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Phar Lap Collection

Image: Scrapbook - Phar Lap

Source: Museum Victoria

The Melbourne Museum has been the home of Phar Lap, since his mounted hide first went on permanent display in January 1933. He immediately became one of the Museum's most popular exhibits and has continued to draw the fascination of visitors over the decades since, becoming one of the most significant historical icons in any Australian Museum.

The Museum also holds an important collection of over 350 items of racing equipment and memorabilia relating to Phar Lap, including race programmes, winner's sashes, saddles, horseshoes, horse rugs, jockey's silks, a whip and other items collected by his owners and carers during his working life. Since the late 1980s, the Museum has activevly developed the collection to further document the social and historical context of Phar Lap's career and the enduring public interest in the horse since his tragic death at the height of the Great Depression. Included in the later category is an extensive archive of documents and photographs, examples of publicity materials produced by the Museum featuring Phar Lap, and a range of commercial and homemade souvenirs and memorabilia reflecting people's ongoing fascination with his story.

Highlights of the collection include the following:

Phar Lap's mounted hide, taxidermy specimen prepared by Jonas Brothers, New York, in 1932
Catalogue of the Annual New Zealand Thoroughbred Yearling Sales, 24 Jan 1928, at which Phar Lap was sold for 160 guineas
Certificate of Registration of Racehorse, issued for Phar Lap, 3 December 1928
Tommy Woodcock's suitcase, in which the strapper stored equipment & memorabilia relating to his beloved Phar Lap for 50 years, before donating it to Museum Victoria
Harry Telford's tonic book, used during the 1930s when he was trainer and part-owner of Phar Lap
Jockey's silks & cap owned by trainer Harry Telford, used on Phar Lap in 36 races from 1929-1931
Tommy Woodcock's horse brush & whip, used while caring for Phar Lap
Presentation sashes awarded to Phar Lap for his win in the VRC Derby, 2 November 1929, and three other races
Training saddle worn by Phar Lap during trackwork, early 1930s
Framed photograph of Phar Lap winning the 1930 Melbourne Cup, from the family of Harry Telford
Billy Elliot's Phar Lap Saddle used by jockey William Elliot in Phar Lap's final races
Pair of horseshoes for the Agua Caliente Handicap, Mexico, worn by Phar Lap during his final race in March 1932
Horse rug worn by Phar Lap at the time of his death at Menlo Park, California, 5 April 1932
Dozens of sympathy letters sent to Harry Telford by adoring fans and supporters following Phar Lap's death
Scrapbook of newspaper and magazine clippings, compiled between 1930-1990 by Marie Davie, one of the many fans who became a lifelong devotee of Phar Lap.

Items per page: 10 50 (showing 11 - 20) 252 items

Photograph - Phar Lap Headshot, Framed, 1930s

Framed magazine photograph of Phar Lap's head and shoulders.

Images: 1
Newspaper Cutting - Truth, Our Equine Idol Dies in Exile, 10 Apr 1932

This newspaper cutting, from the Truth newspaper, contains a front page story about the death of Phar Lap, including theories about his death. It is part of a group collected by the don ...

Images: 2
Medal - Museum of Victoria, Phar Lap, Gold, 1983 (AD)

This gold-plated bronze souvenir medal is an example of the Phar Lap related merchandise sold in the Museum of Victoria shop in the 1980s.

Images: 2
Newspaper Cutting - Daily Telegraph, Phar Lap's Relations, 06 Apr 1932

Newspaper cutting, from The Daily Telegraph newspaper, depicts the fate of Phar Lap's dam Entreaty and Sire Night Raid around the time of his death. It is part of a group collected by t ...

Images: 1
Newspaper Cutting - The Sun, Cardigan Reveals Truth about Phar Lap's Death, 22 May 1932

This newspaper cutting, from the Sunday Sun newspaper, contains the first part of an article about Phar Lap's death, particularly a theory about it by horse racing journalist `Cardigan' ...

Images: 1
Postcard - Nu-Colour-Vue, Phar Lap on Display at Museum Victoria, 1986

Glossy coloured souvenir postcard, depicting Phar Lap on display at the Museum. It is an example of the Phar Lap related merchandise sold in the Museum of Victoria shop in the 1980s.

Images: 2
Letter - My Story of Phar Lap, Sam Paynor, 1999

One of 26 letters hand written by the Year 3F students at Henschke Primary School, Wagga Wagga, NSW in 1999. Sent to the Museum in 1999 by the class's teacher, who thought the Museum w ...

Images: 1
Letter - My Story of Phar Lap, Bobby Tye, 1999

One of 26 letters hand written by the Year 3F students at Henschke Primary School, Wagga Wagga, NSW in 1999. Sent to the Museum in 1999 by the class's teacher, who thought the Museum w ...

Images: 1
Drawing - 'Makybe Diva & Phar Lap', Ron Tandberg, Black Ink, 2005

Cartoon produced by Melbourne cartoonist Ron Tandberg for inclusion in The Age newspaper of Wednesday 2nd November, 2005. It was in reaction to the racehorse Makybe Diva winning the 200 ...

Images: 1
Photograph Album - E Taylor, Holiday to Sydney, Canberra & Melbourne, 1938

Photograph Album assembled by the E Taylor, it relates to a 21 day bus tour that he and his wife took through the ACT, New South Wales and Victoria in March/April 1938. This album's ma ...

Images: 2