'Under the Rainbow is the life story of E.W. Cole, a colourful and much loved figure of 19th century Melbourne. Best remembered for his Funny Picture Books, his sense of the absurd and his marketing genius, his wonderful arcade was the first 'department store' in Melbourne, replete with a live orchestra, an aviary and monkeys alongside books, ornaments, art, curios and tearooms.
'But there was more to Cole than his merchandising prowess- he scandalised the clergy with his sacrilegious views about Christianity, campaigned passionately against the White Australia policy, and advocated education for all.
'Cole's journey from an impoverished sandwich seller on the streets of London to owner of one of the most memorable establishments of early Melbourne is remarkable. His passion for learning, insatiable curiosity, and enduring faith in the essential goodness of humanity make him a figure worth celebrating.
'More than 100 years after his death, Cole's story is a timely reminder that a little bit of goodness can go a long way.' (Publication summary)
'Many Australians know of E.W. Cole (1832–1918) from Cole's Funny Picture Book, first published in 1879 and followed by new editions, reissues and reprints into the 1990s. But the afterlife of Cole's career amounts to more than memories of childhood reading. Richard Broinowski's Under the Rainbow: The Life and Times of EW Cole takes an expansive view of Cole's life in a thorough and engaging biography which tells the story of Cole's success as a marketer and entrepreneur, and provides insights into the convictions that energised him. Prominent among these was his passionate rejection of the White Australia Policy, which found expression in pamphlets, public addresses and his three-month visit to Japan in 1903. Under the Rainbow is a strikingly handsome book with many judiciously-chosen visual images.' (Introduction)
'Melburnians above a certain age will remember Coles in Bourke Street. Unknown to most of them, it stood on the site of another Coles, Cole’s Book Arcade, for half a century probably the most famous shop in Australia. Its founder, Edward William Cole, is now the subject of an engaging biography by Richard Broinowski.' (Introduction)
'Melburnians above a certain age will remember Coles in Bourke Street. Unknown to most of them, it stood on the site of another Coles, Cole’s Book Arcade, for half a century probably the most famous shop in Australia. Its founder, Edward William Cole, is now the subject of an engaging biography by Richard Broinowski.' (Introduction)
'Many Australians know of E.W. Cole (1832–1918) from Cole's Funny Picture Book, first published in 1879 and followed by new editions, reissues and reprints into the 1990s. But the afterlife of Cole's career amounts to more than memories of childhood reading. Richard Broinowski's Under the Rainbow: The Life and Times of EW Cole takes an expansive view of Cole's life in a thorough and engaging biography which tells the story of Cole's success as a marketer and entrepreneur, and provides insights into the convictions that energised him. Prominent among these was his passionate rejection of the White Australia Policy, which found expression in pamphlets, public addresses and his three-month visit to Japan in 1903. Under the Rainbow is a strikingly handsome book with many judiciously-chosen visual images.' (Introduction)
