Percy and His Museum

The University’s Grainger Museum holds more than 100,000 archives and artefacts. Newly refurbished, the Museum is open to the public and is well worth visiting for a look into the highly creative, eclectic and unusual life of the Australian-born composer and pianist Percy Grainger (1882-1961). For opening times and more information see www.grainger.unimelb.edu.au.

Excitingly, this year’s City of London Festival, which is on this week, features an exhibition, lectures and a performance relating to Percy Grainger as a composer and musician. The exhibition focuses on the time that Percy lived in London in the early 20th century, and shows how significant he was in the social and artistic life of the city. For all of the details see www.colf.org/whats-on.cfm.

Above: Lee McRae, photographer, Interior of the Grainger Museum showing the towelling outfit made by Percy Grainger, c.1934, out of a bath mat and towels, 2010, Grainger Museum collection, University of Melbourne; above right: Aimé Dupont, photographer, Cordially Yrs Percy Grainger, 1917, Grainger Museum collection, University of Melbourne.