Blog

For many Samoan families the Tuiga (ceremonial headdress) is an icon of tradition and a priceless family heirloom. In this blog Collection Manager Pacific Talei Tu'inukuafe examines the building blocks of Tuiga, and how they come together to form a distinct symbol of cultural and national identity.

'Doing our Part' is a collection of cases in our WWI galleries that have just undergone improvement. In this blog, some of the team behind the project talk about their process.

Rocky Ralifo is the only Rotuman club carver in Aotearoa, and likely one of very few in the world. Collection Manager, Pacific Ruby Satele explores Rocky’s work within the traditional art form and his aspirations for its greater recognition and resurgence.

A new three-year project aiming to digitise over 80,000 of the Museum's 4.5 million items is shedding new light on the country's largest collection of specimens, objects and archival documents. Project Coordinator Ian Proctor discusses the Improved Documentation Enhanced Access (IDEA) project.

As summer arrives, the perceived threat of sharks is once again being brought into our collective consciousness. But are sharks really a threat to you, or do they just have a case of bad PR? Auckland Museum’s new shark-damaged surfboard tells a curious story of our misguided fears about the species and acts as a starting point for exploring opposing perspectives.

Architecture admirers take note: There are now three more reasons to visit Auckland Museum's revitalised South Atrium entry precinct, with the space taking out three categories at the New Zealand Architecture Awards.

Behind the stories of the diverse and dynamic life of Karangahape Road, sits Auckland Museum’s newest acquisition: a bench. Curator, Applied Arts & Design Grace Lai explores how the stories of this bench encapsulates why public furniture is so important for supporting community spaces.

In this blog, we kōrero with Prof Ngataiharuru Taepa about growing up amongst artists, kōwhaiwhai as language, and having work on the walls of a space filled with the incredible work of ancestors.

Award-winning journalist and poet Mohamed Hassan speaks to the themes of our exhibition Love & Loss in his new poem 'Dance me to the end of the world', commissioned by Auckland Museum. Curator Manuscripts, Nina Finigan spoke to Mohamed about his new poem and his perspective on the writing form.

In this blog, we speak to Paper Conservator Erin Walker about the ethics of conservation and how she ensured some of the letters in Love & Loss were ready for their time in the spotlight.

Who better to advise you on the best things to see at the Museum than the very people who put them on display? We asked our curators what Collections items they're most excited to see again when the Museum reopens to help you prepare the perfect must-see list.

Born in New Plymouth in 1933, it seemed an unlikely scenario that Dr James Fawcett would build his research legacy at a university as far afield as Nebraska, but that’s exactly what he did.