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I’m just behind you…

7 November 2012 – 3.13pm

Eric Lee-Johnson was rather good at the ‘rear view’.

Untitled, New Zealand. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

Untitled, circa 1935, London. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa.

Infant, Waimamaku, 04.1956, Waimamaku. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

Working with topdressing fertiliser, Northland, 1950 s, New Zealand. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

Untitled [London], circa 1937, London. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

Circus in North Island countryside surroundings, 1960 s, New Zealand. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

Joanna Johnson and dog on country road, England, circa 1937, England. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

Crowd at Opononi wharf, 1956, Opononi. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

Terry Bond at work on his Mahurangi farm, 1944 – 1946, New Zealand. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

Childrens party at the beach, Northland, 1950 s, New Zealand. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

[men looking at car engine], circa 1956, New Zealand. Eric Lee-Johnson. © Te Papa.

Unloading of crates, Wellington waterfront, circa 1940, Wellington. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

By Lissa Mitchell | Posted in Collections Online, Photography | Also tagged beaches, children, circus, dogs, parties, trains, workers | Comments (0)

Unsolved mysteries

22 August 2012 – 4.24pm

Perhaps you know where some of the photographs below were taken? If you can help, please note the number related to each image with your comment below. Click on the images to enable enlargement.

1) Its summer here…

Untitled (pohutukawa fringed beach), circa 1965, New Zealand. National Publicity Studios. Purchased 2003. Te Papa

2) North Island wharf

North Island wharf, 1960 s, New Zealand. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

3) Is it Otago harbour? And if so, what is the view of?

Untitled, 1880s. Burton Brothers. Te Papa

4) Coastal view – probably North Island

: New Zealand coastline scenery, 1950 s, New Zealand. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

5) Pushing a car through a township somewhere in the North Island

North Island township scene – pushstarting a stalled motorcar, 1950 s, New Zealand. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

6) Summer again…

Untitled (beach cove), circa 1965, New Zealand. National Publicity Studios. Purchased 2003. Te Papa

7) 19th century factory – perhaps near Dunedin?

Untitled, 1880s. Burton Brothers. Te Papa

8) A coastal Northland township

Coastal scenery, Northland, 1950 s, New Zealand. Eric Lee-Johnson. Purchased 1997 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. © Te Papa.

9) A real local in Rona Bay, Eastbourne – is the house still there?

Eastbourne Villa, 1921. Maker unknown. Gift of Margaret and John Christie, 1979. Te Papa

10) Somewhere in the Coromandel?

Untitled, 1880s. Burton Brothers. Purchased 1991. Te Papa

11) No clues here….

Untitled, 1890s, New Zealand. Maker unknown. Purchased 1999 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa

12) Damage from the 1931 Napier earthquake – which bridge is it?

Untitled, circa 1931, Hawke’s Bay. Maker unknown. Gift of Mrs J Paterson, date unknown. Te Papa

13) Main street, Greytown?

Street scene, circa 1875, Wairarapa. James Bragge. Te Papa

By Lissa Mitchell | Posted in Collections Online, Photography, Uncategorized | Also tagged beaches, earthquakes, factories, harbours, houses, small towns, wharves | Comments (19)

The race is on!

7 July 2009 – 6.53pm

In Inspiration Station yesterday there was a flurry of frenzied activity as the Discovery Centre pit crew hosted an hour of Formula One activities

Tiana and Jaiden check the weight of a street car tyre. © Te Papa, 2009.

Spectators were allowed into ‘trade secrets’ such as how heavy an ordinary car tyre is compared to a bigger, fatter, but lighter F1 tyre. They also found out about the revolutionary properties of carbon fibre as well – but promised not to tell any opposing teams!

But in true F1 styles the friendliness stopped as everyone got down to the serious business of the hour – building the fastest milkbottle car and racing it.

Callum with his flaming race car. © Te Papa, 2009.

There was a race to get the best stickers. All the participants understanding that how your racing car looks directly affects its overall speed

But the proof is in the pudding – kids got to race their speedy creations in five heats – winners scoring themselves a beautiful Formula One™ – The Great Design Race poster.

Check out some of the other constructors and their cars:

Constructor Jack and Kurt, one of his pit crew. © Te Papa, 2009.

Grace and her distinctive yellow-wheeled racer. © Te Papa, 2009.

Isaac sizing up his race car\’s tyres with the F1 Bridgestone one. © Te Papa, 2009.

Check out Mrinali\’s rear wing and double rear tyres – what would Max think of that? © Te Papa, 2009.

Constructor Jonathan insisted his car be number 1. © Te Papa, 2009.

Liri's car was questioned by other constructors as it didn't conform to FIA rules. © Te Papa, 2009.

By emmab | Posted in Exhibitions, Uncategorized | Also tagged carbon fibre, Discovery Centres, F1, Formula One, Inspiration Station, race, racing cars, tyre | Comments (5)

Getting the Williams from groundfloor to the fourth

27 June 2009 – 3.53pm

When making exhibitions here at Te Papa, teams have to install a wide variety of objects. You, the visitor, generally only get to see the polished final product – everything all beautifully laid out, ready for viewing.

Have you ever wondered how we get the big stuff in? All I can say is – thank goodness for the goods lift. Now, I know it’s big and has had cars in it in the past but you never fully appreciate this ability until you see it for yourself…

The Williams FW14B going into the goods lift. © Te Papa, 2009.

And so the Formula One cars were moved, one by one, from the dockway up to Level Four.

Various objects get moved to their respective gallery’s usually by trolley – but with the installation of these Formula One cars it was a different kettle of fish…. a different road to follow you could say

Those responsible for the safety of the cars decided on wheeling them through Level Four from the lift…

The Williams coming out of the goods lift on level four. © Te Papa, 2009.

These cars are designed to operate beautifully at very high speeds – which meant turning corners at very slow speeds very tricky. There was no such thing as a perfectly executed 3-point turn! More like five or six-point shimmying to get them around corners and into the Visa Platinum Gallery… there was a lot of maths…

Wheeling sedately past the Britten bike. © Te Papa, 2009.

Backing the Williams into the gallery. © Te Papa, 2009.

You may have noticed that we backed it all the way – this is so it ended up facing the right way on its plinth inside the gallery – told you maths was involved

Putting the nosecone back onto the Williams FW14B. © Te Papa, 2009.

You may also be thinking that the Williams FW14B is not looking that flash – it’s nose-cone had been removed in England so it didn’t get damaged in transit. So we’ve made Nigel Mansell’s 1992 car look gorgeous again… rhinoplasty does wonders!

The Williams on its final resting place in the Visa Platinum Gallery. © Te Papa, 2009.

By emmab | Posted in Exhibitions | Also tagged F1, Formula One, Nigel Mansell, racing cars, Williams FW14B | Comments (1)

Formula One at Te Papa… and a little chair waits…

3 June 2009 – 6.48pm

Visa Platinum Gallery, empty and waiting…

We’ve carefully deinstalled the precious Monets and others – they’re already back in Boston…

Nearly all the walls have been taken down…

The Visa Platinum Gallery on Level 4 here at Te Papa is pretty much empty – in fact I think the last time I saw it so empty was for Henry Moore in 2002…ish. Have to confess – it’s an excellent space to sing very loudly in

So this little chair waits… what’s going in there?

Nine

beautiful,

sexy Formula One cars

- along with a whole lot of other amazing objects and stories.
Formula One™ – The Great Design Race will be opening 15 July 2009.

I can’t wait!

Psst – don’t worry, we’ll sweep the floor.

By emmab | Posted in Exhibitions | Also tagged exhibition, Formula One, racing, Te Papa | Comments (10)

Te Papa's Blog

Tag Archives: cars

I’m just behind you…

Unsolved mysteries

The race is on!

Getting the Williams from groundfloor to the fourth

Formula One at Te Papa… and a little chair waits…

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