The National Library of Australia has launched a tax time donation appeal to support the digitisation of its performing arts collections.
Director-General of the Library, Marie-Louise Ayres said the National Library wanted to shine a spotlight on its performing arts collections.
“After several challenging years when gathering together for live performance has been precious and rare, it’s been wonderful to be able to go out again,” Dr Ayres said.
“So many memorable moments from our performing arts history are contained within the National Library, and we want to digitise this content so Australians everywhere can discover more about the stars of the past – or even look up the details of a performance they once attended.”
She said among the artists whose stories the Library wished to share were Rose Quong (1879–1972), a Chinese-Australian actor who found fame overseas; Winifred Atwell (1914–1983), ‘The Amazing Miss A’, a ragtime piano player who was the first woman to perform on stage at the Sydney Opera House; and Bobby and Gracie Le Brun whose papers captured the story of Australian vaudeville.
“The story of Bobby and Gracie le Brun is the story of popular entertainment before television was in every home,” Dr Ayres said.
“From 1949 to 1961, they toured the east coast of Australia with Sorlie’s Travelling Vaudeville Show, travelling 24,000 kilometres a year,” the Director-General said.
“With a collection that includes Bobby’s diaries from 1924 to 1985, photographs, scrapbooks, posters and record collections, this collection will resonate with people living in every city and town in Australia.”
Director of Philanthropy at the Library, Conor McCarthy said the National Library had been a leader in making cultural content available online through Trove, a resource that was used by millions of Australians every year.
“Philanthropic support has helped us to make even more material from our collections available on Trove, including everything from Australian almanacs, to cookery books, to fashion photography, to political archives,” Dr McCarthy said.
He said the Library hoped to raise $250,000 to help digitise its performing arts collection and bring the material online.
Further information on the National Library’s 2022 Appeal can be accessed at this PS News link.
