Fitted with a four-lens turret, a 12-volt motor and Cooke Speed Panchro lenses, this landmark camera was donated to the NFSA by newsreel camera operator and cinematographer Ross Wood.

Small country-town theatres created a cinematic atmosphere for their patrons with lavish buildings, ornate décor and teams of uniformed ushers who carried lolly trays such as the one pictured.

Emerging after the Second World War, the Pathescope GEM was a sleek and stylish die-cast projector built for 8mm, 9.5mm and 16mm gauges and featuring atomic-age design.

An early toy projector for kids, the Alpha-Kine projected 16mm acetate (safety) film. Other models used 35mm nitrate – a highly flammable stock.

This well-used Second World War-era tin was once filled with Minties – the beloved Australian confectionery.

Advertisements can be memorable for many reasons, but the vintage ads of early last century are notable for their commitment to telling a story.

In 1948, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh toured Australia and New Zealand with the Old Vic Company, receiving an enthusiastic reception wherever they performed.

This was the first radio broadcast of a Parliamentary session, with Ben Chifley – acting on behalf of Prime Minister John Curtin – announcing the end of hostilities in Europ

In this newsreel segment filmed by Fox Movietone, General Manager Charles Moses explains how the ABC imitates the soundscape of a cricket match to accompany its commen

When radio took off in the 20th century so did the belief that the airwaves offered the chance to communicate with spirits – an anxiety that cast a shadow over radio’s inception story and still endures with new technological advancements today.