Summary

This Cinderella stamp was issued to commemorate the All-Electrical Exhibition, held at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne in 1935, to coincide with celebrations for the Centenary of Victoria.

In 1935, as Melbourne planned to celebrate the centenary of European settlement, it seemed to some that there was little to celebrate. The financial strains of the depression, unemployment and the scandal of the city's slums all undercut claims of unbridled progress. Perhaps because of such troubles, the organisers of the centenary celebrations tried doubly hard to be positive. The themes of the celebrations were conservative, reflecting the desire of some Melburnians for security in troubled times. The widely promoted image of the 'Garden City' and 'Queen City of the South' emphasised the idea of Melbourne as a very British city. A visit by the Duke of Gloucester, son of George V, the ageing king, provided a reassuring strengthening of Melbourne's imperial connections.
The All-Electrical Exhibition was one of a series of exhibitions held to promote the use of electricity, particularly in homes.

Physical Description

White rectangular thin paper label with a light adhesive coating on the back. On the front is printed a design in black, yellow and blue ink depicting a robot towering over the (Royal) Exhibition Building, which appears to be glowing. The edges of the label are perforated.

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