What do you think?
Rate this book
Under the Rainbow: The Life and Times of E.W. Cole
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 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.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2020
2 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 26, 2020
‘Like the rainbows he used as trademarks, Edward William Cole lit up Victorian Melbourne with his Book Arcade and the ways he promoted it.’
In the 1960s I was fortunate enough to discover ‘Cole’s Funny Picture Book’. I loved it: the wonderful absurd illustrations, the fantastic machines, the rhymes, and the cautionary tales.
In this book, Mr Broinowski tells us about the creator of that book, Edward William Cole (1832 – 1918). As I read the book, I found myself wishing that I had been able to visit Cole’s Book Arcade. I know that I would have loved it.
But back to the beginning. Edward William Cole was born in rural Kent, UK, in poverty in 1832. We do not have a lot of detail about his early life: his real father is unknown; his stand-in father was transported to Van Diemen’s Land for the theft of a handkerchief. What brought Mr Cole to Melbourne? Like so many others, the lure of gold.
Once in Melbourne, he tried several different jobs. But it was not until a woman sold him a job lot of books (which he sold alongside the pies he then sold from a barrow) that he started on the path that made him famous. From a small collection of books to a mini book arcade: Mr Cole sought and made the most of opportunities. Mr Cole’s insatiable curiosity and marketing genius served him well. He advertised for a wife (and found an ideal match), established his wonderful book arcade with its live music, menagerie, tearooms, and curios. He encouraged visitors to browse.
The narrative is accompanied by photographs, a reminder of what was once quite probably the most famous store in Australia. Mr Broinowski writes of the challenges Mr Cole faced, of how he saw (and created) opportunities. He was a strong advocate for education, a strong opponent of the White Australia Policy and showed far more religious tolerance than many of his era.
This is a delightful book. The story of a man who started with very little and achieved so much. We may not know all the facts about his early life, but we don’t need to in order to recognise his genius.
And now, I want to try to locate a copy of the ‘Cole’s Funny Picture Book’ I remember.
Recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In the 1960s I was fortunate enough to discover ‘Cole’s Funny Picture Book’. I loved it: the wonderful absurd illustrations, the fantastic machines, the rhymes, and the cautionary tales.
In this book, Mr Broinowski tells us about the creator of that book, Edward William Cole (1832 – 1918). As I read the book, I found myself wishing that I had been able to visit Cole’s Book Arcade. I know that I would have loved it.
But back to the beginning. Edward William Cole was born in rural Kent, UK, in poverty in 1832. We do not have a lot of detail about his early life: his real father is unknown; his stand-in father was transported to Van Diemen’s Land for the theft of a handkerchief. What brought Mr Cole to Melbourne? Like so many others, the lure of gold.
Once in Melbourne, he tried several different jobs. But it was not until a woman sold him a job lot of books (which he sold alongside the pies he then sold from a barrow) that he started on the path that made him famous. From a small collection of books to a mini book arcade: Mr Cole sought and made the most of opportunities. Mr Cole’s insatiable curiosity and marketing genius served him well. He advertised for a wife (and found an ideal match), established his wonderful book arcade with its live music, menagerie, tearooms, and curios. He encouraged visitors to browse.
The narrative is accompanied by photographs, a reminder of what was once quite probably the most famous store in Australia. Mr Broinowski writes of the challenges Mr Cole faced, of how he saw (and created) opportunities. He was a strong advocate for education, a strong opponent of the White Australia Policy and showed far more religious tolerance than many of his era.
This is a delightful book. The story of a man who started with very little and achieved so much. We may not know all the facts about his early life, but we don’t need to in order to recognise his genius.
And now, I want to try to locate a copy of the ‘Cole’s Funny Picture Book’ I remember.
Recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
February 27, 2021
A comprehensive study into E W Cole & his life and times. There is a lot of background as to what Melbourne was like when Cole was there, which sets the scene well- I give it a 5 stars for research. It was also interesting to read of his beliefs, the amazing bookshop - gosh, if only we had amazing bookshops like that today!!! (ok without the mini zoo). I didn't realise Cole had travelled so much - even to Japan! I also enjoyed how the author tied up the loose ends and tells us what happened to the business, and the family. Not just an insight into Cole, but early Melbourne.
January 21, 2021
From comments on my blog about the author talk for this book, (see https://anzlitlovers.com/2020/09/22/a...) you can see that it roused nostalgic memories for many people of a certain age, and intrigued those who hadn’t heard of Coles Funny Picture Books. The book is lavishly illustrated and is cleverly designed to evoke the era of the Funny Picture Books with font and pictures.
It’s a comprehensive biography, beginning with Cole’s life in Kent and his subsequent migration to Australia, but it’s more than a biography because Broinowski is a former diplomat with a powerful grasp of issues beyond Cole’s commercial genius and capacity for self-promotion. There are chapters about the Great Depression, the White Australia Policy and Cole’s visit to Japan in 1903. It strikes me that authors of Australian historical fiction would find much that’s useful for background research in this book, both in terms of domestic history but also the wider historical context. A full double-page spread of just some of Cole’s publications shows that he was much more than a publisher of amusing children’s books: there’s The Kookaburra Cookery Book, and The Best Poems of Ella Wheeler Wilcox but there were also pamphlets about the White Australia policy (to which he was opposed). I think this is a book with very wide appeal.
It’s a comprehensive biography, beginning with Cole’s life in Kent and his subsequent migration to Australia, but it’s more than a biography because Broinowski is a former diplomat with a powerful grasp of issues beyond Cole’s commercial genius and capacity for self-promotion. There are chapters about the Great Depression, the White Australia Policy and Cole’s visit to Japan in 1903. It strikes me that authors of Australian historical fiction would find much that’s useful for background research in this book, both in terms of domestic history but also the wider historical context. A full double-page spread of just some of Cole’s publications shows that he was much more than a publisher of amusing children’s books: there’s The Kookaburra Cookery Book, and The Best Poems of Ella Wheeler Wilcox but there were also pamphlets about the White Australia policy (to which he was opposed). I think this is a book with very wide appeal.
October 31, 2021
Tales of Cole's Book Arcade were regularly shared as a youngster, especially as my paternal grandfather worked there before the First World War. I had referenced this in my biography of my grandfather so was delighted when a friend pointed me to this recent book. A handsome, oversized hard cover book beautifully designed with photographs and drawings from start to finish.
The author has covered the life story of Cole well but obviously struggled with erratic access to primary sources. Much of the book are interesting and appropriate segues about what was going on around Cole, whether it be the squalid existence of many in early 19th century UK; the gold mining days of Victoria and later life in modernising Japan. The absence of such sources means the reader struggles to get inside the head of the subject, his relationship with his wife and children and other key players. However, this is compensated for by vivid descriptions of life at the Book Arcade, especially as new ideas were transformed into branch departments. The author, a former diplomat, writes crisply and has constructed the narrative logically. Only in the last chapter does he venture off on some unnecessary pontification. Some maps (of Victoria and Melbourne) and a family tree would have been valuable but otherwise a recommended read for those with an early Australian institution which had a significant impact on the literacy of at least member of my family.
The author has covered the life story of Cole well but obviously struggled with erratic access to primary sources. Much of the book are interesting and appropriate segues about what was going on around Cole, whether it be the squalid existence of many in early 19th century UK; the gold mining days of Victoria and later life in modernising Japan. The absence of such sources means the reader struggles to get inside the head of the subject, his relationship with his wife and children and other key players. However, this is compensated for by vivid descriptions of life at the Book Arcade, especially as new ideas were transformed into branch departments. The author, a former diplomat, writes crisply and has constructed the narrative logically. Only in the last chapter does he venture off on some unnecessary pontification. Some maps (of Victoria and Melbourne) and a family tree would have been valuable but otherwise a recommended read for those with an early Australian institution which had a significant impact on the literacy of at least member of my family.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews