Showing posts with label museum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label museum. Show all posts

Jul 23, 2009

100 Years Ago Today 23 July 1909: Lyttelton Larrikins, Linwood Library & Colonist's Collections


Idlers at the Post Office corner in Norwich Quay, Lyttelton, have in many years polished an area on a big telegraph post, and a band along the post office wall, by the constant rubbing of tired shoulders, and countless men have spat upon the footpath thereabouts.

Yesterday several men who were causing an obstruction at the corner were "moved on" by a constable, but as soon as he had passed four of them resumed their posts on the path. Three of them found the consequences this morning in the Lyttelton Police Court.

Sergeant Ryan stated that many complaints were made of the way in which idlers blocked the footpath at that corner, and also at the one opposite, and that great annoyance was caused to people, especially ladies, using the path for its legitimate purpose. In this case he did not press for a penalty, being desirous only of impressing those in the habit of lounging in the vicinity with the fact that the by-law should be observed.

Mr George Christopher Smith, J.P., was on the Bench, and the three men, Carl Davidson, Peter Peterson and Otto Neilson, having pleaded guilty, he fined each of them five shillings and costs.


Linwood Library Opened by the Mayor


Opening Day

The Linwood Public Library, which. has been established through the efforts of the Linwood Citizens' Association, occupies the neat wooden building that was in former years the Linwood Borough Council Chambers, on the corner of Worcester Street and Stanmore Road. The building is vested in the City Council, which has granted its use to the Library Committee, and has also made a grant towards the purchase of books. The amount thus granted has been judiciously expended, and there was a very fair assortment of books upon the shelves of the institution when it was formally opened yesterday.

Mr William Wilcox Tanner, president of the Linwood Citizens' Association, welcomed the Mayor of Christchurch, Mr Charles Allison, and thanked the Council for its assistance in establishing the library. He assured the Mayor that the institution would, grow, and that it would prove in the future of very great value to the residents of the eastern portion of Christchurch. The Mayor said that he heartily sympathised with any movement for the foundation of a library, and he must congratulate the Linwood people upon having at last obtained one. The success of the library would, to a great extent, depend upon the wisdom exercised in the selection of the books placed upon the shelves. Care must be taken that none of that numerous class of modern novels which were pernicious in their tendency were allowed a place upon the shelves.

Linwood was not making the use of its recreation ground which it could and should do, and he hoped that in regard to the library, the residents would see that it was to their best interests to make use of the opportunities which were now placed in their way. He declared the library open, and wished it a successful and useful career. (Applause).

Mr George Watts Russell, M.P., congratulated the people of Linwood upon the progressive step they had taken, and said that though the library was at present but a small one, he believed it was based on good, solid, progressive lines. In two years, he believed, it would have greatly increased its size, and justified its existence.

The City Council had voluntarily handed over the building for the library, from which it had been receiving revenue, and it had given a subsidy. That subsidy, he believed, would be made an annual one, in the same way as the subsidy given by the Council to the Sydenham Library. In regard to the Christchurch Library he was sorry to say that they could get no subsidy from the Council. The Mayor was as hard as a rock on that subject. He desired to thank Councillors Thomas N. Horsley and Henry John Otley, representing the Linwood Ward on the City Council, for their services in advancing the cause of the library, and also Mr W. W. Tanner, who had devoted a great deal of time to preparing documents and doing other secretarial work which, required the experience of a man of public affairs. The district was under a debt of gratitude to Mr Tanner in this matter. In conclusion. Mr Russell said he would be pleased to give the newly-opened library any assistance, in his capacity as chairman of the Board of Governors of Canterbury College, or as a member of Parliament. (Applause).

There was a very large attendance of residents at the opening ceremony, at the conclusion of which afternoon tea was dispensed by the ladies of the district.



Early Canterbury: The Museum Collection


A joint meeting of the Board of Governors of Canterbury College and the committee recently set up by a meeting of old colonists was held at Canterbury College yesterday afternoon in connection with the decision of the Board of Governors to establish a section at the Canterbury Museum for the collection of mementoes (sic) and records of the colonisation of Canterbury. Mr William Guise Brittan was voted to the chair pending the arrival of Mr G. W. Russell. M.P., chairman of the Board.

Mr Robert Speight, assistant curator at the museum, who was requested to report on the space available, said that it was intended to reserve a part of the statuary room for the collection, which would include documents, maps, portraits and pictures of the early days. Mr Brittan said he understood that considerable space would be required. Mr John C. Andersen said that even the official records would require a larger room than the Board room, and there would also be files of newspapers, maps and so on.

Mr Henry George Ell, M.P., said that the first thing was to collect, and the question of space would be one for the Board. It was sufficient at present that there should be a safe resting-place for documents as they were collected. Mr John D. Hall said that it would be important to frame conditions, to be attached to all documents, books or pictures handed over, to ensure their safety and preservation.

A. sub-committee consisting of Messrs G. W. Russell, M.P., H. G. Ell, M.P., J. D. Hall, A. C. Rolleston, Rockwood Charles Bishop and W. G. Brittan was appointed to draft conditions and to prepare a general appeal to the public for records of the history of Canterbury, and particularly early Canterbury. Mr G. W. Russell suggested that Mr Speight should .be secretary to the joint committees, and should take charge of the work on behalf of the board of Governors. The suggestion was agreed to.

Mr G. W. Thomas (Akaroa) wrote expressing his willingness to collect records of Akaroa and Banks Peninsula. It was resolved to write to the following gentlemen asking them to form local branches affiliated to the Central Committee :- Akaroa, Mr G. W. Thomas ; Kaiapoi; Mr Joseph Lowthian Wilson ; Geraldine, Mr Thomas Buxton, M.P. ; Timaru, Mr James Craigie, M.P.

In reply to Mr Ell, Mr Russell said that the collection of Maori history should be a separate project. It was not so important as the European history.


Editor's note
Articles from The Star newspaper of the 23rd of July, 1909.

Where known, individual's initials have been expanded in the first instance to their full names to assist researchers, etc.

May 6, 2009

The Artists of the Canterbury Museum

There can be few visitors to our museum who fail to appreciate the contributions of local artists to the displays, but of the artists themselves there would appear to be little known.


Thirty-four year-old Ray Jacobs joined the staff of the museum as a Preparator in 1940. Son, father and grandfather of Taxidermists, Ray constructed the much admired recreation of a Victorian period Christchurch street (above). In addition to being an outstanding Taxidermist he also constructed the foregrounds and painted the diorama backdrops for all of the habitat groups in the 1956 Edgar Stead Hall of New Zealand birds. Ray retired in 1972 and died in 1974, about six weeks after a bedside investiture by the Governor General as an Officer in the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.


Above: Ray Jacobs creating the diorama of the Waitangituna Stream at Okarito in South Westland for the hall of New Zealand birds. White Herons (Kotuku) and a similar estaurine habitat would have been familiar to the hunters who first inhabited the confluence of the Avon and Heathcote rivers from about 1350. Much sought after for their feathers, the Heron was almost exterminated and is still a rare sighting in the Christchurch district.


The completed diorama
LARGE IMAGE OPENS IN A NEW TAB OR WINDOW






Leo J Cappel was also a Preparator at the Canterbury Museum. Subsequently author of A Guide to Model Making and Taxidermy: A Comprehensive Manual for Sportsmen and Teachers, for Model Railway Enthusiasts and Other Hobbyists, Leo created the Museum's Moa Hunter diorama (above) before transfering to the Auckland Museum in 1964. Now in his mid-seventies and widely renowned as a writer, sculptor, composer and award winning playwright, Leo lives on Kawau Island in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf.





Commissioned to paint three large dioramas of wildlife studies for the museum's Hall of Antarctic Discovery in 1977, Wing Commander Robert Maurice Conly (1920-1995) also published Ice on my Palette in the same year. The large format book includes 27 sketches and 26 colour plates of his Antarctic impressions.

For 54 years Maurice Conly was the last Royal New Zealand Air Force Official Artist. Beyond his works of art and postage stamp designs, Conly's designs for our twenty cent and one dollar coin are familiar to all New Zealanders.



Appreciation: thanks to Cheryl Bernstein for the precipitative query and also to Sarndra Wilson of the Auckland Museum, the polymathic Leo Cappel and Terry Jacobs (youngest son of Ray Jacobs) of The Taxidermist Ltd.