This exhibition featured items from the museum collection, 100 loan items from private lenders, other museum and community groups. All research, content and design was developed by staff at the museum. Full text and further details are available on request.
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This exhibition explored the long history of protest in Nelson and how protest has made a difference.
New Zealand has a liberal history where protest is an accepted part of life and community. The Nelson and Tasman region has its own history of people standing up for what they believe in.
Vigorous debate, public gatherings and demonstrations were part of the development of the new settlement of Nelson. The earliest Nelson protests were the New Zealand Company Strikes of 1842 and 1843 where settlers took action over land and labour issues. At the Wairau in 1843 there was loss of life over land issues.
While protests may reflect international and national movements such as racism, war, environmental issues, others are uniquely Nelson. In 1955 there was a final desperate protest against the Nelson railway closure and protests against the development of Nelson Haven continue today.
Clay was the first comprehensive craft based exhibition staged at the new museum. This exhibition concentrated on showing the breadth of Nelson's studio pottery, contemporary practice, and the historical context of studio pottery in Nelson. Loan collections of historical items along with photographic montages from the museum's collection were displayed.
This exhibition was developed in partnership with the Nelson Potters Association (NPA)
All content, research, design, development and installation were carried out by the collection and exhibition team at the museum with the involvement of the NPA. Over 300 items were on display, along with historical film and photographs. Contemporary works were available for sale. NPA assisted with a contribution to the cost of the exhibition.
A hands on programme ran concurrently with the exhibition. Children were able to try working with clay at Macmillan’s Pottery in Richmond. 636 children took part in this LEOTC programme.
While there is some evidence that the use of clay may date back to early Maori settlement, the history of clay use in Nelson is a European one. Brickfields were in existence as early as 1842 and there were many brickmakers and bricklayers listed among the early immigrants. As building began, clay mining and brick making were widespread activities all over the region. At the Kaka Clay Mine sites, beyond Tapawera and at Puramahoi and Para Para in Golden Bay, clay pits were developed. At Paramahoi clay was hand dug by the McPherson family.
Clay, pottery and potters, are part of the creative essence of Nelson.
While the Nelson Brick and Pipe Works supplied a limited amount of ornamental ware, it was not until the 1950's, with the arrival in Nelson of Mirek Smisek, that the history of domestic and creative pottery production began. Ian McPherson worked with Mirek to develop clays suitable for throwing and studio pottery production began in earnest. Through Mirek's popular Nelson Technical School classes and night classes many potters began their careers. Classes also started in Mapua and participation continued to grow.
In the 1960s the arrival of significant practitioners strengthened pottery in Nelson. In 1962 Harry and May Davis arrived from Cornwall, along with their family and Stephen Carter, their apprentice of four years. In 1964 Jack and Peggy Laird arrived and, with local encouragement, established Waimea Craft Pottery. An innovative apprenticeship scheme offering training in a workshop environment began there. Apprentices included Royce McGlashen, Paul Laird, John and Anne Crawford, Darryl Robertson and Jon Benge among others.
Independent groups such as the Nelson Potters Association, Craft Potters Nelson, Motueka Pottery Workshop and Nelson Community Potters were started in the 1970s and still form a firm foundation for marketing and promoting today's practitioners and continue to strengthen pottery in the region.
The 1960s and 1970s have been described by many as the halcyon days of pottery. Early homegrown television such as Close to Home and Country Calendar all featured New Zealand domestic pottery either as part of the set or in use. Although importing of domesticware has changed the pottery scene in New Zealand, Nelson remains renowned for its pottery and ceramics. Practitioners of national standing reside here. Nelson pottery continues to grow as a vital and innovative, creative industry.
Glass Plate Camera: NP6325
The first European settlers in Nelson were just as enthusiastic about summer here as we are now. Balmy weather, the ripening harvest, cooling off at the beach or river; it's the Nelson lifestyle. It's a lucky coincidence that the development of the new Nelson settlement happened at the same time as the rapid development of photography.
Among the developing businesses of the new settlement were Nelson's first professional photographers. They were adventurers working with new technology, changing the way we saw ourselves.
The process of photography was mysterious and the cameras were large and impressive. Explosive flashes were emitted and the photographer was hidden under the black back cloth. Having a photo taken was an event in itself, blending art, science and showmanship! In the 1880s cameras became more portable and affordable and processes faster and less cumbersome, enabling more photographers and photojournalists to record life and events around them. The exhibition explored the recording of over a hundred summers by many of Nelson's early photographers. The photographs exhibited were are part of the renowned collection of over 1.4 million images held at The Nelson Provincial Museum.
Lillian Murrow, 2, with her doll Margo visited the Many Me's mirror at the BeDazzled - The Magic of Mirrors exhibition at The Nelson Provincial Museum. Photo by Marion Van Dijk, The Nelson Mail
Bedazzled was a fun and ineteractive exhibition that explored the world of light and mirrors. Concave, convex, flat, multiple and moving mirrors and lenses featured alongside kaleidoscopes and a "build-it-yourself" periscope. Visitors were challenged to decode some anamorphic art, see their portrait in a mirrored sphere and try to mirror-write.
The exhibition was developed and toured by Te Manawa Museums Trust and was very popular with families and children.1459 children visited through the LEOTC programme, making this our most visited short term exhibition to date.
The exhibition helped the museum meet its goal of providing stimulating interactive exhibitions for the region's families.
The Nelson Provincial Museum and the Chamber of Commerce combined resources to develop an exhibition of more than 100 photographs with stories of the people and companies who breathed life into Nelson's business community for 150 years.
The Chamber was involved in almost every aspect of the growing province from the development of road, rail, sea and air networks, which opened up the province, to early Chamber members such as Samuel Kirkpatrick (K.Jams) and F.G Gibbs who sought to promote Nelson, not only as a tourist destination, but a good place to do business.
The exhibition told the stories of some of Nelson's earliest business forefathers such as: E. Buxton and Co (general merchant store), Wilkins and Field, (hardware store), Newmans Transport (horse drawn transport to Cadillacs to 50 seater luxury coaches), Joseph Dodson (Nelson Breweries) and Robert Lucas (Nelson Evening Mail).
Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce had a very significant impact on every aspect of the province's life in its 150 years. For example, the roots of the province's vital fruit growing and forestry industries were established by Chamber members and the Chamber established Nelson's first volunteer fire brigade.
We now take for granted free access to recreational areas such as the Maitai River and Lake Rotoiti beach front, but it was Chamber members who negotiated this public access from landowners back in the 19th Century, allowing generations of Nelsonians to enjoy these scenic and peaceful locations.
