I came across a wonderful free exhibition yesterday at the State Library of Victoria. If you can make it, I highly recommend it. It’s showing until 31st October 2010.The exhibition is called ‘’Til you drop – Shopping a Melbourne History’ and on display are a number of fantastic items including an old cash register, paper shopping bags and fashion catalogues.
It includes interesting historical facts, beautiful images and objects from shopping in Melbourne dating back as far as 1880. I've placed some images from the exhibition in the post.
I detest shopping. The main reason being, that there is too much choice. What I love about the
idea of shopping in bygone eras, is that there was not nearly so much to choose from. There is a lovely book called Jane Austen’s Sewing Box – craft projects and stories from Jane Austen’s novels by Jennifer Forest. In the introduction it says ‘It was an era when thrift was a virtue and for many women living in the country, a trip to a major town or city was required to purchase the latest fabrics and yarns...It was usual practice to select dress fabric... and then take it to a dress maker to be made up.’ I can think of nothing more divine!Austen does not write much about shopping itself. In many film recreations of stories from the Regency Era, you often find characters carefully considering purchases such as books or lace at a little shop in town. Once the items have been chosen, their purchases are wrapped neatly in brown paper and presented to their new owner. I can truly think of no finer way of shopping.
248 days remaining, 18 books to go.
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