FAIRLY FREE FROM VANDALS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 91, 11 January 1935, Page 11

FAIRLY FREE FROM VANDALS

Dominion Museum Exhibits

ATTENDANTS KEEP CLOSE WATCH The Dominion Museum in Wellington appears to be singularly free from the type of vandalism which was the cause of tl recent complaint from Professor R. Speight, curator of the Christchurch Museum. For the last ten years at least the museum has been free from anything of this nature. A theft occurred at this time, but the culprit was brought to justice. Owing to the restricted space of the museum and the large number of attendants a certain amount of difficulty would be experienced by anyone attempting to damage the exhibits or fixtures. Attempts have certainly been made from time to time, but they have not resulted in anything of a serious nature: every now and then there can be seen the mark of a pen-knife where someone has tried to deface or touch an exhibit. The chief offenders in this respect are juveniles, but it is necessary for the attendants to keep a careful watch, although their duties necessarily require them to move about the building a good deal. Owing to space limitation a largo number of exhibits have never been shown, but are packed awaiting their removal to the new museum now being built. It is possible that the remaining articles have been exhibited in such a way as to put them out of the reach of potential vandals. Labels are seldom interfered with, as is the case in Christchurch.

The vandalism would inevitably occur anywhere, was the opinion of a museum official, who stated that there seemed to be a wave of such occurrences which would reach its peak and then disappear. Every now and again someone would attempt to destroy specimens when the caretaker’s back was turned, but the Dominion Museum had largely enjoyed an absence of such exceptional instances.