STUDY DAY 2011 | THE GARDEN OF IDEAS 2 : FAKING IT: Artificial flowers in the Australian interior with Elizabeth Anya-Petrivna

The making of flowers was a cultural fad, a leisure activity, and a home industry. The constellation of production, consumption, and design will be explored in the context of 1880s Melbourne and will plot the careers of local practitioners. This talk will look at the popular use of artificial flowers as decoration in 19th century interiors and fashion. It will question the cultural fascination with ‘sentimental botany’ to find negotiations or liaisons with interior decoration.

Elizabeth Anya-Petrivna is a Curator in the Collections Team of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), whose responsibilities include the Trust’s outstanding costume collection. She is currently completing post-graduate study at RMIT University based on her innovative research and analysis of artificial flowers.

THE GARDEN OF IDEAS: STUDY DAY 2 focusses on the historical use of plants in Australian interiors to coincide with FAIR HALL & GLAD PARLOUR: bringing the garden indoors