Grainger Museum
One of Melbourne's most fascinating museums, a unique site devoted to creativity.
In response to the COVID-19 situation, the Grainger Museum is temporarily closed to the public from March 18, 2020. Please see this announcement for more information.
The Grainger Museum—the only purpose-built autobiographical museum in Australia—is home to a wonderful collection of art, photographs, costumes, music scores and instruments acquired by Percy Grainger, an icon of twentieth century Australian musical culture.
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Get Involved
Find out more about getting involved and giving to the Museum.
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Research
Learn how to search and access the diverse collection for research.
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Education
The Grainger Museum offers collaborative opportunities for student learning. Read more about some of our past programs.
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Discover
Discover more about the Grainger Museum, collection and Percy Grainger.
Opening hours
In response to the COVID-19 situation, the Grainger Museum is temporarily closed to the public from March 18, 2020. Please see this announcement for more information.
Sunday - Friday
12.00pm – 4.00pm
Saturday
Closed
The Grainger Museum is closed on public and University Holidays.
General Admission is FREEIn response to the COVID-19 situation, the Grainger Museum is temporarily closed to the public from March 18, 2020. Please see this announcement for more information.
Opening hours
Sunday - Friday
12.00pm – 4.00pm
Saturday
Closed
The Grainger Museum is closed on Public and University Holidays.
In response to the COVID-19 situation, the Grainger Museum is temporarily closed to the public from March 18, 2020. Please see this announcement for more information.
Admission
General admission is free.
The Grainger Museum occasionally hosts ticketed events and concerts: View our calendar.


Getting here
Address
Grainger Museum
Gate 13, Royal Parade
Parkville, Melbourne
Public transport from the city
Catch the No. 19 tram North along Elizabeth Street/Royal Parade and alight at Stop 11: University of Melbourne.
For more information on public transport, check PTV.
Parking
Limited street parking is available on Royal Parade, directly out the front of the museum.
Cycling
Bicycle lock racks are available at the front and rear of the Grainger Museum, and throughout the University. A free public bike pump and repair station is adjacent to the bicycle lock racks at the front of the Museum.
Accessibility
The Grainger Museum is accessible for wheelchair users and the mobility impaired. If additional assistance is required, please contact us in advance.
The Grainger Museum is one of the Cultural Collections of the University of Melbourne.
We are proud to be accredited under the Museums Australia (Victoria) Museum Accreditation Program.
In response to the COVID-19 situation, the Grainger Museum is temporarily closed to the public from March 18, 2020. Please see this announcement for more information.
Exhibitions
Events
The Grainger Museum is the only purpose-built autobiographical museum in Australia.
Its fascinating collection contains not only objects directly related to Percy Grainger's compositional career, such as scores and manuscripts, but also more than 50,000 items, including diaries, ethnographic objects, furniture, decorative arts, photographs, artworks, clothing and correspondence with famous and not-so-famous contemporaries.
Grainger began planning the Museum after his mother's death in 1922 and it was officially opened in December 1938. The building was designed by the University's architect, John Gawler of the firm Gawler and Drummond, in close consultation with Grainger. The Museum's historical and architectural significance is recognised by the building's inclusion on the Register of the National Estate and the Victorian Heritage Register, and its classification by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).
In 1955, Grainger set down his revised Aims of the Grainger Museum, outlining his 'cosmopolitan and universalist outlook on music'. Grainger's wide ranging interests have resulted in a unique Museum with broad appeal, a must-see for locals and tourists alike.
In response to the COVID-19 situation, the Grainger Museum is temporarily closed to the public from March 18, 2020. Please see this announcement for more information.
Parkville Campus
- Address
- Grainger Museum
Gate 13, Royal Parade
Parkville, Melbourne - grainger@unimelb.edu.au
- Phone
- +61 3 8344 5270
- Postal Address
- Grainger Museum, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010
News from the Grainger Museum.
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Announcement from the Grainger Museum
In response to the COVID-19 situation, the Grainger Museum is temporarily closed to the public from March 18, 2020
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Volunteer Profile February 2020
Ashley is a postgraduate student at the University of Melbourne. As well as studying law, she has a passion for history and museums, which drew her to the Grainger Museum's Volunteer Program.
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From the Collection February 2020
The Grainger Museum is extremely grateful to David Rezits for the donation of a published score of the two-piano version of Lincolnshire Posy, autographed by Percy Grainger.
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New programs for 'How It Plays' exhibition
Our popular exhibition has been extended into 2020 to showcase the Living Instruments Project and host musical events in collaboration with Speak Percussion and the Federation Handbells.
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Academic English at the Grainger
Meet the students who are using the Grainger Museum collection to enhance their academic English presentation skills.
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From the Collection September 2019
As part of her Australian Research Council-funding project, Dr Lorinda Cramer has been working within the Grainger Museum costume collection, sharing her skills and expertise regarding all things Australian costume history. We invited Lorinda to provide a summary of her work thus far, to share with our online audience.
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Visitor Profile August 2019
In this month's Visitor Profile, we speak with VCA/MCM academic Paul Fletcher about his involvement in our current exhibition Fabric Culture.
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Volunteer Profile July 2019
We would like to introduce you to Samuel, who is a Grainger Museum volunteer. We recently asked Samuel a few questions and we're very glad that he was happy to respond and share with everyone a little bit about himself.
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From the Collection July 2019
The Grainger Museum Collection has a rich collection of material relating to the Dolmetsch Family, who were pioneers in early music performance and instrument creation. The Museum contains extensive correspondence between the Dolmetsch family and Percy Grainger, ranging over two decades from the 1930s to 1950s, as well as instruments made in the Dolmetsch instrument workshop, including a Treble Viola da Gamba, an Alto Viol, and three recorders.
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Intern Profile June 2019
Through her Masters of Arts & Cultural Management, Jenna sought out an internship at the Grainger Museum to complement her studies in the areas of Museum publicity and marketing.
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Volunteer Profile May 2019
Rachel is a new volunteer at the Grainger Museum, hailing from our neighbour across the sea, New Zealand. Read on to be introduced to Rachel and hear about her studies and life outside of her role at Grainger Museum Volunteer.
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From the Collection May 2019
In March 2019 we profiled our intern Regitze Phil, who was translating the Danish-language letters from Karen Holten to Percy Grainger.
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Visitor Profile April 2019
For this month's Visitor Profile we speak to John Richter, a tuned percussion expert who has been assisting the Grainger Museum in the lead up to our next exhibition.
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Intern Profile March 2019
In this month's Intern Profile we introduce you to our current intern Regitze, and provide a snapshot of her project with us at the Grainger Museum.
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Grainger Museum Composer in Residence
We are pleased to introduce our Grainger Museum Composer in Residence, Kate Tempany, who will be engaging with the forthcoming exhibition, How it plays: Innovations in percussion.
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Melbourne School of Design x How it plays
The Grainger Museum is collaborating with the Melbourne School of Design for the design and fabrication of a key section of the forthcoming exhibition How it plays: Innovations in percussion.
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How it plays: innovations in percussion
Enjoy a sneak peak into our upcoming exhibition How it plays: innovations in percussion.
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Visitor Profile February 2019
This month’s Visitor Profile features researcher Marissa Kyser, who has come all the way from the United States of America to undertake research into the collection.
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From the Collection February 2019
Innovations in percussion explored at the Grainger Museum Store.
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Visitor Profile January 2019
As Merrill has been a part of the Grainger Museum Volunteer Program for over a year now, we thought it was about time we introduced her to you.
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Visitor Profile December 2018
This month’s Visitor Profile features Christopher, whom we met when he came in to see our Objects of Fame: Nellie Melba & Percy Grainger exhibition.
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Limited edition 'Objects of Fame' exhibition catalogue
The limited edition exhibition catalogue Objects of Fame: Nellie Melba & Percy Grainger is now available for purchase at the Grainger Museum and online.
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Grainger, whittled
This month we share a guest feature from Dr Derham Groves, Senior Lecturer in Architecture here at the University of Melbourne.
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From the Collection November 2018
A public research query about the Mona McBurney Collection, held in the Grainger Museum, turned up a fascinating experiment in keeping time for Grainger Curator Heather Gaunt.
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Visitor Profile October 2018
Meet Kim, a Grainger Museum volunteer. Here Kim talks about her experiences of the role, her own background and her favourite object on display in the Museum.
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Visitor Profile September 2018
Meet Daniela GutiƩrrez, who is currently studying her Masters of Arts and Cultural Management here at The University of Melbourne. Within her MA, Daniela is completing the Engaging Exhibition Audiences Internship at the Special Collections and Grainger Museum.
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Stillness | Perfection - Grainger | Amplified
This Science Gallery Perfection exhibition satellite event presents three new compositions created by student composers at the University of Melbourne, played through a sound system in the Grainger Museum courtyard. Visitors are invited to contribute their responses to the sonic environment via a web platform (in the form of iPads installed within the space or on their personal devices).
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Current Transmissions
The penultimate in our Sythesizers Public Program series, 'Current Transmissions: 50 Synthesizer Greats' performance at the Grainger Museum on Thursday 23 August, 2018 was a very special experience for all.
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From the Collection August 2018
A special gift to Percy from the King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway, during his 1910 tour.
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Visitor Profile August 2018
Alice O'Rourke is the 2018 UK recipient of the International Museums and Collections Award. She is currently studying a Masters of Art History and Curating at the University of Birmingham, and has come to Melbourne for a month-long placement at the University of Melbourne.
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Composition students seeking perfection in the Grainger courtyard
A collaboration between the Melbourne School of Design, Parallel Practice, the Faculty of Fine Art and Music, SoundLab and the Grainger Museum
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Open House Melbourne 2018
The Open House Melbourne 2018 weekend is almost upon us!
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Visitor profile July 2018
This month we met Mitchell and Marcus, two public servants who share a love of electronic music and who visited the Grainger Museum to view our current exhibition Synthesizers: Sound of the Future.
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From The Collection July 2018
Melba sings Grainger’s Colonial SongNellie Melba and Percy Grainger performed together only twice, both times in the context of fund-raising for the WWI War Effort in America. Both Grainger and Melba were deeply committed to using their talents for this cause. Exploring this relationship, Curator Heather Gaunt found another Australian fund-raising connection with Melba singing Grainger’s Colonial Song.
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Search for the Sublime: An Evening with Percy Grainger Event Review
It’s a nightclub! It’s a book launch! It’s the Grainger Museum! Our courtyard was transformed into a pop-up techno party of sorts on Wednesday 20 June in celebration of the launch of the latest issue of Swampland magazine, one of Australia’s newest (and, evidently, coolest) music journals.
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Hats off to Grainger!
Two students in the Museums and Collections Projects Program, Crystal Baptist and Sharon Wong, are working on a project in the Grainger Museum with Curator Heather Gaunt, to rehouse the large collection of hats.
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Visitor Profile June 2018
Mike is a volunteer at the Grainger Museum. We spoke to him about his experience of being a volunteer, and what he has gotten out of the role.
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From The Collection June 2018
Discover more about the Bridgeport Presentation Baton, which will be on display as part of the Grainger's next temporary exhibition in September.
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From the Collection May 2018
John Singer Sargent’s portrait of Percy Grainger appears in various forms – postcards, posters, programs – in the Grainger Museum Collection. Curator Heather Gaunt explores the history of this ubiquitous image…
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Engineering students recreate the Cross-Grainger experiments for Synthesizers: Sound of the Future
A team of four engineering students chose to undertake their group Capstone Project in the Department of Mechanical Engineering with the Grainger Museum in Semester 1 2018.
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Visitor Profile May 2018
Meet Kirsten, a marketing manager from Melbourne, in this month's visitor profile
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New products in the Grainger Museum shop
We pleased to announce the release of our latest additions to the Grainger Museum shop - Grainger tea towels and tote bags, as well as limited edition EMS Synths posters, and David Cheswick's album 50 Synthesizer Greats as part of our current exhibition, Synthesizers: Sound of the Future
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Synthesizers: Sound of the Future Exhibition Officially Opened
The Grainger Museum’s eagerly anticipated new exhibition, Synthesizers: Sound of the Future, is now officially open to the public.
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From the Collection April 2018
Carl Temple explores a little known link with Kaiser Wilhelm II discovered in the Laver Collection within the Grainger Archive.
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New volunteers at the Grainger
You may have noticed plenty of new faces at the Grainger Museum after an intake of new volunteers was completed in March 2018.
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Music making memories at the Grainger Museum
In 2017, the Grainger Museum hosted the pilot program Music Making Memories, which focused on wellbeing for people with dementia, and their carers.
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From the Collection March 2018
Our curator, Dr Heather Gaunt, shares an example of how we use our collection to facilitate interactive learning within the university community.
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Visitor Profile March 2018
Chynthia has recently commenced volunteering with the Grainger Museum.
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Sound artistry in 'Synthesizers' exhibition
Exhibition Synthesizers: Sound of the Future opens on 20th April
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From the Collection January 2018
The Grainger Museum was a happening place in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Curator Heather Gaunt explores the Ian Bonighton Archive of scores in the Grainger Collection which illustrate the explosion of experimentation in musical composition at the Grainger at that time.
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From the Collection February 2018
Curator Heather Gaunt explores the fascination with ‘chance’ music at the Grainger Museum by composers in the 1960s, and the influence of Percy Grainger’s MS Random Round.
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Visitor profile February 2018
Martha Louise, a recent visitor and donor to the Grainger Museum, shares her story about close family connections with Percy.
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Melba goes to the National Gallery of Australia
Objects within the Grainger Museum collection are often requested by other museums and art galleries to contribute to their own exhibitions. Curator Dr. Heather Gaunt explains why our portrait of Nellie Melba by Baron Arpad Paszthory, is currently on loan to the National Gallery of Australia.
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Grainger Museum Composer in Residence 2018
Current Faculty of Fine Arts and Music postgraduate student, Lewis Ingham, has been appointed as the Grainger Museum Composer in Residence for 2018. This year’s Composer Residency focusses on the creation of a soundscape for the forthcoming Grainger Museum exhibition Objects of Fame: Nellie Melba and Percy Grainger.
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From the Collection December 2017
Heather Gaunt's research for the upcoming Synthesizers exhibition reveals a little known experimental music machine.
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New IT Student Interns at the Grainger
The Grainger Museum is fortunate to have two postgraduate IT Interns working together at the Grainger three days per week from December 2017 through to February 2018 on a project focused on collection access.
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Launch of Grainger Museum Online
Grainger Museum Online is the new platform for the Grainger Museum to present curated exhibitions in an online environment.
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Museum Holiday Closure 2017
The Grainger Museum will be closed from Friday 22 December 2017 for the University holiday period and will reopen on Tuesday 2 January 2018.
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Visitor profile November 2017
Jon Drews, Client Services Officer at the Grainger Museum, meets with a new Grainger Museum visitor, Michael.
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From the Collection November 2017
Exhibitions Coordinator Brian Allison shares the story behind this platinum print 'Portrait of a dancer', by Stephanie Ludwig.
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From the Collection October 2017
Watch Jon Drews, Client Services Officer at the Grainger Museum, discuss a contemporary reinterpretation of the kangaroo pouch tone tool.
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Grainger Re-Animated: VCA student creativity based on Grainger Museum exhibition
Victorian College of the Arts Fine Arts students have created engaging animations using the Grainger Museum collection.
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Fugal alternatives: Reverberations of Studio 01 Launched
The students of the Master of Architecture design studio at the Melbourne School of Design have staged presentations that interpret themes from Percy Grainger’s work and biography in their pop-up exhibition here at the Grainger Museum.
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Visitor Profile September 2017
Sania Batool has recently commenced volunteering with the Grainger Museum.
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From the Collection September 2017
Kerry Andersson, a volunteer through the Museums and Collections Projects Program, discovered a special item as part of her project to research and develop a tour program.
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From the Collection August 2017
Grainger Museum Curator, Heather Gaunt, provides an introduction to some upcoming changes to the permanent exhibition.
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Fugal Alternatives: Reverberations of Studio 01
In a new collaboration this semester, the Grainger Museum is partnering with a Master of Architecture design studio at the Melbourne School of Design, where students are staging a pop-up exhibition, opening Monday 11th September.
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Visitors experience the Grainger after dark at Nite Art
On 27 July 2017, the Grainger was animated for Nite Art 2017, a celebration of people, art and the night in Melbourne.
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From the Collection July 2017
Sharon Wong shares her experience working with the Hirschfield Mack collection as part of the Cultural Collections Projects Program.
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Visitor Profile July 2017
Ella Whitehead was with the Grainger Museum for one week in June as part of her work experience, and here shares her favourite parts.
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From the Collection June 2017
One of the many hidden treasures in the Grainger museum is an eclectic collection of paintings, watercolours and photographs both by and about Australian artist Helen Lempriere (1907 – 1991).
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Volunteer at the Grainger
We are excited to announce the Grainger Museum is now accepting applications to its volunteer program.
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From the Collection May 2017
The Grainger Museum Collection does more than just repose on display in the Museum or sit quietly in boxes and on shelves in the offsite Museum Store.
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Composer in Residence
The Grainger Museum has begun a program to connect with, and support, post-graduate music composition at the University of Melbourne. From May the Museum is excited to welcome PhD student Alice Humphries as our new ‘Composer in Residence’.
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Music Making Memories
The Grainger Museum was successful in a highly competitive round for Melbourne Engagement Grants 2017.
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From the Collection April 2017
Male savage [figurine], c. 1907. Cork, feather, shell, paint, cloth, beads, paper, pins.Given to Percy Grainger by Knud Larsen, 1907.
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Visitor Profile March 2017
Say hello to Arthur, future Astronaut and Remote Helicopter Flying Electrician Who Goes Out on the Electrical Wires, who is possibly this week's youngest visitor to the Grainger Museum.
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From the Collection March 2017
Black satin and ermine evening gown belonging to Rose Grainger, with matching sash and stole, M. Levinsky & Co., Copenhagen.
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From the Collection February 2017
Orville model Harp Guitar made by Gibson, 1910s. Currently on loan to the Grainger Museum from a private collector.
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From the Collection January 2017
Christmas Card from Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, 1957
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Grainger Museum Archive Project
Do you use the Grainger Museum Archive for your research?
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New Appointment for the Grainger Museum
After a significant search, a new Curator, Exhibitions and Collections has been appointed to the Grainger Museum
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New Grainger Museum Website
2017 sees a new look Grainger Museum website launched.
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Grainger Museum Open in January 2017
The Grainger Museum will open in January 2017 for the first time.
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