Caroline Simpson Library
![Vue de George’s Street a Sydney [Nouvelle Galles du Sud]](https://images.slm.com.au/fotoweb/embed/2022/12/94f113aa18994a80857dcefdfbbd9f7d.jpg)
A 'musical jolt' in early colonial Sydney
Imagine that moment when you first heard your favourite piece of music - something that excited, moved or surprised you. The early musical soundscape of Sydney was teeming with just such moments
![Barry Little in white suit leading a group from the Society of Interior Designers of Australia on a visit to the Philippines](https://images.slm.com.au/fotoweb/embed/2022/12/2afd150cbc834030b689791cdb786ea5.jpg)
A Little archive that tells a big story
Ahead of his time, interior designer Barry Little had a significant influence on Australian interiors in the 1960s and 70s
![Hand painted title showing the middle section of reclining figure in landscape](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/zl9du87e/production/41bc98e666a98365209a8835e839af2de9aa49b1-2000x1138.jpg?fit=max&auto=format)
A global design story
Their original owner and use remain a mystery, but these striking tiles hold an intriguing connection to a significant international design story
![Detail of geometric motif](https://images.slm.com.au/fotoweb/embed/2022/12/bce53e58afe34ca4a9113b6458a77c69.jpg)
A new phase of life for Marlborough Hall
Historical research informs contemporary design, helping to give this original art deco apartment block a new lease on life
![Colourful roses on the cover of a sheet music book.](https://images.slm.com.au/fotoweb/embed/2022/12/c0719c3351154c268e35e18bd213bc71.jpg)
A paper jukebox: exploring our sheet music collections
Musicologist Dr Graeme Skinner reflects on the historical and cultural significance of the sheet music collections from three historic properties belonging to Museums of History NSW
![A man sits at a desk and looks at an album of pictures through a magnifying glass](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/zl9du87e/production/0fe0aa61106c0a61d46f32b067d19a75d03ed635-2040x1360.jpg?fit=max&auto=format)
Latest News
A recent acquisition uncovers rare tintype photographs
Tintypes are photographs printed on thin sheets of metal, rather than card. MHNSW doesn’t hold many in our collections, so this discovery is an exciting one
![](https://images.slm.com.au/fotoweb/embed/2022/12/2272ad139a7c458096a142e9d331b62c.jpg)
A window to the past
The private collection of photographer Alan Spearman Evans reveals an exceptional photographic record of an average middle-class couple celebrating their life in suburban Sydney in the early to mid 20th century
![Light fittings](https://images.slm.com.au/fotoweb/embed/2023/03/2b5a111375c340a0983398e6abbd9ac3.jpg)
A world of designs
Trade catalogues, published to illustrate the products for sale from a manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer, reveal the surprising wealth of choice available to Australian consumers in the 19th century