Ada Booth Slavic Collection

The Ada Booth Slavic Collection, housed at the Sir Louis Matherson Library at Monash University's Clayton campus, was established in 2011 through a bequest from Ada Phyllis Booth (1921-2008), a physicist and lecturer at the University of Melbourne. Booth's enduring dedication to Slavic Studies (including left-wing politics and European history) significantly contributed to the expansion of the Slavic language materials the library has acquired over recent decades. The collection is internationally recognised and also includes the Ada Booth Rare Book Collection.

Following Millicent’s recommendation and reflecting on my interests in Russian Avant-Garde artists, such as Alexander Rodchenko (1891-1956) (Figure 1), Kazimir Malevich (1879-1935) and El Lissitzky (1890-1941), art movements (including Futurism, Constructivism, and Suprematism), and scholars (such as David Burliuk (1882-1967) and Alexander Kojève (1902-1968), I contacted Sam Gibbard, Ada Booth Senior Project Manager, to arrange a meeting in regards to utilising the Collection Library in support of my research. Sam advised that although the collection’s Russian Avant-Garde holdings are currently limited,  they are growing, with the capacity to source and acquire rare books through the Ada Booth bequest, presenting opportunities to obtain primary source materials that directly support my research.

Figure 1. Alexander Rodchenko, c1920. Spatial Construction No. 12

Bibliography

Rodchenko, Alexandr. c1920. Spatial Construction No. 12. Plywood, open construction partially painted with aluminium paint, and wire. MoMA. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/81043.

Monash University. 2025. “Ada Booth Slavic Collection.” Monash University | Library. https://www.monash.edu/library/find-and-borrow/special-collections/ada-booth-rare-collections.