The day began at State Library of Victoria in a fully booked small session on Library Magic: The W.E. Alma Collection presented by Dominique Dunstan and Nicholas Johnston . This is magic as entertainment, not as spells.

The art of conjuring was a lifelong obsession for Will Alma, and his collection reflects his engagement with all aspects of a magical life: performer, maker, publisher, collector and archivist. Dominique shared an unexpected delight from the collection she has worked with for 20 years. The focus was on the blow book. What are they ? – see this video of Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch Do Magic Tricks – The Graham Norton Show .

Then magician and curator Nicholas took us behind the curtain to glimpse the life and times of Alma and his circle in Melbourne. He explained learning tricks and then displayed his card skills !

Japanese Wonders:
Beautiful items from Rare Books at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne Library
Susan Millard Curator of Rare Books
Japanese culture is renowned for its distinct aesthetic sensibility. Susan showed us a diverse variety of materials and objects of exquisite design, quality, and visual beauty from textiles to woodblock prints, matchboxes, and Manga.

Collecting Useful Books 
Richard Overell at The Melbourne Athenaeum Library
talked about historic practical manuals on seemingly now obscure topics. These guides were amusing, practical and are now highly collectible. Richard examined books on applied science and technology, manuals and trade catalogues.

Looking forward to tomorrow….