Museum Metadata Exchange

Names

Name PrimaryImprovisation Collection

Name AlternateHome-made items collection

Name AbbreviatedHome Made Treasures

IDs

ID LocalWAM 28

ID UriOffline Only

Descriptions

Brief DescriptionA large and diverse collection of home-made improvised items ranging from home-made furniture, domestic items, infant care materials, toys through to militaria

Full DescriptionThe improvisation collection features a diverse collection of home-made improvised items ranging from home-made furniture, domestic items, infant care materials, toys through to militaria. The tyranny of distance, wartime or depression conditions, hard times or simply creative desires have provided the impetus for the creation of the items in this collection. Often cleverly made from found materials and recycled objects the collection includes items from different periods and places in Western Australia. Examples include a 1920s kerosene packing case school desk from Tambellup, an 1860s whalebone chair from the Pilbara and intricate wood and tin model locomotives made in Pemberton during World War Two. Most items are well provenanced and reflect the period and circumstances of their manufacture. For example the collection includes an elaborate metal canoe made purely for creative purposes before World War One, used by two generations to sail the Swan River to rag dolls sold on street corners in Perth to raise an income during the 1930s depression. These "home-made treasures" celebrate the power to "make-do" in a variety of circumstances and periods in Australia's past.

RightsSome material may be subject to copyright.

NoteMany of these items are from the ECU Museum of Childhood Collection gifted to the WA Museum in 2009. Many were featured in the national touring exhibition 'Home-made Treasures'.

Subjects

scotDomestic war effort; Economic depressions; Found objects; Recycling; World wars

aptEconomic depression; Home front; Poverty; Recycling (waste, etc.); Wars

person_orgECU Museum of Childhood; Western Australian Museum

localFound materials; Great Depression; Home-made; Improvisation; Improvised; Recycled materials; Wartime; World War One; World war Two

Coverage Spatial

TextWestern Australia

Coverage Temporal

From1860

To2010

Related Collections

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Dates

Date Record Updated2012-05-30 23:42

Date Created in MME2011-03-25 16:45