sharing the past - Auckland Museum

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Sharing the Past group when the sea's ground swell increased to a 30ft surge. The zodiac crew fetching them, unable to get close enough, tossed them a backpack with supplies for the night. When they opened it the top little packet had some Minties in it with a note saying, "It's moments like these…" They spent the night on sloping ground under the scrub listening to the petrels and hoping the large centipedes weren't about to walk over them. It was a rather cold uncomfortable night. The next day the Zodiac returned but still could not land. Finally by the third day the sea was calm enough for a rescue. Notwithstanding the hardships the trip was extremely worthwhile however, as the endemic shrub (Elingamita Johnsonii) which they were hoping to find, was discovered, not only there but, on an adjacent island as well. These are the only two islands on which the shrub grows. Another botanist, Rhys Gardner, spent some time collecting specimens in the remote hinterland of Papua New Guinea. In the good old days the way of securing specimens from tall trees was to Photography was a year or so old when Pakeha Auckland was founded but recording of the Auckland scene did not begin until a short-lived venture by two photographers in 1847. By 1852 portrait sittings had become popular and in the 1860's landscape photography became all the rage. Consequently by 1870 when the combined Museum and Institute moved into their new premises they were in a great position to begin collecting a wide selection of views of Auckland and notables of this city. Images have survived in one of three main forms - glass plate negatives, film-based negatives or as positive images on paper (these may often be contained in albums). A rough 7 Teacher Background Auckland Museum Te Papa Whakahiku teacher background shoot them down but nowadays the locals object a bit. Although his local helper was an excellent tree climber, sometimes he says, a feeling of sturdy independence came over him when he liked doing things himself. On such a day, confronted by a tantalising specimen in a huge smooth-trunked jimbul tree, he decided to use the catapult method. A catapult is used to send a sinker and fishing line over a high branch. The fishing line is used to pull a larger rope over the branch, then a few sharp tugs and down will come the specimen. His first three tries fell short and unfortunately into a prickly field, making retrieving them an unpleasant business. The last try was a bull's eye. A few tugs and the fruits would be in the bag. After tying the rope around his waist and bouncing energetically up and down the branch made some rather menacing flexing motions, sprang up, pulled him off his feet and a piece 3m long and 20cm thick broke off spearing into the ground just where he had been standing only a moment before! THE PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION Photographs provide us with realistic views of many past events and happenings both special and everyday. approximation of the Museum's photographic collection is about 1.25 million images. We have nearly 500 albums. The glass plates number An amazing amount of gear was needed on desert sorties. Note the jerry cans of fuel and water and the sand tracks attached to the truck's side. These increased tyre traction when stuck in loose sand. (Photo: Stewart)
teacher background some tens of thousands. The collection is carefully protected from further deterioration, being housed in a cool store environment where the atmospheric conditions are constant. These vast numbers have been assembled from a variety of sources. As an example Gordon Maitland, the present curator of pictorial collections, was approached some years ago by Raymond Stewart who had brought in a supermarket bag full of tiny black and white snapshots each the size of a matchbox. The photographs had belonged to his father, Claude Stewart, and Raymond was happy to loan them to the Museum for copying. Many of the photographs were screwed up and unsorted but as they were spread out Gordon could see some interesting stuff. Claude had been a soldier in North Africa during Auckland Museum Te Papa Whakahiku Sharing the Past The soldiers came from all walks of life. Some, like these band members, could use their pre-war skills to entertain the troops, lifting morale. Others could use their acting talents to bring reminders of Hollywood glamour. (Photos: Barnett) Claude Stewart and his distinguished passengers stop to scan the horizon. Note the canvas covered front window and headlights to minimize the sun's reflection. World War II and these were personal snapshots. He had been a driver sometimes taking important men such as General Freyberg, the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Field Marshall Montgomery to meetings or reviews of the troops. The beauty of snapshots is that they show more real life rather than the stiff, formal official photographs. These photos are a great addition to the collection especially as many W.W II veterans are still living and have not yet got to the point of donating their memories. On another occasion Gordon met an old soldier, Eddie Barnett, once again clutching a plastic bag. This time the photographs were his own. He had taken them all and therefore could tell us all the details of what had been happening when the shots were taken. He was concerned about the possibility of dying without leaving any information and wished to donate his whole collection to the Museum. These opportunities are eagerly accepted as they provide us with details which the official war accounts neglect but which are interesting on a more personal level. The images may be used by historians to illustrate a book for future generations. Here in the Museum they have been used to illustrate exhibitions such as Scars on the Heart with personal details to help us appreciate more fully what it was like... over there. Teacher Background 8
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sharing the past - Auckland Museum

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