The Williams Collection
The Williams Collection contains original artworks by many of the leading Australian illustrators from the last 20 years.
This generous donation of 107 framed original illustrations from Australian children’s picture books was presented to the State Library of Western Australia by Dr Peter Williams in May 2006.
Illustrators well represented in the collection include:
- Shaun Tan
- Ron Brooks
- Narelle Oliver
- Stephen Michael King
- Anne Spudvilas
- Craig Smith
- Andrew McLean
- Peter Gouldthorpe
- Kim Gamble
- David Kennett
Artwork is still being added to the core collection, with West Australian illustrators as a focus, including Frane Lessac, Moira Court, Sonia Martinez and Rebecca Cool. Wherever possible original artwork is purchased, but some digital prints are also part of the collection.
Small exhibitions of the artwork can be seen at the Gallery end of The Place, the area for children and families on the mezzanine level of the Library. Captions show who the illustrator is and what medium was used to create the artwork.
Themed exhibitions showcase these beautiful artworks, and change every few months to highlight the variety and talent in this special collection. The books the illustrations come from are also displayed, and families can read them in the Gallery area.
To explore the full collection, search the State Library's catalogue, using "Peter Williams Collection" as keywords, and limit the search to the State Library. The records will show the title of the illustration, the name of the illustrator, and the summary information about the book it is from, the technique used, and whether preliminary sketches were also purchased.
Due to copyright issues, very few images of the artwork are available on the catalogue. Items can be viewed on request by contacting the Community Liaison Librarian: Children.
Page last updated: Wednesday 6 April 2011
