Visitor profile November 2017

Jon Drews, Client Services Officer at the Grainger Museum, meets with a new Grainger Museum visitor, Michael.

Michael lives in North Carolina, USA, and is visiting Melbourne with his wife for a few weeks. He came across the Grainger Museum by chance, walking along Royal Parade from the city with his wife to the university campus where she works.

Michael, in front of some of Ella and Percy Grainger’s handmade clothing outfits

To Michael, the visit to the museum was his introduction to Percy Grainger. He was surprised to learn that the museum was built during Grainger’s own lifetime, and was even more fascinated by the breadth of Grainger’s creative output as he explored the exhibits.

One of Michael’s favourite exhibits was the collection of towelling clothes made by Ella and Percy Grainger, currently on display in our exhibition: Making the Museum: 1930s to 1960s. He remarked how timeless the outfit designs seem, and we both agreed that they probably wouldn’t look too out of place in a 2017 hipster retro-fashion couture house.

Ella and Percy Grainger, Shirt, c.1930s.

Machine sewn shirt with manufactured towelling hand sewn to sleeves.