Summary
Empty Bishops Burgundy wine bottle, sealed with a scroll of paper inside. The bottle was drunk by John Elden, Director of Exhibition Trustees in 1967, at a Boat Show with two colleagues, Norman Gledhill and Victor Marocco. The three men then allegedly climbed the scaffolding erected at the end of the western nave for the installation of a new fan window.
The bottle features an image of the Fincham Organ which used to occupy the end of the western nave of the (Royal) Exhibition Building. Built in 1880 for the Melbourne International Exhibition, the organ never worked properly. It fell into disrepair in the mid-20th century and was removed in 1965. As the organ occupied the full height of the building, the fan window at the end of the western nave was filled in during the 1880s. Following the removal of the organ, a fan light mirroring that at the end of the eastern nave was installed in 1967.
Physical Description
Brown glass wine bottle with embedded cork. The label is white with black text and graphic. The graphic shows the Grand Organ at the Exhibition Building. The bottle has splotches of pinkish coloured paint on the side. The scroll of paper inside should be the card of Norman Gledhill.
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
Public Life & Institutions, Sustainable Futures, Royal Exhibition Building
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Mr J Elden, 1996
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Place & Date Used
Royal Exhibition Building (REB), Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1967
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Owner
Mr John C. Elden - Exhibition Building Trustees, Victoria, Australia, 1967
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Inscriptions
On label: THE BISHOPS BURGUNDY / The Melbourne International Exhibition (1880) Grand Organ. Bottom of bottle: ISM 599
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Classification
Royal exhibition building, Building & infrastructure, Restoration
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
300 mm (Height), 75 mm (Outside Diameter)
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Keywords
Bottles, Royal Exhibition Building, Wine, Organs, Scaffolding, Windows, Restoration