Summary

This series of three exhibition labels from the Museum of Applied Science includes two graphic panels showing the open cut mine, north shaft, residue dump and mine dump of the mine surface working at Broken Hill, circa 1950.
Another illustrates an overlay of leases, a sectional block diagram and longitudinal projection showing ore tonnage distribution in the Broken Hill Lode. The large text panel accompanied a scale model of the Broken Hill Lode model and explores the value and treatment of ore, the company's mining it, and the future of the mine.

Significance

The labels in the Historic Exhibition Labels Collection illustrate the changing styles in didactic interpretation, aesthetics and approaches to audiences engagement throughout the history of Museums Victoria. From the earliest days of the National Museum of Victoria in the mid 1800s through the various incarnations of the Applied Sciences collection through to the amalgamation of all branches into Museums Victoria, the labels chart a course through changes in audience needs and desires and across the museums various sites. There are beautiful examples of hand written nineteenth century labels, some examples of extremely long didactic panels from the early twentieth century and rare and unusual fonts in the mid twentieth century. The collection also illustrates the transition from hand-written labels to the use of typewriter, then Letraset and ultimately printed labels, culminating in the large format digital print room being introduced at Melbourne Museum in 2000.

More Information