Summary

Dining chair used at Kuni's Japanese Restaurant, Melbourne, during the 1970s. Kuni's Japanese restaurant was opened in 1977 by Japanese migrant Kunihiro Ichikawa, who arrived in Melbourne as a student in 1974. It has remained one of Melbourne's earliest and longest running Japanese restaurants and Kunihiro's continued involvement has overseen the maintenance of Japanese cultural traditions through its menu, cooking style, interior design and methods of food presentation and service.

Description of Content

Brown leather photo album with Egyptian design images etched in relief on front and back covers. Tan leather edging around cover. Inside front and back cover have stippled surfaces. Inside spine bound with brown leather strap threaded through two punch holes. 15 single sided stiff black card pages, each with four small sepia photographs attached with four brown paper photo corners. Each page has a title, date and each image a caption, all hand written in white ink. Every page is interleaved with off white (discoloured) tissue paper. The album commences at Tilbury dock, London, 25/2/1947 and progresses through Gibralta, north African coast, Port Said, Suez Canal, Aden, Ceylon (Colombo and Candy), Perth, and concludes in Melbourne at Warburton and Albert Park Lake, 27/3/1947. Images also include deck scenes and activities, and images of George Palmer, his wife Gertie and their daughters, Shirley and Lesley.

Physical Description

Pine wooden chair with brown vinyl seat.

Significance

This collection represents one story within the important cultural and social narrative of the evolution of food and cooking traditions in Melbourne. These traditions have been particularly influenced over time by waves of migration and the gradually evolving sophistication of the local palate. These small businesses have also provided a significant way migrants have supported families and established themselves in the community.

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