Help reconnect taonga with their communities and history
We’re searching for ‘volunpeers’ to transcribe and digitise the business records of W O Oldman, a British collector and dealer in ethnographic art. Read more
2018-12-22
All I want for Christmas is Burne-Jones
In his traditional Christmas blog, Dr Mark Stocker, Curator Historical International Art, looks at the fabulous artist Edward Burne-Jones and how some fascinating items in Te Papa’s collection relate to him and his inspiration.Read more
2018-12-21
“Good-bye, moon”: completing the Leslie Adkin diary project
At the end of the month, a comprehensive digitisation project bringing Leslie Adkin’s diaries to life 100 years later will come to an end. Fiona Moorhead, Collections Information System Manager, wraps up the journey.Read more
2018-12-21
The Christmas tree in New Zealand
If you’ve visited us recently you’ll have noticed the beautiful ‘Kiwi’ Christmas tree at the entrance to the museum, decorated with jandals, kererū, and pōhutukawa. Here, history curator Katie Cooper explores the history of the Christmas tree in New Zealand.Read more
2018-12-20
Prehistoric desert snails
Did you know snails can live in the desert? Natural history researcher Rodrigo Salvador tells us a little about a curious set of fossils discovered in Algeria.Read more
2018-12-13
Vivian Lynn, artist: 1931-2018
Over the weekend, we were saddened to hear about the passing of Vivian Lynn on 1 December, 2018, after a long illness. Here, Dr Chelsea Nichols, Curator of Modern Art, reflects on her first encounter with Vivian’s work and on her remarkable contribution to New Zealand art.Read more
2018-12-06
Two cruise ships and shocking weather: Dealing with the busiest day of the year
Last Tuesday brought with it 98km/h southerlies, 20.4mm of rain, and two cruise ships carrying 4,500 extra people to our city. All of this meant we were heading into our busiest day of the year…Read more
2018-12-04