Photographs of Melbourne’s mid-century architecture will be on display for the first time in a free exhibition opening on 1 December 2018 at State Library Victoria.Peter Wille: Out Driving will feature small and large scale reproductions from the Library’s collection of more than 6,000 colour slides by architectural draughtsman, design enthusiast and amateur photographer Peter Wille.The exhibition will showcase a period of experimental design – from post-war austerity to the height of modernism – featuring the groundbreaking work of architects including Robin Boyd, Peter McIntyre, Kevin Borland, and John and Phyllis Murphy.Exhibition curator Eve Sainsbury said the exhibition would explore how the types of buildings in four areas of Melbourne reflect their environment. Suburbs will include South Yarra and Toorak in the south east, Kew in the east, Beaumaris, Aspendale and Frankston in bayside, and the outer suburbs of Eltham and Warrandyte.“These images give a unique and candid insight into a period of pioneering Australian architecture,” Ms Sainsbury said.“Wille’s passion for design is evident in his dedication to amassing this significant survey of Melbourne’s mid-century buildings. Setting out with just his car and his camera, Wille captured almost two decades of design and social history.”The free exhibition will be open daily, with a curator talk on Tuesday 12 February.View some of the images from the collection via this Dropbox link.Exhibitions and events details: Peter Wille: Out Driving exhibition Free entry. Open daily from 1 December 10am–6pm (Open until 9pm on Thursdays) Location: South Rotunda, State Library VictoriaPeter Wille: Out Driving curator talk Tuesday 12 February 3–3.30pm Free but bookings are essential. Location: South Rotunda, State Library Victoria
Peter Wille amassed a collection of more than 6000 colour photographs of Melbourne’s architectural wonders throughout the 1950s and 1960s, capturing a period of experimental design from the austerity measures of post-World War II to the height of modernism.
Out driving was displayed in the South Rotunda from 1 December 2018 to 30 April 2020.
