fbpx
 

Whakaata | Video

Ruby’s Slippers

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Ruby’s Rummage

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Special Bonus Episode

Kōrero | Stories

The Story of a Seat: A Personal Account
23 November 2023by Te Manawa
The Story of a Seat: A Personal Account
Richard Mildon recollects his introduction to rugby as a young spectator.
A Homemade Pinball Game: Exploring the Origins
23 November 2023by Te Manawa
A Homemade Pinball Game: Exploring the Origins
Stuart Schwartz explores the game of ‘bagatelle’ as a significant predecessor to the well-known pinball machine.
Just Like the Real Thing: Airfix catalogues of the 1960s
29 September 2023by Te Manawa
Just Like the Real Thing: Airfix catalogues of the 1960s
In Part Two of his series about Airfix catalogues, Tony Rasmussen reflects on Airfix’s controversial use of dramatic artwork to package its products.
Te Manawa to preserve life’s work of legendary Kiwi photographer
11 September 2023by Te Manawa
Te Manawa to preserve life’s work of legendary Kiwi photographer
Photographer Peter Bush (second from right) at his Island Bay home with (from left): Te Manawa trustee Evan Greensides; Te Manawa Chief Executive Susanna Shadbolt; Rachel Bush, Peter’s daughter; New...
An Iconic Brand: Airfix kitset catalogues in the 1960s
15 August 2023by Te Manawa
An Iconic Brand: Airfix kitset catalogues in the 1960s
Tony Rasmussen finds some nostalgic treasure in the Te Manawa collection, and recalls the pleasures of model-making through the products of an iconic brand.
Granddad’s Toy Truck: farming the unfarmable
9 August 2023by Te Manawa
Granddad’s Toy Truck: farming the unfarmable
Kirsty Porter links a Tippco truck to family life on a remote back-country farm.
Made in New Zealand: a puzzle of industry
7 August 2023by Te Manawa
Made in New Zealand: a puzzle of industry
Mike Roche applies an historical geographer’s perspective to a children's jigsaw puzzle from the 1950s. What did we produce and where did it go?
Te Manawa appoints new Curatorial and Collections Manager
26 June 2023by Te Manawa
Te Manawa appoints new Curatorial and Collections Manager
  New Curatorial and Collections Manager Sian van Dyk, is thrilled to be returning to Palmerston North’s Te Manawa Museum, where she previously worked as Assistant Curator more than a...
An icon of 20th century comedy
30 May 2023by Te Manawa
An icon of 20th century comedy
This accessory from the Te Manawa collection is instantly recognisable to older generations. Stuart Schwartz remembers Groucho Marx as an exemplar of silver screen showmanship.
A painting for the Year of the Rabbit
29 May 2023by Te Manawa
A painting for the Year of the Rabbit
It was painted in England by a New Zealander, but depictions of rabbits in art and culture are universal.
A toasting cup for Queens past
26 May 2023by Te Manawa
A toasting cup for Queens past
Made for the coronation of a monarch, this unusual vessel from the Te Manawa collection has centuries of tradition behind it.
Supping history with the spoon of kings
15 May 2023by Te Manawa
Supping history with the spoon of kings
This tiny brooch has a much longer story behind it than you might think!
Sister Coldstream’s life of care
20 February 2023by Te Manawa
Sister Coldstream’s life of care
After looking into the Empire Exhibition jigsaw puzzle and why it was made, Russell Poole traces the life of the woman who donated it to Te Manawa.
Off to London to see the Exhibition
20 February 2023by Te Manawa
Off to London to see the Exhibition
Our puzzle was created for the British Empire Exhibition of 1924-25 in London. Russell Poole looks into New Zealand's contribution.
‘To make the puzzle is to learn the Empire.’
20 February 2023by Te Manawa
‘To make the puzzle is to learn the Empire.’
The "Exhibition Puzzle of the British Empire" is a modest-looking but fascinating item in the Te Manawa collection, dating from 1924, donated by Miss Lenora Coldstream. It's been on show in three different exhibitions since its acquisition. Russell Poole dives into the history of both the puzzle and its creator.
A new era of access and visibility
23 September 2022by Te Manawa
A new era of access and visibility
Thousands of objects from the Te Manawa collections are now viewable online, thanks to an ongoing digitisation project.
Bombs for Bertie – a history of dental care
27 September 2021by Te Manawa
Bombs for Bertie – a history of dental care
Margaret Tennant takes a journey to "the murder house", examining the history of state-funded dental care in New Zealand
The Liquitater – just a bit of harmless fun?
11 August 2021by Te Manawa
The Liquitater – just a bit of harmless fun?
In the final entry in this series, Simon Johnson examines another mechanical device in the Te Manawa collection: the spud gun. Where it arose, how it was marketed, and some of the controversy that swirls around toys of this nature.
Mind That Zebra – The Rise of the Tin Toy
10 August 2021by Te Manawa
Mind That Zebra – The Rise of the Tin Toy
Simon Johnson explores the background of a mechanical zebra toy in the Te Manawa collection. This toy and many like it once dominated European toy markets in the first half of the 20th century - but now they are rare items.
Celebrating the Centenary Collection
10 June 2021by Te Manawa
Celebrating the Centenary Collection
One of the foundations of the art collection at Te Manawa is the Centenary Collection of contemporary New Zealand painting, comprising 16 paintings by 15 artists. In March 1970 the...
Meccano Airport Service Set No. 4
28 April 2021by Te Manawa
Meccano Airport Service Set No. 4
As empires rise, so they too must fall. Simon Johnson follows up on his Mechanics Made Easy post by tracing the history of Meccano from post-war to the present day. One item in the heritage collection at Te Manawa is a landmark for the brand’s struggle to survive in an increasingly crowded market.
The invention of Mechanics Made Easy
28 April 2021by Te Manawa
The invention of Mechanics Made Easy
The heritage collection at Te Manawa contains many curiosities. Inspired by an example of “Mechanics Made Easy”, local historian Simon Johnson charts the rise of Meccano and the toy empire of engineering entrepreneur Frank Hornby.
How Te Manawa keeps collecting after Covid
20 January 2021by Te Manawa
How Te Manawa keeps collecting after Covid
Every year Te Manawa adds dozens of items to its collections. Artworks to the art collection; artifacts of our society, past and present, to the heritage collection. Long before anyone had heard of Covid-19, collecting was to be paused during the first six months of 2020. When a community is as generous with its donations as this one, says collections manager Jeff Fox, sometimes you need to stop to get your breath back...
Warding off the march of time
25 August 2020by Te Manawa
Warding off the march of time
Creating digital backups of artworks is a way of preserving them
The tale of a rebel for all seasons
27 May 2019by Te Manawa
The tale of a rebel for all seasons
Some people are going to make trouble no matter where they go!
Behind the mask, behind the scenes
15 March 2019by Te Manawa
Behind the mask, behind the scenes
For the Festival of Cultures we took a dive into the collections store.
Discovering the art of flying
30 May 2018by Te Manawa
Discovering the art of flying
What do a Palmerston North art teacher, the Duke of Gloucester and a WW1 flying ace from Hunterville have in common?
An unbreakable bond is forged
9 May 2018by Te Manawa
An unbreakable bond is forged
How New Zealand women came to the aid of WW2 Polish soldiers