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A vintage Valentine's card features a pink heart, floral border, Cupid's arrow, and 'To My Valentine'.
A vibrant yellow illustration shows a woman in a green dress among historical items. Text: 'HISTORY OR HOARDING?' with ABC logo.

Program: Fabulous nobodies

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Nestled alongside the Library's famous treasures — their First Fleet journals, Shakespeare folios, mementos of writers from Henry Lawson to Charlotte Wood – are millions of seemingly simple objects. Old menus, bus timetables, Valentine's Day cards… capturing an era, and the lives of some truly fabulous nobodies. Annabel Crabb explores the lives of the lesser-known people that curators have chosen to preserve.

This episode's speakers:

  • Margot Riley – Curator
  • Maggie Patton — Head of Collection Acquisition & Curation
  • Damien Webb — Manager of the Indigenous Engagement Branch
  • Richard Neville — Mitchell Librarian

This episode's treasures from the SLNSW collection:

  • Fruit stickers collected between 26 April 2008 — 1 August 2009 in the Sydney suburb of Mona Vale
  • Mrs G. B. Moore family notebook regarding the construction of their house in the Kogarah area of Sydney, 1913
  • Snuggle Bunny Frank and Princess Dorothy Valentine's Day cards are housed within the Library's Greeting Card collection as part of the overall Ephemera Collection

Special thanks to Dr Caroline Butler-Bowden and everyone at the State Library of NSW who gave their time and shared their stories.

  • Presenter: Annabel Crabb
  • Researcher: Julia O'Shea
  • Audio Engineer: Harvey O'Sullivan
  • Supervising Producer: Rachael Cusick
  • Executive Producers: Eric George and Carmel Rooney
  • Head of Audio on Demand: Jessica Radburn

To hear the rest of the History Or Hoarding? podcast series, or for more of the best history podcasts covering Australian history, global history, including war, politics, literature and some of the most interesting people, moments and turning points in history, go to ABC listen Australia's history tab or the ABC Australia channel or wherever you get your podcasts.

To add the History Or Hoarding? podcast to your playlist, just tap 'favourite' or 'follow' on your app and you'll never miss an episode.

Image Details

Photo: Sophie Kesteven

Sydney, History
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