Caroline Simpson Library
19th Century Domestic Advice Manuals
The role of the domestic advice manual was to educate and provide guidance and information
A Little archive that tells a big story
The recent donation of an archive of material related to the career of interior designer Barry Little enriches our understanding of Australian design and style in the second half of the 20th century
A global design story
Their original owner and use remain a mystery, but these striking tiles hold an intriguing connection to a significant international design story
25 October, 2pm
Tour
A matter of taste
Explore 250 years of discussion about ‘good’ and ‘bad’ taste in the home in this tour of rare book treasures
A window to the past
The private collection of photographer Alan Spearman Evans reveals an exceptional photographic record of an average middle-class couple celebrating their life in suburban Sydney in the early to mid 20th century
A world of designs
Trade catalogues, published to illustrate the products for sale from a manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer, reveal the surprising wealth of choice available to Australian consumers in the 19th century
Alan Spearman Evans Collection
The Alan Spearman Evans Collection comprises over 2000 photographic images of houses, house interiors, garden landscapes and industrial workplaces in NSW
An extraordinary collection
The Caroline Simpson Collection has become Australia’s leading source of information on the history of houses, interiors, furnishings, gardens and domestic life