How are books printed?
Have you ever wondered how exactly a modern book is printed? Well, below is a series of photographs showing some of what goes on when a book is on the printing press.Read more
2016-11-18
Picturing Asia: The Photography of Brian Brake and Steve McCurry
Recently a photography exhibition titled Picturing Asia: Double Take – The Photography of Brian Brake and Steve McCurry opened at the Asia Society in Hong Kong. Te Papa is one of the partners with the Asia Society in developing this exhibition, as the Brake images are all drawn from Te Papa’s collection.Read more
2016-11-17
Marti Friedlander 1928 – 2016
It is with sadness that we at Te Papa learned photographer Marti Friedlander passed away in Auckland on Monday 15 November. Marti was born in London of Jewish parents and emigrated to New Zealand with her Kiwi husband Gerrard in 1958. She was shocked by how conservative New Zealand wasRead more
2016-11-15
Art and Democracy
Dr Mark Stocker, Curator Historical International Art, explores the slippery links between art and democracyRead more
2016-11-14
Little photographers on the loose
You can come across some surprising sights when wandering around Te Papa – including 3 and 4-year-olds taking pictures with vintage cameras. Read more
2016-11-10
The End of Fashion as we know it?
History curator Claire Regnault discusses the declaration that ‘fashion is dead’ – a question at the heart of this year’s End of Fashion conference, hosted in Wellington.Read more
2016-11-04
A Children’s Guide to Splendour by Pukerua Bay School Museum
Written for children, by children, Te Papa’s Learning Innovation and Art teams are very excited to share the first book produced by our friends from the Pukerua Bay School Museum. This guide is full of great information relating to life in Europe in the 16th to 19th centuries – inspired by the taonga (treasures) onRead more
2016-10-27
Can you see through paint? Examining a hidden wall mural using infrared reflectography
Linda Waters, Conservator Paintings, shares a technique used in her work to look through layers of paint and uncover a painting that would otherwise remain invisible.Read more
2016-10-26
Remembering Avis Higgs: painter, designer, and ‘a truly awesome woman’
Last week, we received the sad news that textile designer Avis Higgs had passed away just a few days after celebrating her 98th birthday. History curator Claire Regnault pays tribute to ‘a truly awesome woman.’Read more
2016-10-26
Botanic gardens: our outdoor museums and why they matter
Why are botanic gardens important? And what does this have to do with Te Papa?Read more
2016-10-14
Guess who’s coming to dinner? Ethel Tweedie’s celebrity table-cloths
History curator Claire Regnault discusses why signature cloths become ‘a thing’ and what their purpose was for.Read more
2016-10-13
Painting a Developing New Zealand: The Watercolours of James Crowe Richmond
For most New Zealanders, the name James Crowe Richmond is an unfamiliar one. Yet the landscapes he captured during his travels through southern back country evoke a quiet nostalgia for a rugged, untamed colonial New Zealand.Read more
2016-10-08
The power of lace – making European Splendour 1500-1800, Te Papa
Lace is fascinating for its changing and divisive role in history. Desired for its beauty and admired for its technical expertise, the best quality was restricted in use for monarchs and nobility. While sumptuary laws during the 1500 and early 1600s claimed to protect local industries, lace actually helped identifyRead more
2016-09-28
Bring on the bum roll… Dressing for Splendour
Bottoms have been in the news again lately. The conversation has been around what must be the 21st century’s most famous derrière, that of American celebrity Kim Kardashian. Indeed, in May she received a Webby award for ‘breaking the internet’ – a feat achieved with a bare-bottomed shoot for Paper Magazine. More recently British actress Helen Mirren chimed in,Read more
2016-09-25
Pukerua Bay School Museum visit European Splendour
The European Splendour 1500-1800 exhibition opened on Friday 16 September in Ngā Toi | Arts Te Papa. Our friends from Pukerua Bay School Museum: Aurelia (aged 9), Paddy (aged 11), Isaac (aged 12) and their teacher Cat Lunjevich, came to visit and spent time in conversation with our curators Justine and Mark. TheyRead more
2016-09-19