A further insight into the wide, wide world of Australian art researcher , the late Margaret Vine , seen here in 1970 with artist Sir Russell Drysdale , at the Johnstone Gallery , Brisbane .
During the last months of
life Margaret Vine occasionally gave me
snippets of information about
her wide ranging research
which included combing through old newspaper
files in a Brisbane warehouse
wearing a loose
shirt belonging to her
husband like a cape to protect her
clothing from dust and dirt ; delving into
police files in Melbourne ; searching the fascinating Mitchell Library , Sydney;
spending many hours in the
National Library of Australia, Canberra ; perusing numerous publications dealing with art and literature , such as the Melbourne
Age Monthly Review, The Australian Magazine , especially of the l970s and l980s , each edition of the latter containing
an arts calendar , all closely examined , entries of interest
marked with biro.
By Peter Simon
While
helping her sort
out her book collection from boxes
which had not been opened
since l998, when
she moved to Magnetic Island , she pointed out various
runs of Australian art magazines, Queensland Heritage
produced by the Library Board
of Queensland , a publication of the John Oxley
Library, Brisbane , other sources of information .
 |
Research note pads and her editing style manual.
|
There is a
page from the July 1, l951 Australian Home Beautiful highlighting The Cake of the Somerset Bride and other dishes for winter days in the above items in the box . This could have been due to the fact that
she had been
very interested in cooking
and favoured her mother’s Christmas cake recipe .
A 1996
typed internal notice from the National Gallery of Australia , related
to the May 2001 celebrations /
exhibitions to mark the centenary
of Federation , clearly
illustrates the importance of Margaret
Vine’s research . A planning committee had already
been set up in Parliament House. The notice detailed
six areas of art
that would be displayed ,
including some from the
National Gallery of Victoria . The exhibitions would be
organised independently , using each others
collections as appropriate , and "the research material gathered
by Margaret Vine" at
the National Gallery would be accessible
to everyone .
Another
indication of her in depth research is revealed in a slim 1993 volume produced by her for the National Gallery of Australia
entitled Chronological Assessment of Australian holdings of British Australasian (London) or Australia
and New Zealand Weekly , and other
changes of title , published from the 1880s through to 1960s. On the title page she is described as Australian Art Researcher.
Further evidence
of her prodigious research work is attested to in the 1977 tome Documents on Australian
Australian International Affairs
1901-1918, edited by Gordon Greenwood and Charles Grimshaw, Nelson,
779pp, illustrated , endpaper maps . The title page states the editors were assisted by Margaret Willis , her then
married name . In the preface, Grimshaw ,
Reader in History at Queensland University, penned this tribute: "The dedication, conscientiousness
and enthusiasm of Mrs Margaret Willis,
my research assistant , have
contributed greatly to the
completion of this work . I am most
appreciative of her unflagging
attention to detail. "
In connection with this book, of which she had multiple copies , Margaret told me she
had arranged for her maiden name
, Margaret Vine , to be printed on a single title page copy . She went into a room, came back
with a small plastic wallet , took out a folded page ,
brandished it , declaring it was the title page in her
maiden name . When I pointed
out it showed Margaret Willis, she peered closely at it , became annoyed , threw
it up in the air , and said she wondered what had happened to her specially printed one .
In her collection was the 1960
reprint of Australia A Social and Political History, edited by
Greenwood , at the time Professor of History and Political Science in the University of
Queensland . Bearing her married name penned
on the title page, the text had
been extensively underlined,
ticked, margin notes added
by Margaret .
Also in her collection
was a special presentation copy to her from
the National
Library of the book ,
Heraldry in the National Library of Australia .Architecture
was another area of
intense interest, evidenced by an extensive run of the
Australian architecture journals in several
boxes. Out of another box came a copy of The Sydney Morning Herald souvenir edition of the 1988 Australian
Biennale A Festival of Art in which the Northern
Territory was represented by a
photograph of Arnhem Land artist David Malangi, one of his works appearing on the reverse side of the old dollar note, posing with a burial pole .
Nothing , it seemed , escaped her eye in the relentless research. The Australian Antique Collector issue of July-December 1982 showed unmistakable signs of having been closely read by her . Articles within it which attracted underlining, ticks and comments dealt with Federation architecture ; presentation silver in the Tasmanian Museum ; captions for photographs of Australian pottery ; the Hawaii-Australian architecture connection ; a comment that an item about early garden tiles was incomplete ; biographical details of contributors to the magazine . There was an illustrated page of so called Aboriginal Kingplates which had been auctioned , which included the watercolour by B. E. Minns of "Cranbukka, King of Tamworth."
She mentioned Russian art while going through boxes of books and I responded by saying my wife, Judith , had developed the desire when she was at school in Auckland, New Zealand , to see The Hermitage art collection , in Leningrad, and travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Later , Margaret rang and said she had a present for Judith ... books on The Hermitage and all the art museums of Leningrad.
**** **** ****
There were feminist publications in her collection, some early prominent activists artists ; an art magazine contained comments about the first four editions of the feminist magazine, Lip , of which she had a large run .
Other interests were fashion, jewellery, pottery-late in life she paid a plumber's bill with some of her prized "pots ." One of her great loves was opera of which she had a large collection of tapes and discs . Unearthed during the clearance of her house was a letter to the ABC in which it was said she had discussed shortcomings of some modern day opera singers.
This love of opera explained why she had boxes of ABC magazines ,The Australian Listener and 24 Hours , anything related to opera marked by her , with added markers and pages of notes and comments ... (Placido ) Domingo at his best !
A slip of paper listed things which had to be done for a southern flight from Townsville to an opera performance included clothing to be packed and a check on the airline policy regarding her medical condition, she having to buy two seats enabling her to spread out in flight .
