Research guide
September 2012
12
ART – Wellington
In this guide
Introduction
Introduction
EDUCATION
Education
Archives New Zealand’s Wellington Office
holds thousands of art works created by
and for the New Zealand Government.
These include oil paintings, water colours,
drawings, prints and posters.
From 1907 the Education Department
published material for schools and
teachers. The first edition of the School
Journal – a monthly reader for primary
schools – was published that year.
Archives New Zealand holds many original
artworks created for these publications.
Railway
Health
This Research Guide provides information
about the major collections of artworks
held by Archives New Zealand, why they
were created, the agencies that created
them, and how to access them.
Film and Publicity
Post and Telecom
Insurance
Events and Commissions
Further artworks can be found by
searching www.archway.archives.govt.nz.
Restrictions
Restrictions apply to many records on
account of their fragility and size. Access
to them is through the Preservation
Section of Archives New Zealand. Please
organise access by first contacting or
talking to an Archivist.
Technical Drawing
National Airways
Other
Art on Display
Note: This Guide deals exclusively
with records held in Wellington.
Archives New Zealand
Head Office
10 Mulgrave Street,
PO Box 12 050, Thorndon
Wellington 6144
Telephone:
04 499 5595
[email protected]
Auckland Regional Office
95 Richard Pearse Drive, Mangere
PO Box 201 103,
Auckland Airport, Manukau 2150
Telephone:
09 270 1100
Facsimile:
09 276 4472
[email protected]
Christchurch Regional Office
90 Peterborough Street,
PO Box 642, Christchurch 8140
Telephone:
03 377 0760
Facsimile:
03 365 2662
[email protected]
Dunedin Regional Office
556 George Street,
PO Box 6183, Dunedin North
Dunedin 9059
Telephone:
03 477 0404
Facsimile:
03 477 0422
[email protected]
Websites:
Home:
www.archives.govt.nz
Archway: www.archway.archives.govt.nz
A581318
Publication
Permission to publish, which is free, is
needed before any image sourced from
Archives New Zealand is published.
Please apply to the Group Manager of
Access Services, providing the full
archives reference and description of the
file, and stating the title and format of the
publication/website/documentary.
Hyperlinks
In the electronic version of this Research
Guide the underlined sentences and
words in green act as links to Archway
Series and or Agency documentation.
School Journal Illustrations
AAAD 698
[Pre-1948]
This series contains illustrations for the
School Journal by artists employed by the
Department of Education, School
Publications Branch, prior to 1948.
Several well known New Zealand artists
are represented. These are possibly the
precursors to the main numbered
sequence (series 700).
These works were originally in 4 folders
containing works by various artists. Most
have a publication reference in pencil on
the back. Archives New Zealand has
listed and boxed the works in alphabetical
order of artist.
Cover material
AAAD 6010
This series comprises cover material for
school publications artwork. The
publications include the Primary and PostPrimary Bulletins, the School Journals,
Music and Education Books. These items
have the title of articles and overlays.
School Journal
Part 3 Number 3
1988
[ADCT 699 W5428/3 9]
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Research Guide 12 – Art - Wellington – September 2012
Publication folders
AAAD/ADCT 699
Folders containing the original artwork(s) commissioned
for a particular publication (or issue of a publication).
Works were commissioned for the following types of
records:
• journals including School Journals, Junior Journal,
and the Journal of Young People's Writing;
• bulletins, including Primary School Bulletins, PostPrimary Bulletins and Bulletins for Schools;
• Maori educational resources, including journals
such as He Purapura and Te Wharekura;
• guides, including Suggestions for Health Education
in Primary Schools;
• teachers' handbooks;
• resource kits;
• music books;
• curriculum documents;
• picture packs.
Many of the earlier items in this series may have been
part of the series 700 numerical classification, which
consisted primarily of pen & ink or pencil drawings
mounted on grey card. However there was no easy
way of finding such works and incorporating them into
this series. Researchers are advised to consult both.
School publications artwork - main numerical
AAAD 700
sequence
This is the main post-1948 series of school publications
artwork. Not all items are held within this series. Many
are to be found in series 699 and 6021, but these items
have not yet been identified. Most drawings have a
label attached to the back stating the artist's name and
publication. A supplementary card index has been
compiled by Archives New Zealand – see series 6022.
Colin McCahon
[AAAD 781 10c]
Artwork - Outsize Material
AAAD 6021
Many of these illustrations are actually part of the main
numerical sequence [series 700], but separated due to
their larger size. Some have a main numerical
sequence number pencilled on the back, but not all
have been identified. It appears that this series was
kept as a separate series by the School Publications
Branch. The illustrations range roughly in date from the
early 1940's to mid-1960's.
Photographs and drawings
Artwork – Alphabetical Sequence
AAAD 781
This series of artworks is probably a relatively early
group. It includes work by some major New Zealand
artists. The drawings range in date from the early
1940's to 1980. Some have only the artist's name
pencilled on the back and others have the publication
and date.
Publication Folders – Islands
AAAD 782
In 1948, the first two readers for Samoan schools were
printed and a range of Islands publications ensued.
This series appears to comprise the majority of artwork
for these publications.
No identification has yet been done of the artists
represented in this series.
Art Work – Island Publications
AAAD 6009
This is a small series of drawings for the School
Publications Branch Islands publications.
ACIG 18014 [E W2394]
This series contains drawings from the Department of
Education Head Office. The drawings form two groups.
The drawings in group 12 were prize-winning entries
selected by the Public Relations Section of the National
Bank of New Zealand from works completed by
participants in a series of week-long workshops for
secondary school students held in the early 1970s.
These workshops were sponsored by the bank, and run
by tutors of national renown such as John Drawbridge.
The drawings in group 13 are school publications
drawings of Maori motifs by Selwyn Frederick Muru.
The drawings may have been intended to illustrate a
series of booklets, but they were never published.
Department of Education - publication artwork
AAZY W3901 [Box/Item 258, 289,600-605, 669-675]
This series of records contains artwork created for the
School Journal and various Bulletins in the 1970s.
Archives New Zealand
3
RAILWAY
HEALTH
New Zealand Railways – Posters
AAOK W3241
Posters primarily advertising New Zealand Railways
and destinations within New Zealand, such as Mount
Cook, Franz Josef Glacier and Waitomo Caves.
Published Posters
ABKI 805
Most of these posters were published by the Health
Department; a few come from other New Zealand
organisations such as the Milk Board, Apple and Pear
Marketing Board and Signal Toothpaste. There are
also posters from organisations concerned with dental
health in Australia, Great Britain, the United States,
Canada, Japan and Singapore.
Posters
ADQD 17620 [R W4425]
New Zealand Railways posters covering a variety of
topics, including exhibition tours, seeing New Zealand
by rail, and advertisements for various destinations
such as Rotorua and Wanaka. The majority of posters
promote the use of New Zealand Railways, but some
appear to have a public safety focus, such as a poster
giving 'Instructions for the Resuscitation of Persons
Suffering from Electrical Shock'.
NZ Railways Publicity Photographs and Artwork
ABIN W3806
1125 original artworks from the period 1930s – 1960s.
New Zealand Railway Studios – Original design
artworks
AAAA 20991 W5860
Fifty hand-painted original designs on boards, by artists
of the New Zealand Railway Studios (six donated by
Hamish Thompson). These document the process of
designing advertisements, commissioned by
government and business clients, which was one of the
Studio’s core functions. The artists are Pop Reid,
Maurice Poulton, Barry Ellis and others unknown.
Most of the posters do not have dates published on
them. The earliest appears to be c1930s with a few
from the 1940s and 1950s. From 1970 the posters
cover various dental health subjects from health diet,
cleaning teeth, to fluoridation of water supply.
Poster Album
ABKI 906
This album may have been for display purposes. On
the bottom right corner of the cover it has "Please take
care of this book" and a page inside has "As this book
represents many hours of work done by Student Dental
Nurses. Please be careful when looking through it and
do not tear". The book was probably originally a
wallpaper sample book.
Most of the posters have the students' names on them.
They were painted at classes held at the Wellington
Technical College. The subject matter of the posters is
aimed at children and includes pictures of fruit and
vegetables, teeth and toothbrushes, "Bertie Germ", milk
and various animals.
From the style of the lettering and artwork of the
posters, they appear to date from the 1940s.
[AAOK W3241/2 41]
[AAOK W3241/64]
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Research Guide 12 – Art - Wellington – September 2012
FILM AND PUBLICITY
Chief Censors Office: Film Posters AAAC W3628
These are film posters, which can be found listed on
Archway by the name of the film. The posters primarily
relate to films in the 1970s and 1980s.
Golden Kiwi Publicity Material
ABQQ 7587
Both designs and final copies of posters, tickets,
advertisements, and signs are included in the series.
Some of the art work may consist of design proposals
that were never commissioned. Some of the items
have record numbers that were the registration system
of the art/publicity company whose designs were
commissioned by Golden Kiwi organisers.
Posters and photographs
AAPG W3942
Posters held by the National Film Unit, but not created
by them, primarily relating to Tourism, as well as some
Artwork.
Paintings
AAQT 6243
This series contains paintings by National Publicity
Studio artists and paintings purchased for the NPS
Collection. The works were largely used to decorate
Ministerial and Department offices.
The series includes paintings by the following artists.
The first five were employed by the Department:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Marcus King
Howard Mallitte
E Beresford de Lacy
Don Neilson
Peter Scaife
Peter Beadle
Stephen Allwood
Brian Dahlberg
Sam Cairncross
Aston Greathead
Early Winter over Arrowtown, 1976
[AAQT 6243 13/13]
POST OFFICE AND TELECOM
Former Post and Telegraph/Telecom Museum
ACFB 8106
Holdings
This series is a collection extracted from the holdings of
New Zealand Post Archives, which was part of the Post
Office Museum and Archives.
Posters and sketches
Boxes 139, 224-231, 237
Telecom Museum Assorted Records
AAMF W3327
Engineer-in-Chief Portraits which are searchable by
name
Item 213
Several posters
Items 366, 370, 478
Monument De L'union Postale Universelle, A Berne Weltpost-Denkmal in Bern [painting]
Item 373
Porirua Harbour, c1842 - A water colour by S.C. Brees
(1810-1865) of Thom's Whaling Station and Hotel
entitled 'Porerua Harbour'
Item 390
Post Office Savings Bank records ABGT W5470
Several promotional posters for the Post Office.
Cuba Street, Wellington. 1965
[AAQT 6243 19/20]
Archives New Zealand
INSURANCE
Government Life Insurance Archives Collection
ABJX 20415
Government Life records, collected and centralised in
the organisation's Archives Section which appears to
have been established in the mid-1960s.
The Archives Section collected Government Life
Insurance records considered to have historical or
exhibitable value. The varied records include:
registered files, bound volumes, books, video tapes,
film reels, audio tapes, microfilm, photographs,
calendars and awards relating to sales agents,
posters, various objects including print blocks,
signage, advertising material, money boxes,
company office seal, etc.
State Fire Insurance Office various artwork and
marketing material
AAXF W3623 (Boxes 7, 16, 21, 35, 75-84, 97-100)
EVENTS AND COMMISSIONS
New Zealand 1990 Commission Posters
ABLG W3781
The New Zealand 1990 Commission was established in
1988 to initiate activities and events to celebrate the
150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of
Waitangi, 1000 years of known human habitation of
New Zealand, and the 75th anniversary of the landing
at Gallipoli. Posters were created for many events.
For more information on Patents and Copyright files
see Research Guide 8 Making a Living.
Te Atatu Residential Design Competition
AALF 6132
Records
These records document the 1977 Te Atatu Residential
Design Competition, sponsored by the National
Housing Commission, at the request of the Minister of
Housing, George Gair. A thirty hectare site was chosen
in Te Atatu, west Auckland. The competition brief
called for the design of a comprehensive residential
development, requiring the combined expertise of
architects, engineers and planners.
There were 44 entries, and 6 entries shared the prize
money. The display graphics of these six form a
substantial part of this series. These winning graphics
were reproduced in the National Housing Commission's
"Residential Design Competition 1977, Result and
Report", a copy of which can be found in this series.
Research Reports [National Housing Commission]
AALF 6124
The National Housing Commission was set up in 1972
to sponsor research into various aspects of housing in
New Zealand. The Commission sponsored 74 separate
reports 1976-1987 before being devolved in 1988.
Artwork is attached to Research Papers produced by
the Commission.
For plans of privately built houses please see your local
City Council. For plans of State Houses please contact
Housing New Zealand.
1993 Suffrage Centennial Year Trust Posters
ABKH 7365
The posters provide a record of the activities of the
1993 Suffrage Centennial Year Trust and some of the
projects that they funded. A number of projects
produced posters as part of their work. Where this is
the case the project number is noted on the list.
Conservation Week Material and Artwork
AAZU W3619 [Boxes 53, 85-92, 113-117]
Various artworks and posters for Conservation Week
across the 1970s and 1980s.
Miscellaneous records [record group]
AEFN 19057 [IC W1944]
These records consist of ephemera relating to the
participation of the Industries and Commerce
Department at Expo '70 in Osaka Japan. The items
include cartoon artwork.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
Patent Specifications and Design Files
ABPJ
Records comprise of patent specifications and drawings
as well as design registers with drawings.
Copyright application files
AEGA 18981
These files often include copies of, or artistic
representations of, the material being copyrighted.
5
Patent for the Electric Fence, Gallagher
[ABPJ 7396 W4391/92 81476]
6
Research Guide 12 – Art - Wellington – September 2012
NATIONAL AIRWAYS
OTHER
The New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC),
established in 1946, was a government-run domestic
airline, operating under its own Act of Parliament. The
airline was run as a public utility, with a monopoly on
scheduled domestic passenger air services. It was
merged with the government-owned international
airline, Air New Zealand Limited, on 1 April 1978.
Te Ao Hou Drawings
AAMK W3495 31 / 31h
Te Ao Hou was published from 1952 to 1976 by the
Māori Affairs Department in New Zealand Aotearoa. It
features bilingual content, with articles in both English
and te reo Māori..
National Airways Corporation artwork
AEPK 20230
NAC collected a number of artworks relating its
operations, including watercolours, sketches, and
cartoons. The collection is made up of:
• 7 black and white (ink) cartoons by Nevile Lodge
(cartoonist for "The Evening Post")
• 2 black and white (ink) cartoons by Eric Heath
(cartoonist for "The Dominion")
• 1 black and white (ink) cartoon by Gordon
Minhinnick (cartoonist for "The New Zealand
Herald")
• 1 black and white (ink) cartoon by Peter
Bromhead
• 6 watercolours by Earl Hingston
• 11 pencil/ink sketches by John H. Alexander
The cartoons date from 1961 to 1977. The sketches
and watercolours are undated.
For more information and electronic copies please see
the National Library Te Ao Hou website:
http://teaohou.natlib.govt.nz.
Restrictions relate to copyright. Clients may view
images but not copy or publish them without permission
from Te Puni Kokiri.
War
Archives New Zealand holds many artworks relating to
war, including the National Collection of War Art.
For information about the War Art collection, see the
War Art Info Sheet 2.
Entries for the Coat of Arms Competitions
ACGO 8341 [IA 9]
Coat of Arms entries (30/ files) are dated 1906 and
1908. The first competition finalists were caught in the
1907 Parliamentary fire and the competition was run
again in 1908.
All these items appear to be originals. The cartoons
were published in "The Dominion", "The Evening Post",
"The New Zealand Herald" and "The Auckland Star",
and the watercolours by Earl Hingston were used in an
NAC Annual Report in the 1970s.
National Airways Corporation ephemera
AEPK 20231
Ephemera collected by the NAC Library to document
the history of the National Airways Corporation.
"Te Waipounamu" [IA 9 30*30 52]
Richard John Seddon Cartoons
ACHW 8635 [SEDDON3] 60-65
A collection of scrapbooks covering the main years of
Seddon's political career, including 6 books of political
cartoons dating from 1893-1906.
David Low Cartoons, Ronald Hipkins drawings
and other sketches and paintings
ACGO 8367 [IA35]
Industries and Commerce Department Expo 1970
AEFN 19057 [IC W1944 18]
Cartoon panels
Cartoon artwork for New Zealand tourism
publications [Restricted]
ABKB 8032 W5234 4 27-28
[SEDDON 3 62/63]
Archives New Zealand
7
ART ON DISPLAY
Archives New Zealand holds several art works which
were commissioned, loaned or purchased for Archives
House, Wellington, many for its opening in 1991.
Displayed in Public Areas
Artist: Fred Graham
Tane
Above the entry ramp, the centre panel shows Tane
separating Rangi and Papa (sky and earth) which he
did with head down and feet up. By this act he let in the
light, here symbolising knowledge. Behind Tane is a
stainless steel sheet with the far north signatories of the
Treaty of Waitangi, representing handwritten
information. The moko is that of Te Rauparaha.
The metal figure (right) is a Pacific Island navigation
chart, an ancient way of preserving knowledge. This is
balanced by the figure left representing a computer
circuit, the most modern form of the same thing.
Kai a te Rangatira (Food for the Chiefs)
Detail of Tane, Fred Graham
Artist: Arnold Wilson
Kai Rangatira in the Reading Room was commissioned
especially for the opening of the new Mulgrave Street
premises of Archives New Zealand.
Kai Rangatira represents the progression of an idea
from discussion to recording. The first of the three
panels in the work symbolises the formation of a
concept or an idea; the second panel the discussion of
the idea, and the third panel the recording of the idea in other words, how an archive is created. The
continuous writhing movement of forms suggests
figures in discussion, and the figure to the left
represents the scribe.
Waitangi Day Mural
Artist: Tai Kerekere
This work above the entry steps in the foyer was
commissioned by Archives New Zealand and was
created by the artist with young Wellingtonians as a
three-part mural to commemorate Waitangi Day 2007.
Ngatu - Tongan Bark Cloth
Made by local women from Nuku’alofa and gifted to
Archives in 2001 by Pacific People’s Network. It is
mounted near Reception.
Detail of Kai a te Rangatira (Food for the Chiefs),
Arnold Wilson
Displayed in Non-Public Areas
Small totara carving
Artist: Rangi Hetet
This carving shows the creator of the building housing
the archives. The small figure below is a symbol of
continuity. The woven tuku-tuku squares show the
different patterns of various tribes.
Access to non-public display by appointment.
Small totara carving, Rangi Hetet
8
Research Guide 12 – Art - Wellington – September 2012
Displayed in Non-Public Areas
Tuku-tuku panels and totara carvings
Artists: Rangi and Erenora Hetet
The shape of this work represents the whare wananga,
or house of learning. It is also the shape of a pataka, a
storage house or place where treasures of the people
are kept, representing Archives New Zealand.
The Seven Seas
Artist: Fred Graham
Acquired as a permanent loan from New Zealand Line
Ltd in June of 1991.
Access to non-public display by appointment.
Centre Detail of Memorial to the Maori Battalion
Cliff Whiting
Not Currently on Display
Memorial to the Maori Battalion
Artist: Cliff Whiting
Cliff and his wife Heather worked together on this
mural, commissioned for display at Archives New
Zealand. It commemorates the Maori Battalion.
The shape of the work represents the bargeboards of a
meeting house atop the stern posts of a war canoe.
Featured is the Maori god of war, Tu-matauenga
(overhanging top), and his brother Tane, the god who
separated earth and sky, letting light in. This is shown
by the ‘rays’ behind Tane. Behind the figures one can
see the names of the battles the Maori Battalion fought
in. These names are intermingled with koru,
symbolising the connections between the members of
the battalion and their families.
Untitled Abstract mural
Artist: John Drawbridge
This mural was originally commissioned by the New
Zealand Government for New Zealand House in
London. Consisting of 10 panels, each measuring 3
metres in height and 1.5 metres in width, this work
conveys a sense of the patterns of light moving over
water and land.
The decision to acquire this painting for display at the
then National Archives was made in light of the fact that
Archives holds other artworks commissioned by the
New Zealand Government, the National Collection of
War Art in particular. The mural’s history also helps
document past policies of the Ministry of External
Relations and Trade regarding New Zealand art and
artists.
Seven Seas, Fred Graham
Panel One of Untitled Abstract mural
John Drawbridge