Café owner Guisseppe Lanteri at Don Camillo's, Melbourne,1981

Viva Gibb, Café owner Guisseppe Lanteri at Don Camillo's, Melbourne,1981. Gelatin silver photograph, State Library Victoria Pictures Collection.

Don Camillo’s was one of the first three cafes to open in Melbourne’s CBD in the 1950s and remains a local institution.

An independent cafe scene thrives throughout Australia and is quintessential to Melbourne. Coffee consumers have refused to conform to global chains such as Starbucks, which was forced to close 70 per cent of its Australian stores in 2008.

It was a show of commitment to local neighbourhood traders, who offer a connection to community that extends far beyond serving a decent cup of coffee.

Caffematic, c.1959

Caffematic, c.1959. Home espresso machines from the collection of Sylvester Longo. Digital photographs.

Compact yet stylish espresso machines, like the models in the photos, brought the allure of cafe life into Australian homes in the 1950s. A cafe scene was established in Australia by European migrants who settled here after World War II, introducing a connoisseurship for the humble bean.

One of the first imported commercial espresso machines is on display in The changing face of Victoria exhibition.

So little was known in Australia about the machinery that cafe owners were instructed to obtain a boilermaker’s licence before they could operate them.

How to make wonderful creamed coffee, 1957

'How to make wonderful creamed coffee’, Nescafé advertisement in the Australian Women's Weekly, 26 June 1957.

Instant coffee received a makeover in the 1950s that brought it new appeal.

Adverts such as this one in the Australian Women’s Weekly promised Nescafé drinkers the glamour of America and the perfect cup every time.

It was not long before coffee quashed the influence of British tea-drinking customs. Deemed old-fashioned, the traditional brew was also rebranded in advertising campaigns led by the Tea Council of Australia.

Atomic Age design, c.1958

(Atomic Age design), c.1958. Home espresso machines from the collection of Sylvester Longo. Digital photographs.

Compact yet stylish espresso machines, like the models in the photos, brought the allure of cafe life into Australian homes in the 1950s. A cafe scene was established in Australia by European migrants who settled here after World War II, introducing a connoisseurship for the humble bean.

One of the first imported commercial espresso machines is on display in The changing face of Victoria exhibition.

So little was known in Australia about the machinery that cafe owners were instructed to obtain a boilermaker’s licence before they could operate them.

Greek social clubs, Melbourne, 2003–04

Georgia Metaxasm, Greek social clubs, Melbourne, 2003–04. Gelatin silver photograph, State Library Victoria Pictures Collection.

The photo of men drinking coffee is from a series documenting Greek cafes and clubs around Melbourne.

The images capture the role of these social spaces in upholding a sense of cultural identity and creating a place of belonging. They document everyday pastimes that bring people together, from playing cards to catching up on daily news.

The significance of daily rituals and how they can connect people to their heritage is a recurring theme in the artist’s work.

Gaggia Gilda, c.1951

Gaggia Gilda, c.1951. Home espresso machines from the collection of Sylvester Longo. Digital photographs.

Compact yet stylish espresso machines, like the models in the photos, brought the allure of cafe life into Australian homes in the 1950s. A cafe scene was established in Australia by European migrants who settled here after World War II, introducing a connoisseurship for the humble bean.

One of the first imported commercial espresso machines is on display in The changing face of Victoria exhibition.

So little was known in Australia about the machinery that cafe owners were instructed to obtain a boilermaker’s licence before they could operate them.

Architectural drawing of the proposed Peoples Coffee Palace, Melbourne,1890

William Pitt, Architectural drawing of the proposed Peoples Coffee Palace, Melbourne,1890. Ink, watercolour and pencil on paper and linen, State Library Victoria Pictures Collection.

The curious blend of architectural styles in the building proposed in this plan was a trademark of architect William Pitt, who played to the extravagant tastes of the newly rich in Melbourne’s boom years following the gold rush.

The design is for a ‘coffee palace’ that never did get built. Those that did were hubs of activity during the times of the temperance movement, a moral and political crusade that sought the improvement of the working classes through abstinence from alcohol.

Publicans symbolically set fire to their liquor licences and served coffee instead.

Kim, c.1970

Kim, c.1970. Home espresso machines from the collection of Sylvester Longo. Digital photographs.

Compact yet stylish espresso machines, like the models in the photos, brought the allure of cafe life into Australian homes in the 1950s. A cafe scene was established in Australia by European migrants who settled here after World War II, introducing a connoisseurship for the humble bean.

One of the first imported commercial espresso machines is on display in The changing face of Victoria exhibition.

So little was known in Australia about the machinery that cafe owners were instructed to obtain a boilermaker’s licence before they could operate them.

Gaggia Gilda, c.1954

Gaggia Gilda, c.1954. Home espresso machines from the collection of Sylvester Longo. Digital photographs.

Compact yet stylish espresso machines, like the models in the photos, brought the allure of cafe life into Australian homes in the 1950s. A cafe scene was established in Australia by European migrants who settled here after World War II, introducing a connoisseurship for the humble bean.

One of the first imported commercial espresso machines is on display in The changing face of Victoria exhibition.

So little was known in Australia about the machinery that cafe owners were instructed to obtain a boilermaker’s licence before they could operate them.

La San Marco, c.1956

La San Marco, c.1956. Home espresso machines from the collection of Sylvester Longo. Digital photographs.

Compact yet stylish espresso machines, like the models in the photos, brought the allure of cafe life into Australian homes in the 1950s. A cafe scene was established in Australia by European migrants who settled here after World War II, introducing a connoisseurship for the humble bean.

One of the first imported commercial espresso machines is on display in The changing face of Victoria exhibition.

So little was known in Australia about the machinery that cafe owners were instructed to obtain a boilermaker’s licence before they could operate them.

Label for fourteen-pound canister of finest plantation coffee, 1871

Charles Troedel, Label for fourteen-pound canister of finest plantation coffee, 1871. State Library Victoria Pictures Collection.

Historical coffee labels feature prominently in a large collection donated to the Library from the Victorian Patents Office, which oversaw copyright law. Including packaging and labels for food products, tobacco and beverages, this material offers a glimpse into tastes and trends of the past.

A selection of coffee labels features in the exhibition alongside contemporary coffee logos, received during an open call to current cafes and roasters in Victoria to submit their designs and help document today’s scene.

Label for one-pound canister of finest plantation coffee, 1871

Label for one-pound canister of finest plantation coffee, 1871. State Library Victoria Pictures Collection.

Historical coffee labels feature prominently in a large collection donated to the library from the Victorian Patents Office, which oversaw copyright law. Including packaging and labels for food products, tobacco and beverages, this material offers a glimpse into tastes and trends of the past.

A selection of coffee labels features in the exhibition alongside contemporary coffee logos, received during an open call to current cafes and roasters in Victoria to submit their designs and help document today’s scene.

Label for twenty-eight-pound canister of coffee, 1871

Charles Troedel, Label for twenty-eight-pound canister of coffee, 1871. State Library Victoria Pictures Collection.

Historical coffee labels feature prominently in a large collection donated to the library from the Victorian Patents Office, which oversaw copyright law. Including packaging and labels for food products, tobacco and beverages, this material offers a glimpse into tastes and trends of the past.

A selection of coffee labels features in the exhibition alongside contemporary coffee logos, received during an open call to current cafes and roasters in Victoria to submit their designs and help document today’s scene.

Brew Longplay 12oz KeepCup

Brew Longplay 12oz. On loan from KeepCup

KeepCup started in a Melbourne cafe with a simple idea: keep it and use it again. Responding to the demand for takeaway coffee and the problem of throwaway containers, the cafe’s owners designed their own barista-standard reusable cup.

Just over ten years on, the KeepCup is used in more than 65 countries around the world. Its eco-conscious design has come to represent the enormous benefits that can come from modifying a daily habit.

State Library Victoria 12oz branded KeepCup

Original 12oz branded. On loan from KeepCup.

KeepCup started in a Melbourne cafe with a simple idea: keep it and use it again. Responding to the demand for takeaway coffee and the problem of throwaway containers, the cafe’s owners designed their own barista-standard reusable cup.

Just over ten years on, the KeepCup is used in more than 65 countries around the world. Its eco-conscious design has come to represent the enormous benefits that can come from modifying a daily habit.