Saving Grace
The wonder of Grace Darling’s 1838 rescue of nine shipwreck survivors captured hearts the world over. Nicole Cama shares the story of the ‘Heroine of the Farne Islands’ and its tragic conclusion.
Japanese flapper lands on Australian shores!
When you think of the kinds of things you might find in the collection stores of the Australian National Maritime Museum, a photograph of a Japanese flapper might be the last thing you would expect.
East meets West: The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam
Respected by the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Harry Houdini, the great Chinese magician Long Tack Sam stunned Australian audiences with his acrobatic feats and magic tricks. But his story lay forgotten for a long time.
Annette Kellerman: The Mermaid from Marrickville
An early 20th-century cigarette card depicts the mesmerising Australian swimmer and star of stage and screen, Annette Kellerman, an aquatic actor who took her world by storm.
The glamour of a naval visit
While researching the museum’s Samuel J Hood collection, who worked in the first half of the 20th century, Nicole Cama encountered these stylish women portrayed during a Dutch naval visit to Sydney during the Great Depression.