Session Two

Next week – 16^th of March we are visiting

Museums Victoria Moreland Annexe: 10 Cameron Street, Coburg.

You need to be there at 9.30 sharp – we will not wait for people.

How to get there:

By Tram: Catch the North Coburg tram from Elizabeth Street / Royal Parade / Sydney Road – take it to just past the Moreland Road intersection. Get off and walk west. Cameron Street runs parallel to the train line.

By Train: Catch the Upfield line Train pass Anstey station and get off at the next station - Moreland station – walk east and the Annexe is directly opposite the station.

What is the Moreland Annexe?

Essentially it is an enormous warehouse where Museums Victoria (the governing body of all Victorian Museums) stores, catalogues and conserves the tens of thousands of artefacts that are in the collection and are not on public display.

We will mainly be looking at the domestic technology collection, but will see other aspects of the collection.

What you need to bring:

• A digital camera
• A visual diary / journal
• A pen

What you need to look for:

You will be looking for a “designed” artefact that catches your interest. This artefact will form the basis of your “ingenious” case study. We will return to the archive later in the semester so that you can more closely examine you object. You will have to take notes, photos and do quick sketches.

We will spend about two hours inside the collection – and then return to RMIT for the afternoon Community Lecture

Things to between now and then:

1. LEARNING CONTRACT: I need you to think about the tutorial / course and write a ONE page Contract that outlines your level of commitment and aspirational grading (pass, credit, distinction, high distinction)

This must be typed and printed and have your full name, year level and student number – Bring it next week.

2. Go to another museum and look for the ways in which artefacts are used to tell stories about a particular historical and social context / phenomenon. Think about what perspectives are left out of or included in the narrative – who does the object “speak about”?
3. Watch “collectors” on ABC TV Friday evening at 8pm. Go to the program website and explore: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/collectors/
4. BOOK TEAM: Find examples of book design that you think are interesting.
5. EXHIBITION TEAM: Find examples of poster design that you think are interesting.
6. LIBRARY TEAM: Find a good text (chapter /article) that opens up “marginal” histories – women, migrants etc. Photo copy and bring next week. (meet me on Wednesday to do the photocopying)