Behind the Scenes

Whispering in the basement- Mannequins in museums

July 15, 2013

This image above is from a series by Museum photographer, Geoff Friend capturing the secret world of mannequins. Sometimes when venturing into the basement or workshop areas, particularly late in the afternoon I feel I have interrupted murmurings between mannequins.

Technologies that changed our mind

July 10, 2013

If you could nominate just one technology that's changed your life, what would it be? There are plenty that we wouldn't want to live without, but some technologies have affected us so profoundly that they've changed the way we think.

Photograph of Microscope and Camera Lucida

Old New Media, Techniques of the Old Masters re-visited through electronic art, ISEA2013

July 3, 2013

This Thursday, 4 July from 6-9pm, the Museum will host 'Electric Dreams', a late night event dedicated to electronic art, one of the public programs for the 19th International Symposium of Electronic Art, ISEA 2013.

Julian Tenison Woods, spiritual advisor to Mary McKillop

May 13, 2013

Behind the scenes at the Powerhouse, a team of people has been chipping away at a coalface. They are mining the collection. As part of a TAM (Total Asset Management) project, they are digitising early acquisition records to make sure the collection database contains a record of every item collected since the beginning of the Museum in 1882.

Discovery of 400 World War One Photographic Portraits

April 24, 2013

Sometimes museum work can take a long time to bear fruit and this collection of World War One portraits is a case-in-point. For most of the twentieth century they were buried within the huge collection acquired by James Tyrrell, the Sydney bookstore owner.

Photograph of Glass diorama, 'Little Known Facts'

How do you package and send glass objects to Washington State ?

April 22, 2013

Very carefully. This was the dilemma that 2 conservators and 2 registrars were recently faced with. To ensure a safe transit, each of the beautiful delicate glass objects has had a padded acid –free box made for it.

Photograph of Early Daimler petrol engine

National Historical Machinery Rally, Mudgee 2013

April 19, 2013

Mudgee is the place to be from 19th to 21st April. Historic engines and tractors will be there in force, but there will be a lot more to interest visitors, from Clydesdale horses to old-style games for children.

Photograph of the Mr Taylor recovered glass plate negative

Doing jigsaws at work, recapturing an 1880s image

March 20, 2013

Most people don't have the patience to attempt what our recent intern, Amir Mogadam from the Universtiy of Newcastle has just finished – probably one of the most challenging jigsaws you’re ever likely to see.

Trial by Fire – the formation of the Powerhouse Museum’s collections from the ashes of the Garden Palace

March 4, 2013

The story of the creation of the Powerhouse museum starts with the project to host an international exhibition in the grounds of the Sydney Domain in 1879. Based on similar displays in London and Paris it drew from around the world all manner of objects relating to the industrial and applied arts.These were all to be housed in the ‘Garden Palace’ exhibition building, which was designed in a week and built in less than a year.

Explosion… A Sony Mavica guide to digital migration

December 19, 2012

This camera, a Sony Mavica FD-91 is a remarkable display object, as testified by more than a decade on display in our Cyberworlds gallery. Not only was it purchased and purposefully dismantled (or exploded) to display the mechanism and electronic engineering of the camera, but it stands as a crossover piece between things that are built from materials (plastics, metals, electronics) and things that are birthed from objects like it; things that are ‘born digital.’ It was collected and remains an important teaching tool for a range of age groups.

Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention: Victa mower

November 12, 2012

Why is this lawnmower being checked out and spruced up in the Powerhouse Museum’s conservation lab? The answer is it’s one a diverse group of objects I’ve selected to add to the whacky mix of stories, ideas and activities in the upcoming exhibition Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention.

Tales of a travelling platypus, supporting regional museums

October 31, 2012

Bright and early on a Monday morning in September, Conservators Carey Ward and Vanessa Pitt made the long and sometimes bumpy ride in the Powerhouse Museum (PHM) truck to Alstonville Plateau. Carey and Vanessa had been given the task of taking a very special A category object to the Crawford House Museum - a rare platypus skin rug made from the pelts of approximately 80 platypuses, and bordered in possum fur, backed by soft felt.

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