State Library of South Australia

Decorations for the 'Arctic Cabaret' [PRG 1459/6/4] • Photograph

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Summary

This 15 foot high model of an iceberg, featuring an Eskimo hunter and polar animals, was designed and made by Doug Mackenzie, with assistance of members of the Glenelg Apex Club, for the Arctic Cabaret held in the Glenelg Town Hall in March 1951. It was not possible to convey in the photograph, by Don G. Mellor, the glittering Arctic scene that greeted guests on entering the hall. The towering central feature of the iceberg was liberally sprinkled with a mixture of silver glitter and salt crystals. Under the effect of a spotlight the whole thing glittered and sparkled, creating a remarkable impression of the real thing. In the background can be seen part of the 5 foot high scenery that encircled the entire hall. The background of sea and sky was painted by Apex Club members for talented volunteer artists to brilliantly illustrate with fanciful events of life in a polar setting. The scenery was illuminated by concealed lighting, leaving the hall above in darkness to create the impression that the onlooker was viewing an Arctic landscape. Table lamps consisted of icy igloos with light shining through the doorways. Artistic licence permitted penguins from the Antarctic to enliven the scene. At all Appex balls appropriate novelties were manufactured by club members for sale to the guests. On this occasion there were snowballs, consisting of crumpled-up balls of newspaper covered with raw cotton supplied by Actil. Guests gleefully hurled these at each other leaving those with dark suits covered in sticky white raw cotton which wives complained took weeks to remove. Even so, they had to admit that a great time was had by all. [Text by Doug Mackenzie].

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Physical description

Photograph (B&W print); 20.5 cm x 15.3 cm

Dates / Publication details

1951

Photographer

Mellor, Don G

Collection

Part of Doug Mackenzie Collection

Subject

Models and modelmaking

Catalogue record

Return to catalogue

General notes

Photo by Don G. Mellor, Outdoor Division, Mora Studio, 49 Rundle Street.

Digitisation information

Date

30/07/2008

Format

image/tiff

Resolution

3,115 x 4,168 pixels (13.0 MP)

Size

38.98 MB

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