Symposium: Prints, Printmaking and Philanthropy

As part of the 50th anniversary of the Harold Wright and Sarah and William Holmes scholarships, a forthcoming symposium will be one of the largest gatherings of print scholars, curators, artists and collectors in Australia. Prints, Printmaking and Philanthropy: a symposium celebrating 50 years of The Harold Wright and The Sarah and William Holmes Scholarships features a three-day program which encompasses four keynote lectures, ten sessions, two masterclasses, a book launch, and a viewing of the exhibition, Horizon Lines: the ambitions of a Print Collection.

Department of Prints and Drawings study room, British Museum.
Department of Prints and Drawings study room, British Museum.

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Conserving Dürer’s woodcut “The Knight and the lansquenet”

Grimwade Senior Paper Conservator, Libby Melzer, with student conservator, Laura Daenke preparing the print for washing.
Grimwade Senior Paper Conservator, Libby Melzer, with student conservator, Laura Daenke preparing the print for washing.

The Poynton Collection forms part of the highly regarded Baillieu Library Print Collection, which over the years has invaluably contributed to the teaching of academic disciplines at the University of Melbourne (Anderson 2011, p. 5; Inglis 2011, p. 105). The collection is home to one of Albrecht Dürer’s enigmatic early woodcuts, The Knight and the lansquenet (c. 1496). This magnificent woodcut by the master printmaker depicts a knight on horseback and a lansquenet (foot soldier) in the woods. Unfortunately, a past attempt at repairing several prominent tears caused considerable aesthetic and physical damage. Consequently, the woodcut was deemed not suitable for exhibition without extensive conservation treatment.

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UMA’s tribute to John Ellis, Activist Archivist Photographer

Deputy University Archivist Sue Fairbanks attended the Memorial for John Ellis in Geelong, Sunday 11 August.

Sue’s Tribute.

John Ellis at the exhibition launch for
Protest! Archives from the University of Melbourne,
Leigh Scott Gallery, Baillieu Library,
20 February 2013,
Photographer: Michael Silver

I first met John Ellis in 1991 when I was the newly appointed Labour Archivist at the University of Melbourne Archives (UMA). One of my first projects was to negotiate the purchase of John’s photographs of the peace and protest movements in Melbourne from the 1970s on. Over the next 30 years I came to understand how constant and deep John’s dedication to the peace and left movements was. He was the best example of an Activist Archivist – he was both a participant and documenter for nearly 50 years.

The legacy of his activism at UMA dates from the early 1990s. We now hold 10 acquisitions from him – 3 tranches of his photo collection; his poster collection; 2 of his exhibitions; his early participation in the Moorabbin Peace Action Committee; and his activism through music, one of his other great passions.  He also encouraged other organisations to preserve and deposit their records. Thanks to him and Romina Beitseen we hold the second tranche of the records of the Committee for International Cooperation and Disarmament (CICD); the International Bookshop; and the Eureka Youth League.

John and his great comrade, Les Dalton, volunteered at the UMA for many years. Les catalogued the records of the peace movement and the Peace Parsons such as the Rev. Alf Dickie. John’s speciality, of course, was photography and he photographed his way through his own the poster collection and those of the Victorian Trades Hall Council, the CICD, and the Communist Party of Australia. John also knew the importance of celebrating the achievements of the people who participated in the peace and left movements with him. He held the ‘Stand up’ exhibition in 1998 which subsequently toured through nine galleries to 2004. His ‘Speak Out’ exhibition at the Brunswick Town Hall in 2006 was a collaboration with the UMA. His last exhibition was on activism in Queenscliff.

When John moved to Queenscliff, we joked that he was retiring from his retirement. Of course, he did no such thing. I remember visiting John and his partner Dianne when I was 7 months pregnant with my twins. We discussed and set up a database for him to catalogue his photos into. My twin daughters are now 18 years old – that is another 18 years of Activist Archivism for John and Dianne. During these years John wanted his work to continue and passed the baton for photographing left events to Peter Love: he has entrusted Dianne with depositing more of his legacy with the UMA. But maybe it will take a village of Activist Archivists to replace John and his dedication. UMA owes John a huge debt of gratitude.

I give my condolences and those of the UMA to Dianne and John’s family. Rest in Peace John.

Sue Fairbanks

Deputy Archivist,

University of Melbourne Archives

Horizon Lines: Copyright Infringement and Collaboration

The Baillieu Print Collection contains over 9,000 works of art including pieces by Rembrandt, Dürer and the Australian artist, Lionel Lindsay. Some of the highlights of the collection are shown in the newly opened exhibition Horizon Lines: The Ambitions of a Print Collection. Having visited the exhibition, I can thoroughly recommend it and thought I would share some of my thoughts.
The exhibition is being held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Harold Wright and Sarah & William Holmes scholarships, which sponsor Australian and New Zealand scholars to go to the British Museum to study the print collection. The scholarships aim to promote collaboration between institutions in Britain and Australia and New Zealand. Notably, this latest exhibition features several replicas and drawings of objects from the British Museum collections.

Erin Holder visits Horizon lines exhibition.
Erin Holder visits Horizon lines exhibition.

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New exhibition and lightning talks: Horizon lines

View into the exhibition "Horizon lines" Noel Shaw Gallery
View into the exhibition “Horizon lines” Noel Shaw Gallery

Horizon lines: the ambitions of a print collection is a new exhibition in the Baillieu Library. It is staged as one of the activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Harold Wright and Sarah and William Holmes scholarships, awards enabling print scholars from Australia or New Zealand to examine prints at the British Museum. The exhibition begins on the ground floor with a display on Harold Wright, London print seller and connoisseur, and the etchings from his personal collection. In the Noel Shaw Gallery on the first floor, the main exhibition unfolds with works of art from the Baillieu Library Print Collection featuring Northern and Italian Renaissance printmakers, such as Albrecht Dürer, and Dutch Republic prints, including Rembrandt, as well as the etching revival.

Come along on Tuesday 20th of August at 12:00 noon to hear print room interns speak about their discoveries and insights into selected prints in the exhibition.

Inside the exhibition "Horizon lines" Noel Shaw Gallery
Inside the exhibition “Horizon lines” Noel Shaw Gallery

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