My second story as a Guest Curator for the Victorian Collections website, Summon the Living, bells from Victorian community collections has been published, continuing a series I am gradually developing about the material culture of intangible heritage. This story covers a sweeping selection of bells that are cared for in small museums throughout the state. The story explores object biographies of bells that have been passed on over the years, and the symbolism and uses of bells, recalling the aural landscape of daily life in the past. I had to edit the story down from my initial collection of 24 wonderful bells for this story format, and I have now added the history of bells to my long list of minor obsessions.
Feature Image: Colour photograph of a bell at Lady Northcote, Ballarat Heritage Services, 02138 Photo Lisa Gervasoni, Victorian Collections CC BY-NC-SA 3.0