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For this post I was privileged to excursion into two Special Collections in academic libraries. Kindly assisted by some Special Librarians, I was fortunate to discover and view some remarkable and rare material.
The College of Domestic Economy -Australian Institute of Domestic Economy- Emily McPherson College- RMIT
My main curiosity has been about library material belonging to the former Emily McPherson College (EMC). Two particular books document earlier history of what became known as The College of Domestic Economy, established in 1906, in Lonsdale St with 12 students. A thrilling discovery central to my topic was a photograph taken at the Athenaeum Hall (originally known as the Melbourne Mechanics Institute, established 1839) Having been in the Athenaeum archives during my 2011 student placement in the library, I understand the limitations of this facility, hence have not sought to research there for this project, due to time constraints. “The Weekly Times of 27 August, 1904, carried a half page photograph captioned ‘Opening demonstration of the Australian Institute of Domestic Economy’. The flashlight picture shows the interior of the Athenaeum Hall Collins Street, Melbourne, filled with a capacity house of fashionably dressed women, and with a front row of armchairs occupied by ladies prominent in Melbourne society.” (Docherty 1981, p.7-8) The lower hall seated 800 people plus 150 in the balcony.
Later known as The Australian Institute of Domestic Economy, as a result of a brief visit by Mr William McPherson, Treasurer of Victoria, provision was made in the Budget of 1923 for the erection of a new college designed to meet considerably greater numbers and then Sir William and Lady McPherson also gifted £25,000 toward the project. “Simple and inspiring in appearance, it was actually the first building in the city to be awarded the prize by the Institute of Architects for the best modern building.” (Goodchild 1930, p.15).
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The NLA holds five EMC publications: a 1945 textbook ,a recipe book, the 1981 history, a 1947 commemorative history edition of the student magazine, and Souvenir : the official opening of the Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy, 27th April, 1927 : in the presence of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York
Some history of the college can be found among the RMIT Heritage pages in the website, detailing that “the Emily McPherson College was the principal centre of domestic science teaching in Victoria. It is also significant as the first institution in Victoria specifically established for training teachers and others in domestic economy”
The current website reference tells us that “In 1979 the college was amalgamated with RMIT, teaching finance, food science and tourism.” Mention of Home Economics (Dip.App.Sci) as it was known when I studied it there in 1982 is notable by its absence; could this be perhaps because the course no longer exists? I’ve not investigated when that course ended, as beyond personal curiosity, this is not integral information to this research project. According the website, RMIT Archives only commenced in 1995 which may be a clue as to some of the gaps I’ve discovered between now and when the last college history was published in book form in 1981; although the book also fails to mention that course particularly by that title, so there remains no evidence of it in any official history to date!
So what is to be found regarding library material belonging to the Emily McPherson College? The 1981 history by Docherty has only two references, the more specific being a ¾ page piece sub-titled The Library in the final chapter about the last decade up to 1979, sandwiched between Staff Newsletter (given a whole page space) and Administration (book chapters are organised in eras according to the Headmistresses). I was very disappointed that neither the library nor the staff mentioned, merited an entry in the index! Particularly when we consider the unique significance of the breadth of work, such as this conclusion to the piece “…the Library was also complementing the work of the Home Economics Advisory Service. Calls for inter-library loans were also being received from State and Federal government departments, from industry and from universities and colleges as far afield as Perth.” (Docherty 1981, p.259).
This entry also explains that “Mr John Ward, Chief Librarian RMIT, visited the Emily McPherson College in 1977 and gave it as his opinion that the EMC Library represented a special collection that should be kept intact.” (Docherty 1981, p.259).
Onward 35 years finds library material belonging to The Emily McPherson Collection catalogued and housed in four areas of RMIT. Some material such as the college journals with such quaint names as Palate and Petticoat and Needle and Knife, is in archival storage at the Bundoora campus, although the OPAC does not actually detail this (when I requested to view these, the applied science liaison librarian needed to contact other staff to locate it). Most of the material is catalogued with 2 call numbers: SPE indicating Special Collection and RAC for Restricted Access. The SPE are not included as a collection in the website listings. Some material (such as the 2 college histories, one signed by the author) lives in the Rare Books Room of the Swanston Library, where I was given access to view these and work. This room is located behind and managed by the Reference and Research counter, but not featured or otherwise apparent through the website, which I think is a shame as the structure adds an air of authenticism to the aesthetic of the library. Most of the EMC food and beverages collection is shelved on view in locked glass wall cases on the 6th floor above, adjacent to the Dewey classified shelves area of the general collection, where some other EMC material has been absorbed.
There are 2 lists available (1 being some 20 pages of books and the other listing the contents of 13 Pamphlet Boxes) which were kindly emailed by the Applied Science Liaison Librarian when I initially enquired about what happened to the collection since the college closed. The books are sorted by call number so it is apparent that as would be expected, the majority of the holdings are within the 640s of the DDC. Strangely, the 1981 college history (Docherty) is not included, which seems to be an oversight, given that later material is listed. Significantly the final item listed (and of the latest date) is [Papers], McPherson, Ethel Margaret, 1990, RAC FOL 808.85 M172 and the only item in the 800s. As I wasn’t able to borrow the book in time to research more thoroughly, I’ve not been able to establish her exact association, beyond (presumed) descendant of the McPherson benefactors; but Ethel contributed the Foreword to the history, in her capacity as “Formerly President of the Council” (Docherty 1981, p. vi).
The earliest piece in the EMC collection is a French dictionary of confectionery published in 1751 and there are other 18th and also 19th century holdings. The provenance of these items fascinates me, but is probably now lost to undocumented history. It would take more detailed research trawling through the catalogues and archives, to establish what might be the oldest locally authored and/or published holdings. This example highlights the consideration around further delving, ie, to what purpose? How necessary is this information? Is further research and documentation valid for the sake of posterity and who has the authority to decide and deliver?
William Angliss Institute - Learning Resource Centre - Special Collections
A visit to the Special Collections of the William Angliss Institute (WAI) Learning Resource Centre (LRC) has so far been the highlight of this project. The library isn’t readily apparent on the college website, as it took me a while to realise what the LRC meant! The website is apparently slated for reorganisation. Ebooks are offered in the library catalogue. The 1990 book of the college history was not available to view or borrow whilst I was there but I found the cover image from Google Images via the NLA.
| William Angliss College : the first 50 years by Kathy Nunn, 1990 |
There are 5 distinct collections here with information about each on the website along with some digitised material and links. For instance the Menu Collection links to 2 of the most significant international online collections. A recently arrived menu collection from the Melbourne Town Hall is currently in preservation and awaiting cataloguing.
Archival storage is in another building and it is here that preservation work occurs. Other ephemera, realia and memorabilia are also stored here, especially some fascinating items from college history, including tablewear, crockery, silverwear, plaques and other trophies and photographs.
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Antique menus hang on wall display around the main LRC area and other material in case displays, so I enjoyed seeing heritage material thus honoured. And the WAI LRC also contains some Emily McPherson College material!
Monash University - Sir Louis Matheson Library- Rare Books Collection
A website search reveals the Collection Overview which explains that the Rare Books Collection contains materials that are considered rare and in need of special care because of their age, uniqueness or physical beauty. Nineteen headings list the special collection areas, many relative to libraries and books about books. In 2010 I visited their Lewd and Scandalous Books exhibition, the full colour illustrated catalogue of which I now treasure. This is just one of many past exhibitions generously featured on the website.
Unfortunately I didn’t get to the 2011 exhibition relative to this project, Cookbooks : The Sandy Michell Collection, however a Virtual Exhibition is still accessible and much information is displayed and provided with 107 digitised items! and also most conveniently, item links to the catalogue search entries and electronic availability. About 21 items – a fifth of the exhibition - are Australian pieces. It would take more work than I have time available to establish which items are relative to the Melbourne and Victorian history that interests me here, however I was delighted to find, not only another connection to the Melbourne Athenaeum, but more evidence of publisher/bookseller George Robertson (refer post 4) and Chef Wilkinson, referred to in Flavours of Melbourne as "the author of Melbourne's first cookbook..." (O'Brien 2008, p.115) which had been a burning question for this project. Appropriately the answer was in a book. However Hoyle as I later discovered, doesn't (make this claim, nor offer any State-based statistics) referring to it as "...our first Australian cookery book on Gas cooking..." (Hoyle 2010, p.10)
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| The Australian cook by Alfred J. Wilkinson 1876 |
The exhibition Introduction by Alexandra Michell explains that “The Monash Cookbook Collection is quickly becoming an important one worldwide, many thanks to Richard Overell and his dedicated staff in the Rare Books section in the Matheson Library. It now covers a large range of books from mainly France, England and Australia, dating from 1654 to the present day.”
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| Particular Picnics by Alexandra Michell, 1985 |
Another exhibition item relates to the RMIT history, when the Working Men’s College opened in 1887, another tangent among many that I’m unable to pursue within my time constraints for this project. However I did find it listed 11th by Hoyle in the Chronological Index. Eleven of the first 20 books in this index were published in Victoria. (Hoyle 2010, p.389)
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