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Embroidered map tracks Cook’s voyage and shows early attempts at Te Reo

by Vivien Caughley and Tessa Smallwood

Friday, 5 December 2014

While researching her new book, Vivien Caughley discovered a remarkable embroidered sampler held in a private collection in the United States. We investigate what a sampler is and how this one came to be part of the Auckland Museum collection.

Caring for a collection: The Te Awe team

by Awhina Rawiri-Erick

Mon 24 Nov 2014

Nau mai, piki mai, welcome to Te Awe. We are just over a year into this special three-year project, and have worked with over 3,000 taonga (treasures) to date from the Māori collection store. Awhina Rawiri-Erick introduces our specialist team and describes some of the processes in caring for taonga.

Loyal friend to the end

Monday, 29 September 2014

Sir Ernest Shackleton took 69 dogs on the Endurance Expedition of 1914-1917 to Antarctica. One of the few dogs to return from that journey, Oscar, lived the rest of his days at Wellington Zoo. See Oscar’s harness and memories of the courage and sacrifice of these unsung heroes in our exhibition Still Life: inside the Antarctic huts of Scott and Shackleton.

#AskACurator Day

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Today is 'Ask A Curator Day'. Send us your questions about Auckland Museum, our collection, the history of our building, or anything else museum-related you'd like answered.

One journey never taken by Captain Scott

by Wilma Blom - Wednesday, 27 August 2014

It is the smallest of collection items, yet this scrap of paper is a profound reminder of the transitory nature of our lives. For years this unclipped rail ticket was overlooked in the vast collection of ephemera at Auckland Museum until its re-discovery by curator Wilma Blom.

Researching the biology of great white sharks

Thursday, 21 August 2014

A great white shark dissection took place at Auckland Museum led by Head of Natural Sciences Tom Trnski and Department of Conservation Technical Advisor Marine Clinton Duffy.

Tivaivai: a symbol of family ties

by Piritupuna Marearai - Tuesday, 5 August 2014

It's Cook Island Māori Language Week and Mama Piri highlights her favourite collection item – a 1960's Tivaivai. Much more than a decorative textile, this tivaivai tells the story of a family and the strong bond between the makers. Written in both Cook Island Māori and English.

Mapping the conservation of a chart

by Julie Senior - Thursday, 24 July 2014

How do you assess ancient maps or charts, without risking further deterioration? How much restoration is too much? Auckland Museum’s map librarian Julie Senior faced a huge challenge preparing a 125-year-old chart for display in the Entangled Islands exhibition.

The art of Kura Te Waru Rewiri

by Nigel Borell - Friday, 13 June 2014

Associate Curator Māori Nigel Borell reflects on the career of Kura Te Waru Rewiri, one of five contemporary artists featured in the Five Māori Painters exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.

Collection objects bring World Archaeology to life

by Louise Furey - Tuesday, 20 May 2014

For a day in early April the auditorium lobby was turned into a temporary classroom to give students from the University of Auckland’s World Archaeology course an opportunity to encounter objects commonly seen only in text books.

Urbanlife 2014: youth voices in Auckland Museum

by Bethany Edmunds - Monday, 12 May 2014

For the month of February 2014 a group of five young women were chosen to participate in Auckland Museum’s Urbanlife Summer Youth Programme. The group immersed themselves in the Museum’s rich history, its collection stories, and spent time with collections and research staff to understand the work that Museum staff do.

Capturing conflict: Robin Morrison

by Andrea Stevens - Sunday, 11 May 2014

Protest photography was one of the themes during our exhibition A Decade of Days – Auckland through Robin Morrison’s eyes. Sharon Hawke and Jos Wheeler, all too familiar with conflict beyond the lens, reflect on Morrison’s images from Bastion Point and the Springbok Tour of 1981.

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