Our Treasures: Whangārei Museum surveyor s theodolite example of finely crafted expert s tool
10 May, 2021 05:00 PM
5 minutes to read
The Cooke, Troughton & Simms surveyor s level at Whangārei Museum.
OUR TREASURES
Most of us are used to seeing the odd surveyor out with their high-vis jackets and bright-yellow tripods, even if we don t really know how the surveying is actually done. Surveying and its optical tools have a long and fascinating history, which I won t attempt to address today. However, we will look at an example of a British mid-century surveyor s level, with a New Zealand connection, from our collection.
The level consists of many specialist components such as a telescope, reflector mirror, various lenses, and other tiny sighting, levelling and measuring parts.
Our Treasures: Ticket to 1939-40 New Zealand Centennial Exhibition revealing
3 May, 2021 05:00 PM
5 minutes to read
William Lipscombe s 1939 NZ Centennial Exhibition Tickets (Whangārei Museum 2001.30.1-3).
OUR TREASURES
Exhibitions are popular and timeless events for bringing the community together and sharing artistry and ideas. Throughout the past century New Zealand has held regular national exhibitions to showcase what our country has to offer between the different regions and internationally.
The 1939 to 1940 Centennial Exhibition is one of New Zealand s most significant as it was the centrepiece marking 100 years since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
The timing was also significant in showing New Zealand s technological progress and innovative character in the face of a looming world war. After the announcement of war in September of 1939, the organisers debated whether to hold the exhibition.
Our Treasures: Money belt s travels well documented in Whangārei Museum archives nzherald.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nzherald.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Our Treasures: Photo of first hot air balloon flight in Whangārei Museum a mystery
1 Mar, 2021 04:00 PM
4 minutes to read
A crowd watching the hot air balloon being prepared for flight (Whangārei Museum 1968.58.166).
OUR TREASURES
I stumbled across some intriguing photographs in our archival collection recently. The quality of the photographs is low, considering the relative clarity of early photography by the likes of Radcliffe, De Tourret and Palmer of Whangārei.
Regardless, the scene emerging out of the fog of thick sepia tone is fascinating - what appears to be a very early hot air balloon among a large crowd.
Our Treasures: Whangārei Museum s Lyceum Theatre part of city s cinema history
22 Feb, 2021 04:00 PM
5 minutes to read
West s Lyceum Pictures in Cameron Street in 1912 (Whangarei Museum 1990.27.3.43).
OUR TREASURES
Cinema in Whangārei has a history of more than 100 years. Our first theatre was the Theatre Royal. The earliest display of moving images was via a Projectoscope or Kinetoscope in 1898, two years after New Zealand s first cinema screening.
This was set up like a large magic lantern but with a reel system for rotating short lengths of nitrate film.
A backdrop of sound to the display would be provided by a phonograph or live musicians.