The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and George left New Zealand this afternoon for Sydney, Australia. The Cambridge’s departure was less scenic than the Duke’s grandparents’ at the end of January 1954. On that occasion, just over 60 years ago, the royal yacht, the SS Gothic, made an unscheduled visit to MilfordRead more
When Prince George had his New Zealand playdate on 9 April his romper suit with sailboat smocked on the front, inspired parents to rush out and buy up the outfit by British designer Rachel Riley. Like many royals before his clothing both inspires and reflects the fashions of the time. A baby’sRead more
Out of all of the Royal memorabilia circulating in the world my favourite items tend to be home made. ‘Fanmade’ objects always resonate with me more than commercially produced souvenirs –infused as they often are with love and obsession. In 2012 the Merrick Girls gifted Te Papa a cushion, intensely embroidered byRead more
Here is the perfect indoors game for a rainy day during a royal visit. Produced in the 1800s, its playing instructions are long gone. But you can still test yourself to see how many British sovereigns you can name, from William the Conqueror to Queen Victoria. Read more
Stephanie Gibson, Te Papa’s Curator of Contemporary Life & Culture writes: It was with great sadness last week that I read about the demise of royal visit souvenirs (‘No royal knick-knacks thanks, we’re Kiwis’, The Dominion Post, 1 April 2014). According to the journalist ‘tacky royal collectibles are becoming relicsRead more
Continuing our series of blogs to mark the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to New Zealand, I thought I would touch on one of the lesser known royal visits of the past, that of William’s grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, in December 1956. The relative obscurity ofRead more
Famous stamp collectors in history range from King George V to Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury. The 1943 New Zealand Health stamps feature prominently in the latter’s carefully arranged schoolboy album. Their triangular shapes carry novelty appeal, while their subject matter is charmingly distinctive: Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II (agedRead more
In celebration of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first Royal Tour of New Zealand, we have decided to dedicate a ‘Royal Tour’ length blog series to items in the collection which somehow relate to the Royal family and their relationship to New Zealand. I was going to start the week’s blogRead more
With the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to New Zealand, it’s the perfect moment to ask what some of Te Papa’s treasures tell us about our feelings towards royalty. Lorde’s critical and irreverent take on the ‘Royals’ of her mega-hit song runs counter to the overwhelmingRead more
The Berry Boys soldier identification project has progressed leaps and bounds since 2008, when a group of portraits of unidentified World War I soldiers first featured on Te Papa’s website to mark the 90th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice. Getting the ball rolling We were able to inaugurateRead more
Justine Olsen, Curator of Decorative art and design, provides a fascinating insight into the preparation for the Throne of Emperors exhibition, opening 22nd March. This Saturday two important exhibitions open to the public: China: Throne of Emperors and Shi Lu: A revolution in paint. Developed by the National Museum of China inRead more
This summer, we ran a small pilot project, inviting volunteers to help transcribe the diaries of Horowhenua farmer, photographer, tramper, geologist, archaeologist, ethnologist, son, brother, husband and father Leslie Adkin. Thanks to everyone who contributed – the results have surpassed all our expectations. Twenty volunteers have transcribed over eighteen months ofRead more
Hugh Pollen was the influential head of New Zealand’s largest government department for 20 years – but what did he look like? Hugh was the son of medical doctor, civil servant and politician Daniel Pollen (1813-96), who was briefly (1875-76) Premier of New Zealand – i.e. the pre-1907 equivalent ofRead more
This summer, we ran a pilot project to transcribe the diaries of George Leslie Adkin, and put them online. Adkin wrote in his diary every day, and his 1913 diaries detail his courtship of Maud Herd, whom he later married. Adkin was also a talented photographer, and took many photographs ofRead more
This blog provides an excellent opportunity not only for us to share with you, but for you to share with each other. How do you use our museum as a learning resource? What do you find to be best practice? Why are museum and gallery experiences important for your tamariki? This story comesRead more
