Is Tapa a form of paper? Dard Hunter, preeminent American craft artist papermaker and printer of the twentieth century certainly thought so.
Continuing the development of a heritage book collection that has existed for over 150 years is one of the privileges of working here at Tāmaki Paenga Hira. The collections held at the Museum are an eclectic mix of subjects, formats and materials reflecting and responding to research themes and interests of Museum curators and other researchers investigating Auckland’s heritage, natural history and diverse communities.
As a reflection of the large Pasifika population in Auckland, Pacific heritage, biodiversity and culture is consistently an area of development across all collecting areas. Rare book dealer catalogues, websites and artist exhibitions are regularly scanned for materials relating to the Pacific that will expand and enhance our existing collections, both through collecting titles for the knowledge held, as well as precious and beautiful objects or representations of material. We also actively collect contemporary materials that reflect current community concerns and creativity.
One important element of Pacific culture is the making of ahu / tapa / kapa / masi / siapo / hiapo / ngatu / aute (Tahiti, Cook Islands, Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa, Niue, Tonga and New Zealand). In our heritage publications collections, we are lucky to hold numerous titles about tapa and several using tapa for issues of newspapers. The Museum also holds a copy of the catalogue published by Alexander Shaw in 1787 collating 56 specimens of tapa collected during the voyages of Captain James Cook to the Pacific in the 18th century. Along with a large collection of works of tapa held in our Pacific collection, these publications are of intense interest to historians, community knowledge holders and contemporary makers.
Acquiring a new title
While looking for contemporary titles about tapa on a rare booksellers’ website, a private press book by the eminent American papermaker and printer Dard Hunter, published in 1927, called ‘Primitive papermaking: an account of a Mexican sojourn and of a voyage to the Pacific islands in search of information, implements, and specimens relating to the making & decorating of bark-paper’ was identified. Though not contemporary, the title looked to be an important publication on indigenous papermaking. A quick search of the catalogue confirmed that the Museum had a second edition of a title by Hunter first published in 1943, ‘Papermaking: the history and technique of an ancient craft’ but not ‘Primitive papermaking’.
‘Primitive papermaking’ was more specialist than the later 1943 title, a deliberate decision of Dard’s. Though Hunter had previously visited parts of Mexico looking at indigenous paper making, in 1923, on writing to a good friend, he announced the aim to write a book on ‘primitive papermaking’ and that he would have to go around the world to undertake the research. In his autobiography he states,
“…. It was my desire to continue to the writing and printing of books dealing with handmade paper. But if I was to continue to write only on such an obscure subject, where could original material be found? I decided that I would go to out-of-the-way places seeking first-hand information: I would never be satisfied to write of any phase of papermaking without first having seen the work being done in the locality of its origin…”
“… For years I had been interested in the bark papers of the South Sea Islands…. My enthusiasm for the subject became almost an obsession….”2
From then he collected numerous tapa examples, read as widely as possible and contacted consuls, museums, collectors and libraries asking for references, photographs, specimens and tools. In 1925 he began organising a trip by ship from San Francisco that followed a route from there to Tahiti, the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and then home via Honolulu after a journey of three months.
“….It is not the intention in this book to treat of paper formed upon hand-moulds in any of the accepted Asiatic or European methods, but to give account of personal research in the formation of sheets by the process of directly beating the bark of trees into leaves of paper by the use of mallets or clubs in the hands of the native craftsmen."3
A wider search of the national combined library databases of New Zealand, Te Puna, showed that the only other library to hold a copy of this limited-edition title was the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington. While reflecting on the Museum’s current publication holdings, it was realised our collection of titles printed on or holding samples of tapa were from the 18th, 19th and 21st century makers. Though we held an excellent title from the Bishop Museum on kapa published in 1911, nothing in the collection covered multiple countries of the Pacific in such a comprehensive manner. The Hunter title could well prove an excellent example to fill this gap.
When perusing the book on arrival from the US bookseller, it could be seen that the wealth of knowledge within and fabulous images, facsimiles and original samples would provide endless points of research for academics, local knowledge holders and contemporary makers. On showing the book to makers such as Cora-Allan Twiss, Jasmine Tuia and Doron Semu they have expressed an intense appreciation of both the subject and the book as object. Also discovered on reading the volume, was that Dard visited the Auckland Museum to look at two of the then identified aute beaters found in the Hatea River, Whangarei, 1923 by W. M. Fraser.
Dard Hunter – Papermaker and Printer
Looking at the book as an object, one can see the folios of paper, though not in this instance made by Hunter, are of very high quality. A quality that enables the paper to take the hand-cut and hand-cast type for the letterpress printing process and an ink of Dard’s own creation; “Tonga Brown”, used for the headings of each section.
“…. "The punches, matrices, moulds, and tools which were employed in the making of this type are now in the Smithsonian institution and after the cessation of my publishing the type itself will be destroyed."3
The unnumbered pages are large and unbound in folio format within a cover of linen and grey boards with cloth ties. Due to the intensive making process, a limited edition of just two hundred were produced. The copy purchased by Auckland Museum is number 24 and signed by Hunter.
Roderick Ewin’s paper ‘Dard Hunter and the Bark-Paper of the Pacific’ presented to the Friends of Dard Hunter, Inc. in 2010 captures the essence of Hunter’s approach to his life work.
“….[Dard Hunter’s] comments…. are by and large remarkably well-informed and reveal him as an intelligent observer and listener, and also one who would and did follow up his collecting with research and scholarship…. As well as his scientific interest as a practicing papermaker and paper historian, he was dedicated to the principles of the Arts and Crafts movement generated by William Morris, which held a hand-crafted object to be intrinsically more valuable than anything made by machine…”1
As Hunter was from a newspaper family, paper was already part of his life, though as shown above, he was far more interested in paper as an art form and expression of handmade craft.
Dard Hunter in New Zealand
We know from Hunter’s autobiography that he visited New Zealand, arriving in Wellington and visiting the Dominion Museum (now Te Papa). In 1924 he wrote to James Macdonald, the Ethnologist there regarding photos and samples of tapa [Te Papa MS D.M. 3/3/9]. By August of the same year, Hunter had received several small pieces and photos of the mostly Fijian tapa then held at the Museum. In March of 1926 he visited the Museum as recounted in his autobiography, though we don’t know more than that. Subsequently, having learned on the voyage to New Zealand that if he wished to get to Fiji he must go to Auckland, he journeyed north.
Having arrived in Auckland, Hunter made a booking for passage on the Tofua. Whilst waiting for embarkation, Hunter visited Auckland Institute and Museum, then on Symonds St, which we know as he discusses seeing two aute beaters at the Museum in the book. However, there is no correspondence in the archives of his having contacted Gilbert Archey, then Director, prior to his arrival. What was discovered when searching the archives is one of his business cards and a delicate sheet of watermarked writing paper; the image being a portrait of Dard in side view. An unexpected connection between Dard and the Museum that we can now celebrate in our institution’s history.
It was reported in the New Zealand Herald on the 29th of March 1926, that Dard Hunter departed Auckland at noon on Saturday the 27th, bound for Fiji. His visits to Fiji and thereafter, Tonga and Samoa were all very successful as recounted in ‘Primitive Papermaking’.
Conclusion
Once back at home in Chillicothe, Ohio later in 1926, Dard began collating his research and writing the narrative, creating facsimile pieces of tapa, printing patterns and determining which samples of tapa to include in the volume. The folio was completed and printed in December 1927. Copies were largely sold to American collectors and libraries, but orders also came from the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands and the 200 copies sold out before March 1928. Hunter deemed the printing a success and was further encouraged to continue in his research into indigenous papermaking with volumes on various parts of Asia following in the next decade.
If you wish to peruse this beautiful folio, the Museum has digitised the entire contents and you can view it here.
References
[1] Ewins, Roderick H. 2010. Dard Hunter and the Bark-Paper of the Pacific. Georgia, Roderick Ewins and the Friends of Dard Hunter Inc.
[2] Hunter, Dard. 1958. My Life with Paper, an autobiography. New York, Knopf.
[3] Hunter, Dard. 1927. Primitive papermaking: an account of a Mexican sojourn and of a voyage to the Pacific islands in search of information, implements, and specimens relating to the making & decorating of bark-paper. Ohio, Mountain House Press.
[4] Correspondence between Dard Hunter and Dominion Museum staff, Dominion Museum 1924. MS-DM-3/3/9.
[5] Dard Hunter. Business card & watermarked sheet of paper. MUS-1995-42 Auckland Museum Correspondence 1920 – 1950; Hunter, Dard.
Cite this article
Legel, Paula.
Tapa as a form of Paper – Dard Hunter’s connection to Tāmaki Paenga Hira. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 12 February 2024. Updated: 4 July 2024.
URL: www.aucklandmuseum.com/discover/collections/topics/Tapa-Dard-Hunter