ROLLING ALONG WITH RESEARCH

Despite the lockdown, Christine Eid continues to delve into the stories of a prominent 19^th and 20^th century skating family with great passion, dedication and fervour.

Back in 2012 while working at the State Library Victoria, Eid was in the pictures storage area tracking down dance cards in the collection for a display she was curating.

Wandering amidst the steely grey storage compactors trying to locate a specific archival box, amongst the many snugly fitting grey archival boxes, she turned and spotted a series of boxes labelled the Dan Clifton Collection, completely unrelated to her quest. Eid is unsure what precisely aroused her curiosity, but she felt this incredible compulsion to open one of the boxes.

Walking over to the viewing table with a box in hand, Eid put on her white cotton gloves and carefully removed the lid, only to discover it was filled with rollerskating ephemera. The joy on her face said it all. Eid has been captivated by this collection and the untold stories of the Beyer family ever since. Anyone who has known Eid since that time can attest to that, as she has brought many people along the research journey with her.

Over many years the research has taken on many incarnations, from intriguing and exquisite exhibition displays and a whimsical performance, all revealing tantalising glimpses into the story of the Beyer family. The long-term objective is for the stories to culminate into a book.