Every picture tells a story: Capturing daily life in NSW

From sketches to oil paintings, the State Library of NSW collects pictures from many different sources, and each has its own story to tell. The Library’s pictures collections record people, events, and places including buildings and landscapes from the late eighteenth century to the present day. Our aim is always to collect the sorts of images that will reflect people’s lived experiences in this state and our place in the world.

Come along and hear from curators Elise Edmonds and Margot Riley, as they reveal the tales behind some of the fascinating pictures recently added to the Library’s collections.

Elise Edmonds works in the Collection Acquisition & Curation branch at the State Library of New South Wales. She has curated several exhibitions highlighting the Library’s nationally significant First World War collections, along with Dead Central – an immersive, audio experience, told the story of the Devonshire Street Cemetery, where Central Station now stands. She recently curated the Library’s Kill or Cure exhibition.

Margot Riley is a curator in the Collection Acquisition & Curation Branch of the State Library of NSW. A cultural historian with special interests in art, popular culture, photography and dress, she has curated numerous exhibitions and displays for the Library, and written and lectured extensively about its collections.