Inside the Collection

Examining a slide rule for collection documentation in the museum store

Clocks, rocks and phonographs: A Curatorial Intern experience

October 3, 2018

Sarah Reeves
I'm currently finishing up a 3-month internship in the Curatorial department of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS). I embarked on this three-month internship without any background in museum work or studies.
Kimberley Bezuidenhout at the entrance to the 'Interface: people, machines, design' exhibition

What’s this doing in a museum?

September 26, 2018

Kimberley Bezuidenhout
Week 11 as an intern at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. No sign of life in the objects. Starting to think that basing my expectations on ‘Night at the Museum’ was unrealistic. Although, I have only been here during the day, so I won’t write that off just yet.
Front view of men's vest

Behind the scenes: Museum object detective work

September 19, 2018

Vanessa Thorne
Some of the rewarding aspects of the exhibition development process involve content development such as writing the storyline and text for labels and theme panels, and researching and selecting objects.
Graphic of MAAS Ask a Curator Day schedule

Ask a Curator Day 2018

September 11, 2018

Sarah Reeves
The Museum staff have a huge job caring for our enormous collection of over 500,000 objects. Our team includes experts in a vast range of areas, including: fashion, health and medicine, architecture, engineering, sciences, design, decorative arts, technologies and contemporary culture.
Presenter Dr Graeme Phillips explains the finer points of time travel.

How to build a time machine

September 5, 2018

Sarah Reeves
Back in January, the Catalyst team from the ABC approached us about using some of the Museum's clocks in an upcoming episode of their show. They were producing an episode entitled ‘How To Build A Time Machine', which would delve into the nature of time, whether time travel could ever become a reality, and what rules you'd want to follow if you did indeed find yourself in possession of a working time machine.
A steam engine with a large flywheel on display in the Powerhouse Museum

Industrial Revolution in Australia – impact on manufacturing in the 1800s

August 29, 2018

Margaret Simpson
When we think of the Industrial Revolution in Britain with its steam engines powering machines, the mass production of goods, thousands of poor farming families leaving the countryside to work in 'satanic' mills and factories and the rise of the wealthy middle class, it's hard to see how this could be applied to Australia.
Advertising brochure for the 48/215 Holden (FX).

The 1950s Australian Dream – Holdens, Victas and Mixmasters

August 22, 2018

Margaret Simpson
After the hardship and deprivation of the 1930s and the anxiety and rationing of the 1940s, Australia experienced great optimism, growth and prosperity in the 1950s. During this decade three Australian-made products were manufactured which became icons in our cultural history, Holden cars, Victa lawnmowers and Sunbeam Mixmasters.
Female Scientist Lego display

Shifting the balance

August 15, 2018

Tilly Boleyn
The Museum has so many wonderful toys in the collection. Looking through the collection online is a journey filled with memories, delightful surprises and the occasional stuff of nightmares. Toys send strong messages to kids about what they should be interested in and what they can aspire to.
Photograph of Sarah Reeves on the surface of a large radio telescope dish.

So you want a career in Science?

August 8, 2018

Sarah Reeves
The Inside the Collection blog is normally devoted to bringing our readers stories about objects from the Museum's unique collection, and our latest exhibitions, and the amazing staff who make it all happen.
A set of six reusable pads made from blue floral fabric.

The Modern Period: Menstrual products of the 21st century

August 1, 2018

Elizabeth Doepel
I recently completed a project in the Curatorial department at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences under the supervision of curator Tilly Boleyn. Tilly specialises in the fields of science, health and medicine.
Catalina Frigate Bird II on display at the Powerhouse Museum

Holograms and History

July 25, 2018

Arul Baskaran

Imagine a museum where objects come to life as you walk amongst them. With augmented reality technology, that’s becoming possible, enabling visitors to explore museum exhibits and artefacts in new ways.