An exhibition on the Lost World of the Sands and McDougall’s ‘Directory’ of Melbourne.
The famous Sands & McDougall Victorian Directory was the internet of its day, a vast web of information compiling the names of Melburnian householders in enormous annually published volumes. Today, its 117-year publishing legacy (and the great beauty of the huge books) is immense.
Founded in 1857, the Directory of residents, trades and streets lasted until 1974. It remains much-used by historians and genealogists, but also contains many lost and unexpected treasures. Page Not Found explores how each Directory is a story of lost Melbourne, for every year’s volume records the massive changes this city has undergone.
The exhibition is curated by arts journalist Andrew Stephens and features illustrations by Oslo Davis.
City Gallery is set in the Swanston Street facade of Melbourne Town Hall, where it shares an entrance with ticket business Half-Tix.