Heritage et AL

To see off the old year and help usher in the new we thought it would be appropriate to see how the New Year has been celebrated down the years: Ref: P.P. De Loree, Premiers of N.Z. Happy New Year, 1894, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 661-67. Ref: Motor car invasion, Cockle Bay, 1939, 1 January 1939, South Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, Footprints 15.

The few weeks over Christmas and New Year are a popular time for many in New Zealand to take some time off from work and, weather permitting, enjoy some fun in the sun. So whether you’re working through the summer holidays, at the bach or even in a different hemisphere we hope you enjoy this collection of images of New Zealand summer holidays. Last week we wrote about the interesting story behind the Riverhead Dump photograph collection . All of the images in this post are also from that collection.  Ref: Sports car, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1055-136. Ref: Auckland Harbour Bridge, 1960s, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1055-109.

It is becoming a bit of a tradition at this time of the year on Heritage et AL for us to highlight some of the Christmassy items and images we have in our heritage collections at Auckland Libraries. Ref: W. Reid for the Auckland Weekly News, A merry Christmas, 15 December 1904, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19041215-1-1.

On Wednesday morning, the 17 th of December, at Takapuna Library there was a small gathering of staff (past and present) and members of the public to celebrate the re-opening of the Angela Morton Art History Collection. This collection is housed in the Angela Morton Room on the first floor of the newly refurbished Takapuna Library. Ref: Christina Webb, Takapuna Library, Strand Plaza, Takapuna, 3 August 2010, North Auckland Research Centre, Auckland Libraries, T7367. 

We’re very pleased to announce that we've recently had a new collection of photographs from Sir George Grey Special Collections added to Heritage Images . The intriguingly named ‘Riverhead Dump’ collection has a very interesting story behind it.  Ref: Unidentified harbour, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 1055-60.

The origin of the cardboard album which holds Dorothy’s silk postcard collection is unknown. The date that it was made is not known either. Perhaps it was bought in the early 1900s, or perhaps at a later date when the owner wished to keep the cards protected from wear and tear. Dorothy may have purchased the album from a store, or maybe a family member bought it for her as a gift. This object was originally made to house photographs as can be seen from the embossed title on the front cover. It is made of heavy brown cardboard, the spine is bound with brown thread to match the colour of the cover and the leaves of the album. The condition of the album is very good. This sturdy photograph album has functioned very well as the object used to house these silk postcards which were sent to Dorothy Helen Facer. Please do take a look inside:  In August, Leanne blogged about some of the WW1 silks that we hold in the Ephemera Collections . Replicas of the silks in that post ...

Over the next few months we’ll be running a series of posts featuring the digitised items in the Ephemera collections of Sir George Grey Special Collections, specifically focussing on the Old Colonists’ Museum (OCM) Ephemera Collection. The Old Colonists’ Museum was opened by Mayor J.H. Gunson on the 22 March, 1916 and was located in the same building as the Auckland Public Library and the Auckland Art Gallery. Ref: James D. Richardson,  Looking east from Lorne Street showing Auckland Public Library, c1903, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections,  4- 2416 . It occupied two large rooms on the top floor of the building and contained, “a collection of pictures, maps, prints, documents (printed and manuscript), and objects illustrating the history and development of New Zealand, especially the Auckland Province and City.” This quote is from OCM founder and director John Barr ’s 1922 history of the three institutions, of which he was in charge until his retirement i...

The history of freemasonry in New Zealand goes back to the 1830’s and includes members such as Sir George Grey , former Prime Minister William Ferguson Massey , Sir Peter Buck and Sir Mason Durie . Now 100 years of local and international Masonic history is available to view on a CD-ROM containing Auckland’s United Masters Lodge No. 167 Transactions periodical, 1909-2009, revealing a detailed picture of Freemasons’ ethics, ceremonies and symbols. Several items document early Freemasons activities in Auckland including the first recorded meeting at which members were present - the laying of the foundation stone of St Paul’s Anglican Church, then in Emily Place, in 1841. Ref: Excerpt from Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 231, 27 September 1895, p.5. The first Lodge in Auckland to build its own meeting place, Ara Lodge, held their meetings in the Exchange Motel, Shortland Street, before moving in February 1844 to the Royal Hotel, where the Northern Club now stands. In 1...

This is the first in a series of blogs about Poor Law and how to research your ancestors in the variety of documents relating to the poor both in New Zealand and Great Britain. Many records relating to the poor have been created over the centuries and I hope that this gives an insight into the wide variety of material available.  Poverty not only breeds contempt but, often from necessity, crime.  Look at records for bankruptcy, debtor’s prison, Petty and Quarter Sessions, Assize records, militia/militia records and of course, prison records as well. New Zealand                                                                            Unfortunately, there are no records that are identified as "poor law" records although laws were introduced concerning how to treat and what to do with t...