Art and Design

A design feature used by big-name modernist architects appeared first in a handful of houses on Sydney’s lower North Shore.

The journey to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge would take almost 100 years. In this 5-part series, travel through history to experience the story of realising a city’s dream. 

Architectural modernism was a revolutionary rejection of past styles and the use of architectural ornament.

Eric Thompson’s career as an architect, artist and filmmaker highlights the close connection between architecture and design in the development of the film industry.

Designs and photographs from Australia's best known modernist architect.

Decoration and Glass, a magazine for home builders, architects and decorators has been digitised in colour as part of the Library’s Digital Excellence Program. 

Francis Greenway (1777- 1837) produced some of the finest colonial buildings in Australia.

Sydney’s Garden Palace was a magnificent building with a grandeur that dominated the skyline and captivated society from its opening in 1879. Three years later it was destroyed in a devastating fire.

Convict architect Francis Greenway was convinced of the importance of architecture to the development of early Sydney.

For over 50 years, the site next to the New South Wales Parliament on Macquarie Street was occupied by one of the Colony's more unusual pieces of architecture.

Stylish and talented architect-designer Douglas Snelling introduced modern American living styles to aspirational Sydneysiders after the Second World War.

The recently digitised Building magazine is a trove of information about twentieth century construction. 

From the 1800s, a host of bridges were built over the bays and coves to the west of Sydney. Five became known as the ‘five bridges’: Gladesville Bridge, Fig Tree Bridge, Glebe Island Bridge, Iron Cove Bridge and Pyrmont Bridge.

By 1834, pressures on land in Sydney Cove compelled Governor Bourke to move Government House.

For 56 years almost every Governor lived in the house on the corner of Phillip and Bridge streets

Elizabeth Fortescue writes about the late artist’s Lavender Bay home, a work of art itself.

Children’s picture books reflect the world that makes them, but must try to remake that world too.

As she finalises work for her landmark exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia, Sydney artist Cressida Campbell invites Openbook into her studio.

Sixteen panoramas will displayed in the inaugural exhibition of the Library’s new Drawings, Watercolours and Prints Gallery.

The art of Sydney couple George and Charis Schwarz defies neat categories, but their body of work will be preserved.

A selection of  visual diaries of Australian artist George Gittoes, covering the period between 2001 and 2014, have been recently digitised by the Library.

These beautifully illustrated logbooks record a detailed account of the circumnavigation of the world by the deep-sea cruising yacht Kathleen Gillett.

Peter Kingston couldn’t please everyone in his artist’s book Sheilas, but the result is a special piece of work.

An artist followed in the inspiring footsteps of a botanist rescued from a tragic expedition in 1848. 

In difficult times, Australian expatriate artist George Lambert challenged himself to paint a distorted reflection. 

The Library is the new home of award-winning children’s author and illustrator Pamela Allen’s extensive archive.

An Aboriginal leader’s assistance to the artists of the Newcastle penal settlement led to an unprecedented visual record of the local Indigenous people.

The discovery and acquisition of a fascinating album compiled by Captain James Wallis reveals the artistic collaborations between a commandant and a convict.

This extraordinary collection of natural history illustrations contains 745 watercolours in six volumes, the collection conveys Europe’s naïve yet genuine sense of wonder at Australia’s unique natural history.

Many used their art to record and interpret the landscape and people of the early settlement.

The Library holds vast collections on Australian children’s book publishing in the ‘golden age’ of the 1970s and 80s.

May Gibbs, author, illustrator and cartoonist, has captured the hearts and imaginations of generations of Australians with her lovable bush characters and fairytale landscapes.

An enquiry from France brings to light a gem of nineteenth century travel illustration.

A compelling portrait of a young colonial woman has been given new life. 

In October 1918 Angus & Robertson published what would become one of Australia’s best known children’s stories: The Magic Pudding.

An 1802 portrait of a young Eora man, by French artist Nicolas-Martin Petit, is remarkable for its attention to detail.

Buried deep down in the cool darkness of the Library’s framed picture store hangs a beautiful portrait of the young Mrs F O’Brien. It was painted in mid-1841 by naval surgeon-turned artist Maurice Felton from a death mask.

Sydney Teacher’s College was co-located on the grounds of Sydney University where American Military Police units were billeted, describing the impact of the Americans on campus. Part of the Works in Focus series.

One of Australia’s most influential artists, George Washington Lambert (1873–1930), as part of the Works in Focus series.

This mysterious portrait of an unknown, handsome young Aboriginal man is believed to have belonged to Governor Lachlan Macquarie, described as ‘One of the NSW Aborigines befriended by Governor Macquarie’. Part of the Works in Focus series.

Sydney — Capital New South Wales was painted around 1800 — its solid buildings and carefully laid out gardens refute the idea that it was a cesspit of depravity at a time when the city was associated with 'the awful depravity of human nature'.

It was a six-week journey by sea from Australia to Egypt and after the excitement of enlistment, training and farewells some feelings of boredom were inevitable among the troops. 

Louis Vasco enlisted as a Sapper, or engineer, but his calling was art.

Looking at the portrait of this young woman, so full of life, you would never think it was painted after her death. But we know the sitter, posed so serenely in this picture, had died six months before it was exhibited at the artist’s Sydney studio. Part of the Works in Focus series.

Decorated initials — artworks in themselves — have a long history.

The death of a newspaper plays out in a box of cartoons.

That curious penguin on the spine of your favourite paperback isn’t there just for decoration.

As a nation’s sense of itself and its place in the world shifts, so do the symbols it uses to tell its story.

Part of daily life in the mid twentieth century, circulating libraries have left charming traces.

The well-known conservationist Myles Dunphy’s romantic side is beautifully illustrated in a new acquisition.

The Library’s collection offers glimpses into Sydney signwriting and decorating firm Althouse & Geiger that once boasted, 'We tell the world everything it wants to know'.

An eye-catching poster got the message out for an emerging Sydney band in 1980.

A feminist newspaper from the early 1980s brings back memories of lively co-op meetings, nutritious sandwiches and high ideals.

Looking through Vietnamese art posters collected in the 1950s elicits complicated feelings all these years later.

This is the story of Julie Paterson, one of Australia’s best known contemporary textile designers, and her design journey of drawing inspiration from the collection.

Hundreds of delightful and intriguing endpapers can be found in the State Library of NSW collection.

Donald Horne’s unlikely editorship of the mass-market Weekend magazine was a crucial stage in the Lucky Country author’s development as a public intellectual.

Our first coat of arms? The first recorded use of the kangaroo and emu supporting a shield is found on the Bowman Flag of 1806.

Sometime around 1916, Fred Harris opened a small tattoo shop in Sussex Street, Sydney.

Bold plans to transform the Cooks River in Sydney are reflected in the Library's collection.

An interest by British arrivals in the quality of Sydney clay led to the making of the Sydney Cove Medallion by noted English ceramicist, Josiah Wedgwood.

The recently digitised Building magazine is a trove of information about twentieth century construction. 

Decoration and Glass, a magazine for home builders, architects and decorators has been digitised in colour as part of the Library’s Digital Excellence Program.