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Hairpin box owned by Dame Nellie Melba, 1918

Hairpin box owned by Dame Nellie Melba, 1918
by Cartier
gold, enamel, set with diamonds and jade
presented by Mrs Corona Feakes, 1953
R 69

Born Helen Porter Mitchell, she adopted the surname Melba as a tribute to Melbourne, her hometown. After singing professionally in Melbourne for some years, she made her opera debut in 1887 in Brussels as Gilda in Rigoletto. She went on to play leading roles in Paris, London and across the continent, was feted by society and fashion designers showered her with gifts. Over the next few decades, Melba continued to perform around the world.  

This gold and enamel hairpin case, designed by the New York branch of famous jewellers Cartier, may have been a personal gift from Pierre Cartier. The case, encrusted with diamonds and jade, is inscribed: ‘Cartier’ and ‘NM Feb. 15th 1918 New York’. Melba later gave the case to a Sydney friend who donated it to the Library in the 1950s.

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