Inside the Collection

Category: Exhibitions

Photograph of Opera House construction

The Opera House industry

October 18, 2013

Charles Pickett
We’ve just installed a small exhibition to mark the fortieth anniversary of Sydney Opera House on 20 October. The anniversary, by the way, is of the official 1973 opening by the Queen, not the first public performance there on the 28 September 1973, an interesting choice of dates.
Photograph detail of Doll's dress showing colour mauveine

Mauve, an unexpected discovery

October 2, 2013

Anni Turnbull
Mauveine, the first synthetic organic chemical dye, was discovered serendipitously by William Perkin in 1856. Perkin was 18 and working with Professor August Wilhelm von Hofmann, attempting to synthesise the anti-malaria drug quinine.
Photograph Anamorphic images and viewer

‘Playing with Light’, weird drawings and an anamorphic mirror

September 11, 2013

Debbie Rudder
  The excellent 'Playing with Light' exhibition opens at the Powerhouse Museum on 14 September to coincide with Ultimo Science Festival. Developed by Scitech in Perth, the exhibition invites curious visitors of all ages to interact with prisms, lenses, mirrors and colour.
Still from Kirsty Boyle’s video Ningyo

The automaton, early robot or über-puppet?

July 22, 2013

Deborah Turnbull
As one of the three ISEA2013 exhibitions closes this week, I found myself reflecting on the artworks and wondering at the possible connections to our collection.  One of the most unusual works to experience in Synapse | a selection was Kirsty Boyle’s video Ningyo.
Photograph of mannequins in a row

Whispering in the basement- Mannequins in museums

July 15, 2013

Anni Turnbull
This image above is from a series by Museum photographer, Geoff Friend capturing the secret world of mannequins. Sometimes when venturing into the basement or workshop areas, particularly late in the afternoon I feel I have interrupted murmurings between mannequins.
Photograph of Welcome to Villawood sign

Refugee Week 2013 – What’s the big deal?

June 21, 2013

Melanie Pitkin
Refugee Week (Sunday 16 June - Saturday 22nd June, 2013) is "Australia's peak annual activity to raise awareness about the issues affecting refugees and celebrate the positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society" (Refugee Week official website).
Photograph of end section of 'Day Street Boiler'

Wow – a giant exploded treasure chest!

April 29, 2013

Lynne McNairn
The other day I was walking through the museum and came across a family visiting the Steam Revolution exhibition. Their young son was racing around in typical fashion when he came to a dead stop in front of the above object and exclaimed 'Wow - a giant exploded treasure chest!!'
Photograph of 1:2 scale model of the Mars 3 spacecraft

Missing Russian spacecraft, Mars 3 may have been found

April 15, 2013

Kerrie Dougherty
When the Powerhouse Museum opened in 1988, its Space-beyond this world exhibition included several replica Soviet spacecraft on loan from the then Soviet Academy of Sciences. Amongst this collection of reproduction spacecraft was a 1:2 scale model of the USSR’s Mars 3, the first spacecraft to make a successful touchdown on the surface of Mars.
Photograph Blundstone Tap Boots 2001

Blundstone tapboots

April 3, 2013

Debbie Rudder
These boots were made for dancing. They are Blundstone work boots modified for tap dancing in the Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. Entering into the quirky, innovative spirit of Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention, I selected them for display alongside the staid historic Wellington boots that came from Britain with the exhibition.
Model of a wind turbine

Earth hour, turning off the lights

March 23, 2013

Anni Turnbull
Saturday 23rd March, 8:30-9:30 is Earth hour and it gives us a chance to turn off the lights and celebrate the dark. More than 2 million individuals and 2,000 businesses in Sydney took part in the First Earth hour in 2007.
Photograph of model in white outfit

Making it: 20 years of Student Fashion

March 13, 2013

Melanie Pitkin
2013 is an important year for the Museum. Not only are we celebrating our 25th birthday, but we’re also celebrating 20 years of Student Fashion. The Student Fashion display has been held annually at the Powerhouse Museum since 1993.