20th century poetry: Britain and America: an exhibition from the Rare Books Collection 14 June - 27 September 2013

The exhibition was held in the Rare Books Exhibition space, Sir Louis Matheson Library, Monash University from 14 June - 27 September 2013. Opening address given by Dr. John Hawke, Lecturer, School of English, Communications and Performance Studies. This Rare Books Collection exhibition features T.S. Eliot, the Beat poets, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, among others

In Fairy Land: an exhibition of fairy tale books from the Rare Books Collection 6 March - 7 June 2013

The exhibition was held in the Rare Books Exhibition space, Sir Louis Matheson Library, Monash University from 6 March - 7 June 2013. Opening address given by Dr. Rebecca do Rozarion, Lecturer, School of English, Communications and Performance Studies. This Monash University Library Rare Books Collection exhibition of fairy tale books shows their long history. Items range from early street literature and simple Japanese crepe paper editions to lavish gift books illustrated by famous artists

Stardust melodies: an exhibition of sheet music from the Rare Books Collection 22 June - 5 September 2011

The exhibition was held in the Rare Books Exhibition space, Sir Louis Matheson Library, Monash University from 22 June - 5 September 2011 Opening address given by Dr. Joel Crotty, Senior Lecturer, School of Music, Monash University. Before recordings and radio conveyed the latest popular tunes, sheet music was the means of mass marketing the latest musical vogues and hits: Charles K. Harris's 1892 song, After the Ball, reportedly sold 5 million copies. Sheet music, and illustrated sheet music in particular, preserves an evocative record of our musical, cultural and social past. It is also a repository of personal memories, especially – in the words of the song, "Stardust" – 'the memory of love's refrain'

Books never die: a Rare Books exhibition on the history of the book 14 June - 7 September 2012

The exhibition was held in the Rare Books Exhibition space, Sir Louis Matheson Library, Monash University from 14 June - 7 September 2012 Opening address given by Shane Carmody, Director Development, State Library of Victoria. This exhibition is a celebration of the book over six centuries. Rare Books collects books about books and representative items to show the historical development of book production through the ages

Men of Stamina, women who Dare: an exhibition of advertising material from the Rare Books Collection 27 March - 5 June 2014

The exhibition was held in the Rare Books Exhibition space, Sir Louis Matheson Library, Monash University from 27 March - 5 June 2014. Opening address given by Gene Bawden, Deputy Head, Design (Communication Design), Faculty of Art Design and Architecture, Monash University. This Rare Books collection exhibition of advertisements and advertising ephemera surprises us as it reveals signs of changing social values in Australia and internationally over time. Thus, each item is an important cultural artefact and social document. The items on display are but a fraction of such material held in Rare Books. The library has been collecting advertising materials and other ephemera since the early 1990's in support of research by social historians

Judging a book by its cover: dust jackets in the Monash University Library Rare Books Collection 26 June - 30 September 2014

The exhibition was held in the Rare Books Exhibition space, Sir Louis Matheson Library, Monash University from 26 June - 30 september 2014. Opening address given by Des Cowley, Rare Printed Collections Manager, State Library of Victoria. This exhibition of dust jackets in the Rare Books Collection shows how these covers have changed from being a simple cover for protection to the main vehicle for advertising a book. From the Edwardian period onwards publishers began to lavish their design effort on the jacket rather than the book cover and we see jacket design start to reflect trends in commercial art. This exhibition includes dust jackets from 1860 to the recent deluxe limited edition Penguin Designer Classics series, and those designed by well-known artists and engravers Salvador Dali, Edward Bawden, John Farleigh, Robert Gibbings, Barnett Freedman, Eric Gill, E. McKnight Kauffer, Sidney Nolan and many more

Labels: travel in Europe : a Rare Books exhibition 14 September 2012 - 28 February 2013

The exhibition was held in the Rare Books Exhibition space, Sir Louis Matheson Library, Monash University from 14 September 2012 - 28 February 2013 Opening address given by Dr. Jane Drakard, Senior Lecturer, School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies, Monash University. In the 18th century, travel to Europe on a "Grand tour" was popular and many personal accounts and early travel guides were produced. The Library has a good collection of such travel material from the 17th to the 20th century

Cookbooks: the Sandy Michell collection: an exhibition of material from the Monash University Rare Books Collection 22 March - 31 Mat 2011

The exhibition was held in the Rare Books Exhibition space, Sir Louis Matheson Library, Monash University from 22 March - 31 May 2011 Opening address given by Rita Erlich, former editor, The Age Good Food Guide. This exhibition celebrates the gift of valuable seventeenth to nineteenth century French and English cookbooks made by Alexandra (Sandy) Michell, beginning in 1988. The collection has been further developed and expanded to include a fine collection of early Australian cookbooks, and a selection of twentieth century material

Lewd and scandalous books: an exhibition of material from the Monash University Library Rare Books Collection 14 July - 30 September 2010

The exhibition was held in the Rare Books Exhibition space, Sir Louis Matheson Library, Monash University from 14 July - 30 September 2010 Opening address given by Dr. Patrick Spedding, School of English, Communications and Performance Studies, Monash University. The Lewd and scandalous books exhibition was held in conjunction with the 2010 Bibliographical Society of Australia and New Zealand Conference, To deprave and corrupt: forbidden, hidden and censored books. This exhibition contains literary and visual material that was restricted or suppressed and circulated for more than two centuries in small numbers, in privately printed and clandestine editions

The body in the library: an exhibition of detective fiction from the Rare Books Collection 15 March - 8 June 2012

The exhibition was held in the Rare Books Exhibition space, Sir Louis Matheson Library, Monash University from 15 March - 8 June 2012 Opening address given by John Loder, author of Australian crime fiction: a bibliography, 1857-1993. Dip into this exhibition of detective fiction from the Rare Books Collection and you will discover not only the delights enjoyed by readers of popular fiction in former times but also some of the key templates of the literature of crime. You will discover anew that crime is an almost irresistible prospect in a book