Category Archives: Melbourne Rare Book Week

MRBW – lead up to the event

Leave a Reply

A special mid week post.

I have been the official urban sketcher at Melbourne Rare Book Week (MRBW) for the past two years.  Each year during the week I write a daily blog post, posting my sketches from the events I attend. If you would like to see the sort of events they have held in the past and my sketches from them just click on this link  . You will see all the results of a search of my blog.

I am honored to be involved again this year and will be sketching at over 20 of the 43 events. held during the week. I will be writing a blog daily from this Friday to the following Sunday. 

Then my blog post returns to its usually weekly format 

What is MRBW? A week of interesting and entertaining lectures, presentations and exhibitions. 
It includes a wide variety of interesting topics on book-related themes, and entry to all events is free of charge. There is something for all interests and taste. They welcome bibliophiles, established collectors and those new to book collecting.

How does my sketching  work ? I look at the program for the week and circle the events that I would like to attend and can get to, There is often an overlap of times of two events and sometimes not possible to travel from one to another , even though they are generally all in Melbourne CBD. I don’t have to book for the event (many have seating limits due to  the space they are held in) and I usually stand at the back of the room. Therefore there are lots of “backs of heads of people’ sketches. If there is an interesting feature to the room ( Tonic House has a wonderful internal brick wall) I add to colour to it. I have been to some places previously and know what to expect, and others I need to decide on the spot. But that is the joy of sketching on location! Tackling the unknown is all part of the joy urban sketching .

Events go for 45 minutes to 90 minutes, All of my sketches are done on location, not from photos . They capture the event and are an impression of the moment. Sometimes I manage to do two sketches. Some are on single pages and others are double page spreads, I decide on format at the time.

All of sketches are done with watercolour pencils and Lamy Safari Joy ink pen in a 13 x 19 cm Moleskine watercolour sketchbook. 

 

AND I get to hear amazing people share their passion and knowledge for their area of bookish expertise. !

I hope you enjoy my reporting of the event. Please say hello if you attend any  of them and see me sketching !

Home

MRBW Day 9

Leave a Reply

Melbourne Rare Book “Week” actually goes for 11 days, culminating this weekend in the  ANZAAB Australian Antiquarian Book Fair (Melbourne Rare Book Fair), held in the University of Melbourne’s historic Wilson Hall.

I am flying to Manchester for the Urban Sketching Symposium tomorrow and will miss the two days of the Rare Book Fair.

Today I sketched at two events.

ARTISTS BOOKS: A ‘QUINTESSENTIAL’ ART FORM

State Library Victoria

Des Cowley

22Jul2016 MRBW Day 9am

Despite there being no agreed definition of what an artist book is, it is generally defined as a book made by an artist and intended as a work of art. This session looked at a selection of books made by artists, drawing from State Library Victoria’s collection of over one thousand artists’ books

LEGAL LUMINARIES AND THEIR BOOKS

Law Library of Victoria

The Law Library of Victoria brought together eminent members of the legal community to share their passion for books. Held in the iconic Supreme Court Library, the session celebrated the importance of the written word and the beauty of the book in people’s lives.

 22Jul2016 MRBW Day 9pm

It seemed very fitting for my final sketching session documenting Melbourne Rare Book Week events was held in my workplace, the Supreme Court Library. I have sketched in the library in the past. But they are more detailed studied drawings of the books, shelves and ladders of this beautiful space. They are available as Greeting cards from my Esty online store (I am away until 17 August and will take orders after then) or at stockists around Melbourne

IMG_001622Oct14 shelves229Oct14 old Commercial law bookalissa duke library shelves

 

 

 

The past 9 days have been a wonderful experience for me, as a sketcher and book lover. I have met an amazing array of people who are passionate and generous in sharing their knowledge of their specialist area of books. Thanks to everyone who has discovered and followed my blog, some who have introduced themselves to me at events. A special thank you to Kay Craddock, Chris Browne and the people who worked so hard to produce this event. It was humbling and exciting to be involved.  See you all next year.

MRBW Day 4

2 Replies

A quiet Sunday, with only two Melbourne Rare Book Week events on today.

REMINISCENCES OF SECOND HAND BOOKSHOPS IN MELBOURNE: 1970-2015

17Jul2016 MRBW Day Four am

John Arnold is an Associate Professor at Monash University lecturing in publishing and communications. He has been involved in the second-hand book trade as a dealer and collector for over forty years. In this talk he reminisced on bookshops past and present.  Lots of people in the room nodding their heads as he mentioned various people and businesses. This talk was held in beautiful room in the Old Treasury Building, so I decided to colour the room in this sketch.

 

PENGUINS ON PARADE

14Jul2016 MRBW Day Four 4

Melbourne book collector, Professor Chris Browne, presented an entertaining illustrated talk about Penguin Books, focusing on their interest to book collectors, particularly looking at early Penguins from 1935 to 1970. He pointed out the important role of Penguin books during the Second World War and show how important innovations in book design were introduced by Penguin, He outlined the history of Penguin Books, both in the UK and Australia, illustrated the talk with examples from his personal collection of around 2000 Penguins.

MRBW Day 3

Leave a Reply

 

Melbourne Rare Book Week hosted six events today. Some were at the same times, so I had to make a choice about which ones to attend and sketch at. The decision was made easily, as one, A Walk on the Mean Streets, was going to have more sketching potential than the others.

The day began at the Rare Book Discovery Day at Melbourne Museum. It was an opportunity for people to bring along their books, maps and prints to this Antiques Roadshow-style event for discussion and informal appraisals from a panel of leading antiquarian booksellers. I arrived when they opened the doors and sat behind the appraisers.

14Jul2016 MRBW Day Three merged

I immediately realised that my ink pen was empty so I sketched in watercolour pencil. Instead of a quick sketch I stayed there for about an hour, drawing the appraisers first and then adding some people who had bought books along. I was pleased when a family arrived with a stack of books . I had a wonderful time watching, listening to the interesting conversations and sketching.

14Jul2016 MRBW Day Three am merged

 

After rushing home to refill my ink pen I went back into the city for A Walk on the Mean Streets. I knew in advance that the two presenters were dressing in period costume, which is why I wanted to attend this event. We had a perfect winters day – clear blue sky and sunshine.

15Jul2016 MRBW Day Three pm1

This walk was hosted by Dr. Lucy Sussex, an expert on Australian detective fiction, accompanied by Professor Chris Browne. We walked for two hours, stopping at some of the sites of Melbourne featured in the books of Fergus Hume, the author of The Mystery of a Hansom Cab.

 

14Jul2016 MRBW Day Three pm214Jul2016 MRBW Day Three pm4 14Jul2016 MRBW Day Three pm3

 

 

 

 

14Jul2016 MRBW Day Three pm5

 

 

14Jul2016 MRBW Day Three pm614Jul2016 MRBW Day Three pm7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The walk finished at East Melbourne Library biscuits and coffee and with an interview with the ghost of Fergus Hume. We also viewed some early editions of the Mystery of Hansom cab and related titles and learned more about the publishing history.