Len Wesney, photographer (1946–2017)
Athol McCredie, Curator Photography, reflects on the life of New Zealand photographer Len Wesney.Read more
2017-08-17
Remembering Tufuga Holoatu Lagatule (1938-2016) – leader among the Pacific communities in Christchurch
Recently the Pacific Cultures team at Te Papa were informed of the passing of one our elders and leaders, Tufuga Holoatu Lagatule. She was born in Niue and came to New Zealand as a teenager in 1957. She became an important figure among the Pacific communities living in Christchurch, inRead more
2016-08-30
Remembering the Canterbury Earthquakes
This Sunday marks the fourth anniversary of the devastating earthquake that shook the city of Christchurch, claiming the lives of 185 people and changing those of thousands of residents in ways that it is often hard to conceive unless experienced. In Te Papa’s commemorative display (20 February to 22 March 2015),Read more
2015-02-20
More Help Wanted: Photo-Detective #2
There was a high level of interest in my last blog about photographs from Te Papa’s collection that require more information. So here are some more where we need your sleuthing skills: Disappearing Waterfall? What happened to the Kakahi Falls, on the Whanganui River, not far downstream of Taumaranui? This photograph appears in many aRead more
2015-02-07
Leaning churches & busy crowds: recently digitised cartes-de-visite photographs of early Christchurch
This is a wonderful early photograph of a crowd watching what appears to be a sporting event on the grounds of the old Normal School (later Cranmer Court apartments, now demolished). At the time the photograph was taken some of the people were moving, making some of the figures appear blurry (see especiallyRead more
2014-04-30
Canterbury Earthquake AVs: Student Volunteer Army
Sam Johnson of the Canterbury’s Student Volunteer Army (SVA) is in the news again! This time, however, the world’s media have zoomed in not on Sam’s amazing volunteer work and leadership following the Canterbury Earthquakes, but on his dance moves. During Prince Charles and Camilla’s recent visit to Christchurch, Sam took the Duchess of Cornwall for a spin onRead more
2012-11-21