I'm currently working on a project that requires me to know a lot of stuff about Melbourne in 1900 or thereabouts, so I've read books, been to the State Library for more books and newspapers, hunted down photos and very old film footage and borrowed materials. But every now and then, it's great to simply find a place that helps me to imagine what life was like then - life in the domestic sense. Beds, mirrors, wallpaper, kitchens, sculleries, windows, fireplaces, hats, toys. On Sunday, we visited Ripponlea, which is a property in Melbourne with wonderful gardens. Although some parts of the house have been modernised to the 1930s, there was still plenty there to help sweep me back into a hundred + years ago.
Now I can add all kinds of small details to my story (in the right places, without an info dump!) to make it really "real".
1 comment:
Sounds like a really interesting project Sherryl. I have a friend who is going to be married at Ripponlea in the near future. From your pictures, it looks like a lovely place.
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