Te Papa’s botanists made several significant finds during their explorations accompanying the recent Bryophyte and Lichen Workshop. Led by Research Associate Peter Beveridge and Research Fellow Patrick Brownsey, the moss Dicranoweisia spenceri was found in some abundance at the site we investigated within Tongariro National Park. This is great newsRead more
![[Dame Whina Cooper], 1980s, New Zealand. Westra, Ans. Purchased 1993 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds. Te Papa](https://i0.wp.com/blog.tepapa.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/o-015249-dame-whina-cooper-1980s.jpg?fit=394%2C550&ssl=1)
In an exhibition that might raise as many questions as it provides answers, Brian Easton, curator of The Makers of Modern New Zealand 1930 – 1990 exhibition at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery, welcomes the element of debate that could emerge from his choice of subjects. Dr Easton, economist, writerRead more
The varnish removal is finally complete! The detail of the brushwork in the Poedua’s face and hair have been revealed and we are one step closer to getting this painting ready for display. During the varnish removal we discovered a damage on the stretcher which meant that we needed toRead more
Unveiled: 200 Years of Wedding Fashion from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London was officially opened this morning with a special wedding breakfast for 300 guests. Perhaps surprisingly for an exhibition from wintery London, guests were adorned with lei and fresh ‘ei (flower garland) on arrival and were drawn upstairsRead more
Carmen Rupe (1936-2011), a New Zealand transgendered entrepreneur, entertainer, and role model, passed away in Sydney this morning. Carmen was a pioneer of greater sexual tolerance, who came to prominence through the entertainment and nightlife options she provided for Wellingtonians during the 1970s. Taumaranui-born, as Trevor, Carmen graced Auckland, Wellington, and Sydney with herRead more
On Monday, the Unveiled installation team unpacked what must be considered one of the exhibition’s most glamorous gowns – a glorious number designed by Norman Hartnell for Margaret Whigham, a British society beauty who married Charles Sweeney, a movie-star handsome American, in 1933. While one of the most glamorous, it is also the most tricky toRead more
As part of a project to publish the wildlife diaries of Edgar Stead, I am revisiting some of the islands that Stead camped on during the period 1929-1947. The main focus is describing how the ecology of the islands has changed since Stead’s time. The visits also provide an opportunityRead more
2011 was a terrible year for New Zealand seabirds. The Rena oil spill in October received the most media coverage and provided dramatic images (see Rena oil spill blogs). More insidious were the impacts of the Japanese earthquake and ensuing tsunami in March. A plume of radioactive fallout from theRead more
This week it has been full steam ahead in the VISA Platinum Gallery. The crates carrying Unveiled: 200 Years of Wedding Fashion from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London arrived by sea, and Keira Miller and Sarah Scott from the V&A arrived by air. Over the last week Keira and Sarah,Read more
The Art team here at Te Papa are saddened by the news that contemporary New Zealand artist Don Driver passed away yesterday morning in New Plymouth. Although Don had been ill for some time, this sort of news always catches you off guard. Te Papa has a considerable number ofRead more
Adam Art Gallery has opened a new exhibition this November: Shadowgraphs: Photographic Portraits by Len Lye. The exhibition runs from 19 November to 18 December 2011 and comprehensive presents a selection of the cameraless photographic portraits made by Len Lye in 1947. Lye’s photographs will be contextualised with other material, including silhouettes,Read more
Seventy-two years ago, the Centennial Exhibition opens in Wellington (9 November 1939) The 1940 Centennial exhibition was one of the many ways in which New Zealanders marked 100 years of British government. The exhibition, which was located in Rongotai, attracted over 2.6 million visitors over a period of six months. Below is a colourisedRead more
Hello. Matthew O’Reilly, Framer of Paintings, returning to the subject of Poedua, and particularly, her lovely frame. This is my second post about the conservation of the frame. The first one was in June, and it dealt with understanding the frame and its history well enough, and identifying the questions to beRead more
In an effort to bolster our ability to identify some of New Zealand’s most widespread and commonly cultivated trees, Leon Perrie, Curator of Botany and I attended a workshop for identifying Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Pinus species this month. The workshop was presented by Chris Ecroyd, a long standing member ofRead more
Carefully packed into custom-made crates, the exhibition Unveiled: 200 Years of Wedding Fashion from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, has departed Melbourne for Wellington by sea. In the meantime, it’s been all go in Te Papa’s Textile Store with the arrival of our New Zealand commissions – or at least two of them.Read more
