, 2013

Geoff Barker
There are numerous ways in which information is added to our collection. One of the most obvious is a result of the work done by staff to update our records but another important source of information comes as a result of the continual enquiries and suggestions from the general public.
Photograph Chinese Charm Longevity

Happy Lunar New Year, Year of the Snake

February 10, 2013

Min-Jung Kim
The Lunar New Year is the most significant annual celebration for Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures. Today (10th of February 2013) is the Lunar New Year better known as Chinese New Year, and begins 'The Year of Black Snake'.
Photograph Sydney Convention Centre, 1988

Demolishing Darling Harbour

February 6, 2013

Charles Pickett
You might have read recently in the Sydney Morning Herald about the planned demolition of Sydney Convention Centre at Darling Harbour. The Centre’s architect John Andrews is not surprisingly unimpressed that another of his Australian designs is under threat after a mere 25 years of use.
Photograph of Christina Summer showing textiles

Farewell to curator, Christina Sumner, OAM

February 4, 2013

Anne-Marie Van de Ven
On the eve of of Christina Sumner's departure we asked her a few questions about her experiences at the Museum over the last 28 years. What have you enjoyed the most about working in the Museum? Always always always it's been the people and the collection.
Official portrait of the Apollo 1 crew

“Sometimes, when we reach for the stars, we fall short…”

February 1, 2013

Kerrie Dougherty
The end of January and beginning of February is always tinged with sadness for those interested in space flight, for it is within this period that the anniversaries occur of the three US space disasters that resulted in the loss of astronaut lives.
Photograph of Keith Hensel and Breville Citrus Press

In memory of Keith Hensel, Australian product designer

January 25, 2013

Angelique Hutchison
Keith Hensel was principal designer at Breville, and previously a designer with Sunbeam and Nielsen Design Associates. For more than 20 years he had been involved in designing household products from lighting to kettles, toasters to toothbrushes.
Portrait of Sir Henry Parkes

Henry Parkes, Father of Australian Federation

January 23, 2013

Geoff Barker
Sir Henry Parkes was one of Australia's more significant politicians and journalists. He is often referred to as the 'father of federation' due to his efforts advocating for the federation of the six individual colonies of Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia).