Movembering Dr Hassell and his magnificent mo
Rebecca Rice, Curator Historical New Zealand Art, explores a mystery behind Dr Gray Hassell’s magnificent moustache.Read more
2017-11-14
‘Please do not bite the books’ and other comical library rules
Would you walk into a library with a dirty face? Take a bite out of one of the books? Or LIE to the librarian? Librarian Martin Lewis (@rarebookguy) reveals comical library rules from history and shares his five commandments to ensure happy books and librarians. No dirty faces and no lies inRead more
2017-10-11
Big Ted to Rita Angus: Gems uncovered while revamping Collections
We asked the team working on the new Collections Online website to share their favourite objects and images they’ve found along the way and tell us a little bit about working on this massive project.Read more
2017-09-26
Students give our store windows the WOW factor
When the World of Wearable Arts show is in town we like to join the festivities by handing over our shop windows to students from Wellington High School and Queen Margaret College. The year 13 fashion and materials technology students display their own striking wearable art creations as part of their course.Read more
2017-09-18
Te Papa’s new Collections site launches – get hunting
It’s hugely exciting to announce that Te Papa’s new Collections site launches today. Fiona Moorhead, Collections Information System Manager, introduces what’s new.Read more
2017-09-15
Extracting DNA from dried plants – with an eraser
Until now, it hasn’t been possible to get the DNA out of a pressed dried plant (herbarium specimen) without destroying part of it by removing a leaf and grinding it up. But new research by scientist Lara Shepherd has proven that you can use an eraser to ‘rub off’ the DNA.Read more
2017-09-11
Fantastic water bears and how to photograph them
Imaging specialist Jean-Claude Stahl explains why photographing a water bear is such a ‘bugbear’ and bug expert Phil Sirvid fills us in on exactly what a water bear is, and why they are one of the most indestructible creatures on the planet.Read more
2017-08-15
Cliff Whiting: Visionary, innovator, tohunga, teacher, scholar, master artist
It is with enormous sadness that Te Papa acknowledges the passing of Cliff Whiting (6 May 1936–16 July 2017).Read more
2017-07-20
Meeting a man I will never know: Jonathan Mane-Wheoki
Ruby Abraham, a Museum and Heritage Studies student at Victoria University, has spent the last five weeks on placement at Te Papa working intimately with the archive donated by Jonathan Mane-Wheoki (1943-2014).Read more
2017-07-18
Putting the pieces back together after the earthquake
Charlotte Jimenez, an intern from the Institut National du Patrimoine in Paris, has spent the last three months putting more than 250 pieces of the plaster tauihu back together. Here she explains the intricate process.Read more
2017-07-11
The heaviest, smallest, oldest, and smelliest books in our library
Our Research Librarian Martin Lewis, aka @RareBookGuy, takes a look at some of the more unusual questions he has received on tours of the Te Papa library collection.Read more
2017-06-29
The art of ako: Teaching kids to teach kids to use virtual reality
Learning innovation specialist Ewan MacLeod looks at how the Māori concept of ako guides pedagogy inside a 21st century learning lab.Read more
2017-05-19
How science fiction is guiding Te Papa’s digital team
Hazel Bradshaw, part of Te Papa digital’s team, looks at how science fiction master Neal Stephenson’s work is informing ideas at Te Papa. Last week American author, Chief Futurist of Magic Leap, and game designer Neal Stephenson made a flying visit to Te Papa as part of Techweek. Some of you will know immediatelyRead more
2017-05-16
Rare books and the marvellous art of marbling
Research Librarian, Martin Lewis, explains why he’s been losing his marbles over marbling…Read more
2017-04-27
Curating to heal: Ways of creating sovereign spaces in museums
Mātauranga Māori curator Matariki Williams discusses the role of curators healing past wrongs, something being addressed in our new exhibition about motherhood and Māori women. At Museums Australasia last year, a conference convened by the New Zealand and Australian museums associations, visiting Metis academic and artist David Garneau interrogated the etymologyRead more
2017-04-20