Monday, June 15, 2009

Wireless House Project

Late last century there were numerous projects to provide public Internet access, though libraries and community groups. These are perhaps an echo of the Wireless House in Foley Park, Glebe, Syndey. This is a small building donated by Grace Bros to the Glebe Council in 1934, where people gathered to listen to the "wireless" radio. Artist Nigel Helyer is working on a sonic installation and website, as part of an oral history project on the Wireless House Project.

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Saturday, May 23, 2009

Historic home Open in Sydney

The contents of "The Abbey", Johnston Street, Annandale, Sydney are being auctioned this weekend. This is the collection of Dr Geoffrey Davis, physician. The rambling house is crammed with bookcases, chests, display cabinets and desks, with their original contents in place.

There is an interesting collection of musical instruments, a Broadwood grand piano and harp. There are rooms full of wax cylinder recordings, early disk records and Edison players. There are views of the Sydney Harbour brodge and the Sydney CBD including Centre point tower from the upper floors of the house. There is a garret with comfortable chair at the back. Unfortunately the toweris not open for inspection, as it has 260 degree views of inner west Sydney.

The auction for the contents is 23 and 24 May 2009, from 11am each day. There are thousands of items for sale. The Abbey is at 272 Johnston Street, Annandale 2038. There is a fully illustrated catalogue. Some items:

Full Catalogue Entry22Taxidermy of a parrot in glass domed case
Full Catalogue Entry28Set of three early toy cars
Full Catalogue Entry34Pair of model Train locomotive engines
Full Catalogue Entry41Leather cased Siemens 16mm movie camera with accessories
Full Catalogue Entry58Cased magnifying glass
Full Catalogue Entry167C19th Sebastian Erard Patent Harp
Full Catalogue Entry168John Broadwood & Sons London walnut cased parlour Grand Piano
Full Catalogue Entry648HMV Gramophone with built in speaker in cabinet
Full Catalogue Entry649The Walking Machine Co
Full Catalogue Entry650Oak veneered music cabinet with two doors and a fitted interior
Full Catalogue Entry651Edison Amberola in oak case serial no
Full Catalogue Entry652R Klitz and Son Boxed music saloon gramophone
Full Catalogue Entry653Edison Amberola player serial 633979
Full Catalogue Entry654Old phonograph housing including contents (records)
Full Catalogue Entry655Pair of amplfying horns
Full Catalogue Entry656Three speaker boxes
Full Catalogue Entry657Edison Amberola player in oak casing serial number 487748
Full Catalogue Entry658Three reference books on Edison
Full Catalogue Entry659Large Phillips Radio Player
Full Catalogue Entry660German projector in case plus a Siemans early amplifier
Full Catalogue Entry661Phillips gramophone
Full Catalogue Entry662Decca Portable phonograph
Full Catalogue Entry663Edison Disc phonograph C19-SM173603 in fitted oak cabinet with fretwork decoration
Full Catalogue Entry664Collection of four signed photographs of Opera stars
Full Catalogue Entry665Shelf lot of tins containing gramophone needles
Full Catalogue Entry666AWA Bakelite Radiola
Full Catalogue Entry759Edison Amberola Phonograph SN 3710 in cabinet
Full Catalogue Entry760Edison dictaphone type B
Full Catalogue Entry761Three various phonograph related metal signs plus a tin
Full Catalogue Entry762Box of Amberols in a leather case
Full Catalogue Entry763Eight drawers of Amberols including ballad, opera, comedic, jazz etc chest of drawers included in the lot
Full Catalogue Entry764Three shelves of books on Gramophones, opera and the record guide
Full Catalogue Entry765Cascade Mark II Bond & Sons gramophone player with external horn
Full Catalogue Entry1085Book press
Full Catalogue Entry1335External electrical lantern - ex-harbour bridge

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Saturday, November 04, 2006

Manning Clark House

stairs to study of Professor Manning Clark
This uninspiring set of stairs leads to the study of Professor Manning Clark, where he wrote books, including "A History of Australia":
Manning Clark House (MCH), designed by Robyn Boyd in 1952, is the house where Manning and Dymphna Clark lived and worked from 1953 until their deaths in 1991 and 2000 respectively.

The house is typical of the post-war Melbourne regional style and Boyd's Peninsula house design, with its low-pitched gable roof, widely projecting eaves and large areas of timber framed glazing.

From: The House, Manning Clark House Inc., 2002
The house, is is the Canberra suburb of Forrest, within sight of Parliament House. It is now a cultural and scholarly centre. On Saturday it was hosting Little Bridge Wine who put on jazz and wine tasting in the grounds, as part of the WiNE, RoSES & aLL ThAT JaZZ FeSTiVal by local Canberra wineries.

At first I felt a little uncomfortable wandering around what looked like someones home, but unlike your average historic house, this is one you can rent a room in.

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