State Library of Queensland

Official Tumblr of the State Library of Queensland (Yes, really.)

[statelibraryqueensland]

Hello, fellow Tumblr-ites!

This blog is the official Tumblr of the State Library of Queensland. 

We are located in the Cultural Precinct at South Bank, Brisbane, Queensland, in Australia, and we are always excited to share interesting stories about our history and our people. 

You can find us on other platforms: 

Instagram | Facebook  | Flickr | Twitter | Youtube | Other blog

Our official website is HERE, and our catalogue can be accessed HERE. 

One of the coolest things about our catalogue is that not only do we work hard to digitise our oldest and most unique manuscripts and collections, but we also specify the copyright on the material right there in the catalogue, so if it’s in the public domain, you can download it (in high res!) and use it however you want. Want prints of some amazing Victorian-era botanical drawings? Vintage advertisments? Fantastic calligraphy handwriting in wartime love letters? 

They’re all yours! 

A word of warning for our content: some of the stories and images shared in our posts may contain depictions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have since passed away. This may be distressing for some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.     

[statelibraryqueensland]

I am once-again asking, unless you never got my first ask a few years ago, for book recommendations related to what led up to the convicts to be sent to Australia, like the political climate of Britain at the time, who the convicts were before they became convicts, and similar things. Been years so maybe my first ask wasn't specific enough.

Hi there, our apologies for missing your original enquiry. If you'd like to fill in our 'Ask a Librarian' online form, one of our specialist librarians will look into this topic for you. We can research your topic for up to one hour free of charge and provide you with a response within 10 working days. Here's the form - https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/services/ask-librarian

[statelibraryqueensland]

Remnants of Lost Media: A Girl Detective in 1921

This film advertisement is one of the only remaining records of the 1921 silent film Retribution, filmed in Queensland and considered to be one of the first full-length feature films made in the state. Directed by Armand Lionello and starring Thorene Adair as the suit-wearing, sharp-shooting girl detective, Retribution told the story of a young woman seeking to absolve her sister of the murder of the "Sapphire King of Anakie" and the theft of his sapphires.

There are no known surviving copies of this film, however a record of the film's script was registered for copyright in August 1921, and a copy of this script is held in the National Archives of Australia.

Original images HERE.

[statelibraryqueensland]

Happy 2024 Olympics, everyone!

Since Queensland has such a long and foundational connection to sports of all shapes and sizes, we thought we would highlight some of our favourite vintage sporting illustrations from the collection. These images and thousands more can be accessed through our collection here: LINK

Credit: Illustrated covers of The Queenslander newspaper, 1928, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

[statelibraryqueensland]

Neon sign for the Surfer's Paradise Hotel, Gold Coast, 1973

27302 John Gollings Gold Coast Photographs, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image number 27302-0001-0023.

(view the collection here: LINK)

[statelibraryqueensland]

Neon sign for the Pink Poodle Motel, Gold Coast, 1973

27302 John Gollings Gold Coast Photographs, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image number 27302-0001-0023.

(view the collection here: LINK)

[statelibraryqueensland]

In times of war, our furry companions often work side by side with armed forces. In World War One, dogs were used as part of the Red Cross to bring wounded soldiers away from the frontlines, smaller dogs would live amongst the trenches as "ratters" to keep vermin populations and disease lower, and messenger dogs would run communications from the trenches to deliver information up the chain of command.

In 1943, the Dickin medal was created to award displays of outstanding gallantry or service by animals in wartime. According to the Australian War Memorial (Source), 74 animals have been recipients of this honour, and of those 74, 37 were dogs.

Image credit: Page 21 of The Queenslander Pictorial, supplement to The Queenslander, 10 March 1917 (link to catalogue record)

[statelibraryqueensland]

Merry Christmas from State Library, if it’s something you celebrate! 

Christmas in Australia,  Negative number: 153336 (LINK)

[statelibraryqueensland]

Here's prosperity: Santa Claus holds up a large watering can to catch the falling rain.

In Queensland, Christmas is known as a time of hot weather and often much-needed summer storms. Many Queenslanders mark the celebration by taking family trips to the beach to beat the heat. 

Illustrated front cover from The Queenslander, December 20, 1928. (LINK)

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Christmas poster featuring a koala dressed in Santa hat and boots ca 1920. (LINK)

[statelibraryqueensland]

Christmas cards have faced a somewhat disappointing process of homogeneity throughout the 20th and 21st Century, so we will be sharing several of our colourful and somewhat odd Christmas cards of years past for the weeks leading up to Christmas!

Christmas greetings from Queensland, Negative number: 193102 (LINK)

[nando161mando]

oops! it seems i tripped and dropped several million free books, papers, and other resources

https://annas-archive.org

https://sci-hub.se

https://z-lib.is

https://libgen.is

https://libgen.rs

https://www.pdfdrive.com

https://library.memoryoftheworld.org

https://monoskop.org/Monoskop

https://libcom.org

https://libretexts.org

http://classics.mit.edu

https://librivox.org

https://standardebooks.org

https://www.gutenberg.org

https://core.ac.uk

[statelibraryqueensland]

Great resources! May we add a few more?

https://archive.org/

https://trove.nla.gov.au/

Do you enjoy free, open source, high resolution images of some of the most spectacular artworks in history? That you can use for whatever you want including commercial work?

https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/rijksstudio?ii=0&p=0&from=2023-11-20T02%3A30%3A57.86552

How about high resolution downloadable photographs with clearly defined copyright, scanned historical texts, maps, journals, and manuscript letters?

https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/

and, if you can, don't forget to sign up to your own library!

Public, State, and even National Libraries get subscriptions to paid archival resources and online databases, and supply those resources to you completely for free. For every use by library members, libraries are able to prove their importance to the community and thereby continue to receive funding to keep supplying you with free access to those resources.

[statelibraryqueensland]

Well that's certainly one way to deal with those pesky bin chickens!

Recipe for stewed ibis, excerpt from Australian enquiry book of household and general information : a practical guide for the cottage, villa and bush home : recipes and information upon everything and for everybody by Mrs Lance Rawson.

Published in 1894, this book contains instructions on everything from building your own homestead to cooking the local Queensland wildlife. You can access the whole book for free online HERE.

[statelibraryqueensland]

Happy October, everyone!

We're deep in the heart of spring here in the Southern Hemisphere, but we're still getting into the spooky spirit of the Harvest season for our Northern Hemisphere friends!

Reverend Klundenst standing amongst local produce during a Harvest Festival at Beaudesert Methodist Church, Beaudesert, Queensland, ca. 1915. 30119 Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Queensland Records 1884-2005, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, image number 30119-0076-0001.

View the image in high res here: LINK

[statelibraryqueensland]

Happy Spooky Season!

Pumpkin harvesting on a farm near Marburg, 1920, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Negative number 39973.

View the image in high res here: LINK

[statelibraryqueensland]

There is something uniquely charming about historical photos of fancy dress costumes. Amongst this group of creatively dressed individuals are Miss Muffet, Jack and Jill, and Little Red Riding Hood. But our personal favourites are the witchy little ladies at the back.

Costume day at St. James' Presbyterian Church Sunday School, Bowen, ca. 1912, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Negative number: 25394.

You can access the high res of this image here: LINK

[statelibraryqueensland]

Our librarians have decided, without reading any of the 16th century Latin, that this image must be attempting to portray… A monkfish.

Illustration from the Ortus Sanitatis: de herbis & plantis (1511). From the Rare Books Collection, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

Source

[statelibraryqueensland]

What on earth did we miss in Our Flag Means Death for this to be a spoiler?