Bookmark - Victorian Asylum & School for the Blind, Centennial International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1888-1889

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Summary:: Bookmark with braille message sold as a souvenir of the Victorian Asylum & School for the Blind at the Melbourne Centennial International Exhibition, 1888-1889.

The Centennial International Exhibition, held in the (Royal) Exhibition Building, opened on 1 August 1888 and closed at the end of January 1889. It celebrated 100 years of British settlement and surpassed the grand scale of the1880 Melbourne International Exhibition, attracting over two million visitors (approximately 69% of the colony's population at the time). There were a number of demonstrations for visitors to see, including brush making at the Victorian Asylum & School for the Blind stand.
Description:: Blue fabric bookmark, decorative edging with a cream braille card sewn onto the centre of the fabric. The card has black printed text as well as the embossed braille lettering.
Acquisition Information:: Donation from Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind (RVIB), 1993

Discipline:	History
Dimensions:	57 mm (Height), 192 mm (Width)

Tagged with:	civic mementoes, souvenirs, domestic equipment, keepsakes, royal exhibition building, world fairs, exhibitions melbourne international centennial 1888-1889, disability organisations, visual impairment
Themes this item is part of:	Domestic & Community Life Collection, Public Life & Institutions Collection, Medicine in Society Collection
Primary Classification:	PUBLIC EVENTS
Secondary Classification:	Melbourne Centennial Exhibition 1888
Tertiary Classification:	souvenirs
Inscriptions:	Printed: Victorian Asylum & School for the Blind, Estab. Aug., 1866./ CENTENNIAL INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION, MELB. / 1st August, 1888.
Other Association (See Comments):	Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind (RVIB), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1888 Made and/or sold by
Place & Date of Event:	Royal Exhibition Building (REB), Carlton, Victoria, Australia, 1 Aug 1888 - 31 Jan 1889 The 1888 Centennial International Exhibition was held here
References:	The Australasian Sketcher, 29th November 1888