How a humble teaspoon can stir memories

Little things can speak with a voice that is disproportionately loud. Take the example of the Australian souvenir teaspoon. In the 1950s and 1960s, decorative teaspoons including images of the locations where they were bought were ubiquitous souvenirs. These teaspoons comprise a time capsule of an era gone by. What do they say?

I had never really thought about it until I came across the teaspoon collection of Melbourne-based artist Simon Normand. Reviewing these quirky relics of bygone days, I was struck by the portrayals of Australia in the 1900s. The skewed presentation of women is an initial theme: Any female depicted is bikini-adorned. Aboriginal Australians are also near-naked, portrayed in the guise of the noble savage. First Nations women do not feature at all.