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During his years living in the United States, Grainger performed for three presidents: Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge and Theodore Roosevelt. Grainger received this memento from the First Lady of the United States in recognition of his performance…

Newspaper clippling

Chinese ceramic ware is an art form that has been developing for thousands of years and prospered in various forms. Prior to the seventh century, monochrome wares dominated the ceramic production and favoured by the aristocracy class. It is not until…

Watercolour and ink on paper.

Watercolour, ink and graphite on paper. Illustration of instrument (a modified sewing machine) with handwritten explanations and instructions. 14.2 x 25.7cm
Excerpt from Percy Grainger's daybooks 1944-1960: Thursday 25 October 1951
‘Red Letter day…

At the turn of the twentieth century, when Australia’s first permanent orchestras were beginning to emerge, the University of Melbourne employed Walter Barker as Victoria’s first university level harp teacher. Barker established himself in Melbourne…

Melba claimed to have encouraged Puccini to see the play on which his opera Madama Butterfly is based. She studied the title role with him, as well as that of Tosca, however she never performed either role.