Abstract:
"Treasures from the Hocken Collections documents almost 200 items, dating from the seventeenth century to the present day, photographed by Bill Nichol. These include historical and modern paintings, photographs and drawings, maps and plans, books, newspapers and posters, sheet music and sound recordings, and of course early New Zealand manuscripts. Many items relate to Maori history. Together they comprise an album in which the reader may browse the origins, obsessions and accomplishments of New Zealand and New Zealanders. Letters, diaries, a jigsaw puzzle, suffragette badges, a skirt embroidered whilst on an Amazonian bicycle ride, a facial tattoo used as a personal signature, leaves employed as writing paper - an ever-changing array of interesting material awaits the reader." "Introductory essays by Rachel Barrowman and Stuart Strachan on Dr Hocken and the development of the Hocken Collections from 1910, along with short essays by curatorial staff, provide the necessary background. Taken as a whole, the book stands as a tribute to the generosity of the Hocken Collections' many benefactors."--BOOK JACKET.