NOTES AND COMMENTS

Turnbull Library Record, Volume 6, Issue 2, 1 October 1973, Page 58

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Professor William B. Todd

The Library was visited for a few days in August by Professor William Burton Todd, Professor of English at the University of Texas, Austin. Professor Todd is a world authority on the forgeries of T. J. Wise and a leading bibliographer. Since 1966 he has been editor of the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America.

On the evening of 2 August Professor Todd gave an instructive and highly entertaining talk to the Friends on Wise forgeries with particular reference to those acquired by Alexander Turnbull. It is hoped to print an edited version of this talk in a future number of the Record and Professor Todd has also promised the editor an article comparing the Turnbull Library’s copy of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s The runaway slave with the copy in the John Flenry Wrenn Library at the University of Texas.

Samuel Stutchbury, 1798-1859

During recent years, the Library has received a number of requests for information about Samuel Stutchbury, a naturalist who visited New Zealand, 1825-26. Investigations drew a blank. Stutchbury remained an enigma. It was, therefore, with some excitement that we greeted the recent acquisition of a number of Stutchbury manuscripts. Of greatest interest are the two volumes of journals Stutchbury kept while employed as naturalist to the Pacific Pearl Company’s expedition to the South Seas, 1825-27, which included New Zealand among its ports of call. The more important is the second volume, an extended fair copy of the first and well illustrated with coloured sketches. Further records comprise a scrapbook of published papers on scientific subjects, letters from fellow naturalists and copies of reports Stutchbury made as Geological Surveyor, New South Wales, 1851-55, all supported by useful biographical notes compiled by Dr C. A. O. Fox, from whose estate the material was purchased.

Early Thomdon and Old St Paul’s

Old St Paul’s, Mulgrave Street, was opened in 1866 and remained the parish church of Thomdon and the Cathedral Church of Wellington until 1964. In 1966 it was bought by the Crown as an historic building and a fine example of Colonial Gothic architecture in wood. Since then the Ministry of Works has carried out a superb job of restoration. After being re-opened for two years the old church was closed again for six months this year while electrical re-wiring and heating

were installed. To mark its second re-opening, an exhibition entitled as above was organised by the Wellington Regional Committee of the N.Z. Historic Places Trust for the Old St Paul’s Advisory Committee for the month of September. Mounted by the Library with the cooperation of the Ministry of Works, the exhibition was opened by the Hon. H. L. J. May, Minister of Internal Affairs. Watercolours, pen and pencil sketches and photographs showed how in 1840 Thorndon Flat was sparsely settled but for Pipitea Pa and how when old St Paul’s was erected it was the focal point it has remained. The artists represented included such early names as Heaphy, Mein Smith, Owen Stanley, Brees and C. D. Barraud. The exhibition was well attended and has brought the Turnbull to the notice of many who did not know that such historical records were preserved in the Library.

The Angas Prints 1973

This year’s Turnbull Library Prints are taken from four watercolours by George French Angas (1822-86). Two were purchased at Sotheby’s in London by the Endowment Trust this year: ‘Motupoi Pah with Tongariro’—plate 32 in The New Zealanders Illustrated (1847) —at £1,150, with ‘On the Waikato at Kapou’—plate at p. 28, Savage Life and Scenes in Australia and New Zealand, v. 2 (1847) —at £650. The Trust bought the other two at Christie’s auction in Sydney in 1969, at only As4oo the two: ‘Tamati Waka Nene’ and ‘Women of the Nga te Toa Tribe, Porirua’, plates 17 and 13 respectively in The New Zealanders Illustrated. On the textsheet is the engraved portrait of the artist which is the frontispiece to his The Kaffirs Illustrated and the reverse of this sheet carries the preliminary pencil sketch of 1844 for ‘Motupoi Pah . . .’ A most attractive unpublished watercolour of a native boy of the New Hebrides is reproduced in colour on the folder which is supplied with complete sets of the prints. Both these pictures are taken from an album of preliminary sketches, many being for watercolours that were published as plates in 1847. These sketches were apparently acquired by Mr Turnbull but we have no other details of their provenance.

It can be seen from the prices paid by the Endowment Trust in 1969 and 1973 just how greatly auction prices for such work are increasing, although it also shows that landscape views always bring much higher prices than figure studies. The publication of the Angas Prints should be of even greater interest at the present time, following the second Angas volume issued by Reeds. Details of prices for the 1973 Turnbull Library Prints will be found on the back cover. Friends may perhaps be reminded that the Angas Prints and earlier issues available

make ideal Christmas presents; and that profits from the prints enable the Trust to acquire further historical and topographical paintings for the art collections, as well as manuscripts and rare books, in competitive bidding on a rising market.

Sir Alister Mclntosh, K.C.M.G.

Friends will have shared our pleasure at the conferment of a knighthood upon Sir Alister Mclntosh in the June Queen’s birthday honours. Sir Alister’s contribution to the development and administration of New Zealand’s foreign policy will be known to many and it would be flattering to the libraries concerned, as well as to the library profession if there was any foundation for the thought that the award, however remotely might be related to his present roles as Chairman of the National Library Trustees as well as of the A.T.L. Endowment Trust and the Trustees Committee for the Library. Concurrently with this new Honour Sir Alister has been appointed Chairman of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. We extend our congratulations and in wishing him every success in the quite demanding position of Historic Places Trust Chairman, hope that his knowledge and perceptive interest will continue to be as readily available as it has been since his return to New Zealand some three years ago.

Appointment of Chief Librarian

Mr J. E. Traue, M.A., F.N.Z.L.A., took up duties as Chief Librarian on 2 July 1973. Formerly Chief Librarian, Central Library, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, he was for seven years on the staff of the General Assembly Library, first as Reference Officer and later as Assistant Chief Librarian. Mr Traue graduated with honours in English literature from the University of Auckland in 1956. He was editor of New Zealand Libraries for seven years, compiler of New Zealand Books in Print 1964 and has recently been appointed editor of Who’s Who in New Zealand.

RECORD issues in short supply

The Committee and Chief Librarian are most grateful to those members who have generously sent in copies of the Record issues in short supply (May and October 1971 and May 1972). Further copies would still be most welcome.