Collection of... Lady Penelope (Putiputi) Simcock

The Museum of True History is currently undertaking a Residency in the thermal climes of Rotorua. Staff have relocated for a two month period to research and recreate elements of the collections of Lady Putiputi in the hope that the process may shed some light on this fascinating woman.

Lady (Putiputi) Penelope Simcock was a collector of ephemera and items related to New Zealand Tourism, and in particular she was interested in representations of Maori for European audiences.

Very little reference to Lady Putiputi (as she was known) remains. A small notebook discovered in 1987 contained a detailed inventory of her collections. Included in the listings were large collections of photographs, footage and artefacts from New Zealand cinema, including rare rehersal footage of the seminal dance scene from the British produced movie The Seekers, which was filmed in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Also among her collections were a number of rare artefacts, Maori and European, which were made specifically for the tourist market and featured westernised representations of Maori imagery and subject matter. Unfortunately following the uncovering of the notebook it was also dicovered that Lady Putiputi’s descendant who had inherited the bulk of the collections had donated much of it to opportunity shops unaware of its intrinsic value as a snapshot of New Zealand cultural history. In later years the notebook was also lost. What has grown in its place is a mythology surrounding the content of the collection which may well have been one of the most valuable collections of its kind in the world.

These collections will be on display in Rotorua on the following dates:

Model Pa (Marquettes and Drawings)

Rotorua Arts Village - Te Whare Toi

May 24 - June 7, 2010

Road to Kariri

Waiariki Institute of Technology (I Block Atrium)

May 29 - June 25

Opening May 28, 6pm

Traditional Paint Whare, 2010 (Courtesy of MOTH)

Sulphur Whare, 2010 (Courtesy of MOTH)

Image top: Soda Whare, 2010 (Courtesy of MOTH)

Collection of... Baroness Lucia Bianci

MOTH is very excited by the potential for this project. The staff have worked hard to recreate portions of the Baroness' collections for exhibition at: Taketake Gallery, Whakatane (February - March 2010) and St Pauls St Galleries - Gallery 3, Auckland (April 2010) as part of St Paul St summer sculpture season.

Audience feedback has been encouraging with MOTH being featured in Artnews (Autumn 2010) and on the cover of Artzone (Autumn 2010). The collection has now gone to a number of private collectors but we will endeavour to keep track of the provenance of each individual artefact for future projects.

Veneziano - Selvaggi Corte, 2010 (Courtesy of Private Collections and MOTH)

Veneziano - Selvaggi Corte, 2010 (Courtesy of Private Collections and MOTH)

Veneziano - Selvaggi Corte, 2010 (Courtesy of Private Collections and MOTH)

Veneziano - Selvaggi Corte, 2010 (Courtesy of Private Collections and MOTH)

Veneziano - Selvaggi Corte, 2010 (Courtesy of Private Collections and MOTH)

The Baroness Lucia Bianci was born Lucy White sometime in the 1730’s to an English family of meagre holdings. Little else is known about the Baroness’ early years until she appears in official government records as the wife of Joseph Smith the British Consul to Venice, Italy from 1750.

After many years living an affluent lifestyle among the noble class of Venetian society, Mrs Smith was widowed following her husbands tragic death in a fire while on a business trip.

However, never shy of wealthy suitors the widow Smith soon remarried an elderly Italian Baron by the name of Emiliano Scarpa. This union was also destined to be short lived as the Baron died within one year of the nuptials taking place.

Now independently wealthy, the Baroness Lucia Bianci returned to her maiden name and swore off married life. During her years in Italy the Baroness had developed an interest in all things exotic, particularly the tales, images and objects discovered during the recent voyagers of Captain James Cook to the South Pacific. In imitation of many of her contemporary Venetian compatriots the Baroness began commissioning fanciful models and sculptures which brought together a bizarre concoction of Venetian, English and New Zealand Maori forms and iconography.

Little information remains of this collection save a few descriptive passages in a British travellers diary of the day and a single floorplan and elevation held in a private collection in Wales with the inscription ‘Veneziano-Selvaggi Corte – Signorina Bianci’ dated 1790.

The Museum of True History has taken on the daunting task of reconstructing aspects of this intrigueing catalogue including the centrepiece of the Baroness’ collection known as the Veneziano-Selvaggi Corte or Quarter of the Venetian Savage.

Also as part of the collection our talented artists have recreated some cartoons the Baroness commissioned as part of the internal decorative schema of the Quarter

Cartoons for fresco, 2010 (Courtesy of Regnault Collection)

Cartoons for fresco, 2010 (Courtesy of McKinnon Collection)

Cartoons for fresco, 2010 (Courtesy of MOTH)

Cartoons for fresco, 2010 (Courtesy of Scott/Rangi Collection)

Selected Memories - Grandparents

The images below represent our second addition to the Selected Memories presentation. This diorama has come from our first contributor who has taken an extended trip down memory lane. We received these comments to accompany his submission:

'This is my grandfather's workshop. It was part of a series of nooks found under my grandparents home and shared space with the garage (rarely used by cars) a storage space for lumber and other assorted stuff, and a bedroom used by my dad and his siblings. I remember the workshop smelling strongly of old used oil and the damp musty smell of dirt. I tried to give the impression of a workshop but in reality it would have taken hours to source, make or recondition the multitude of bits and pieces, oddments and junk that would have originally populated this tiny, dark room. It is a funny process building things based purely on a few unsubstantiated memories - everything ends up so clean and lifeless.'

Grandads Workshop - Selected Memories, 2009 (Courtesy of Chitham Family Collections)

Grandads Workshop - Selected Memories (detail), 2009 (Courtesy of Chitham Family Collections)

Grandads Workshop - Selected Memories (detail), 2009 (Courtesy of Chitham Family Collections)

The Museum of True History is pleased to show our first diorama from our Selected Memories collection. The contributor has supplied us with the following Selected Memories: 

'Me and my little brother used to go and spend holidays with my fathers parents. I always looked forward to it and although they both died when I was quite young, I felt like I had spent a lot of time with them. Funnily enough it wasn't until I was invited to participate in this project that I realised how I could really only remember 2 or 3 rooms in there house in any detail. I chose to create my grandfathers bedroom (they had slept in seperate rooms for as long as I could remember). His room was always dark and smelled of tobacco. It was shades of yellow and brown in my memories but I have a sneaking suspicion that there was actually flowery bits here and there as well. I also have a recollection of piles of magazines and newspapers which gave the room a musty, moldy paper kinda smell. Im not sure why this room held such a significant place for me as I dont recall spending very much time in there. The large sash window looked out onto rampant bush which use to cover much of the Hillborough slopes that went down to the Manukau Harbour (now covered in sub divisions).'

Grandads Room - Selected Memories, 2009 (Courtesy of Chitham Family Collections)

Grandads Room - Selected Memories (detail), 2009 (Courtesy of Chitham Family Collections)

Grandads Room - Selected Memories (detail), 2009 (Courtesy of Chitham Family Collections)

We will be sure to update these collections as new examples are presented by our contributing collectors. 

Unknowns - Collections

The collections we here at the Museum of True History have categorised as ‘Unknowns’ are ostensibly groupings of like objects. Each of these individual collections reference the known characteristics of the museum storeroom, with each object being allocated an acquisition identification number. Unfortunately as with many inherited collections we have been unable to authenticate the provenance of these particular artefacts, which also hinders our ability to research beyond a very superficial diagnosis of origin, type and function. In order to adhere to our mission of ontological progress we have chosen, for the time being, to assign the classification as ‘Unknown’. As a visitor to our collections, you may well recognise and be able to identify one or many of these artefacts, we do however ask that you keep this information to yourself as we have already enlisted an internal framework for the consideration of collection materials. 

Semi precious stones - Unknowns/collections, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Various preparations of muka  - Unknowns/collections, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Shells - Unknowns/collections, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Kauri gum - Unknowns/collections, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Craft Jewellery - Unknowns/collections, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Surface Treatments - Paint Effects

Crosshatch - Paint Effects, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Splatter - Paint Effects, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Stencil - Paint Effects, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Sponge - Paint Effects, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Curtain - Paint Effects, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Beading - Paint Effects, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Scaffold - Paint Effects, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Surface Treatments - Domestic Planes

On display in the Museum of True History is a series of artefacts related to decorative and built heritage found in domestic settings throughout New Zealand. 

Examples of Domestic Planes, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Palings - Domestic Planes, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Adhesive - Domestic Planes, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Crossbeams - Domestic Planes, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Thatch - Domestic Planes, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Crosscuts - Domestic Planes, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Simple - Domestic Planes, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

A Concise History of Rural Out Buildings

A Concise History of Rural Out Buildings contains selected generic examples of structures from New Zealand's past. Each model demonstrates the complex beauty found in the abandoned buildings scattered throughout the landscape. The Museum of True History will be growing this collection over the coming months as acquisition budgets permit.

Dargaville (detail) from Princely Sum 2009 (Courtesy of the Artists)

Dargaville (detail) from Princely Sum 2009 (Courtesy of the Artists)

Dargaville (detail) from Princely Sum 2009 (Courtesy of the Artists)

Mrs Hobson (detail) from Princely Sum 2009 (Courtesy of the Artists)

Mrs Hobson (detail) from Princely Sum 2009 (Courtesy of the Artists)

Mrs Hobson (detail) from Princely Sum 2009 (Courtesy of the Artists)

Offsite

The Museum of True History has a number of collections which have been moved to offsite storage facilities. In an ideal world these collections would be available for viewing on request but due to issues of access, management have restricted this to persons of importance. 

The collections currently being housed offsite are colonial landscapes from the turn of the Nineteenth Century. These artefacts reference some of the scenic wonders no longer in existence due to various natural and man-made disturbances. 

Removals 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Recent acquisitions housed at offsite include a series of stylised European landscapes which were donated by the Green Mountain Trust. These landscapes reference some of the ideas explored during the New Romantics phase as a response to the Enlightenment and have as a central concept an ominous prediction about role science has played in the dissolution of nature. Little writing exists in regards to the artists intentions regarding these works so our staff have begun to do  extensive research and will add more information as time permits.  

Untitled 3, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Untitled 2, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Untitled 1, 2009 (Courtesy of the Artist)

Founders Room

The Founders Room houses a collection of works which pay homage while simultaneously acting as a critique of the early colonial documentation of New Zealand as it was at the turn of the Nineteenth Century. Members of the Founders Room include C F Goldie, C Heaphy, C Blomfield, Mrs Hobson, P van der Velden, A Sharpe, G von Tempsky and H R Robley. These and many other early record keepers of this particular period of New Zealand's past have been inducted into the Museum of True History's Founders Room - Roll of Honor. This may be seen to be a prestigious appointment, but as with many of these positions it holds a sense of responsibility that a number of our Founders have unfortunately not been able to uphold. 

She had always liked Barbara Streisand 2008 (Courtesy of Private Collection) 

Remains of the Day 2008 (Courtesy of Private Collection)