FRIENDS OF THE TURNBULL LIBRARY ANNUAL REPORT 1973-74

Turnbull Library Record, Volume 7, Issue 2, 1 October 1974, Page 35

FRIENDS OF THE TURNBULL LIBRARY ANNUAL REPORT 1973-74

Membership The increase for the year was 128 and membership is now 785. Meetings On 29 November Nicolas Barker, editor of the Book Collector and official biographer of Stanley Morison, gave a fascinating lecture on ‘Printing and publishing, past and present’. The audio-visual presentation on the Library made by Dobbs-Wiggins McCann-Erickson Ltd, was shown beforehand and enjoyed by an audience of about 60. Professor Wallace Kirsop, President of the Bibliographical Society of Australia and New Zealand, spoke to about 50 members on 28 March on the secondhand book-trade in Australia in the 1860’s, a subject which was of great interest to the audience. On 4 April the Friends of the Museum held a joint meeting with the Friends of the Turnbull Library and heard a talk by Miss Phyllis Edwards of the British Museum (Natural History) Botany Department Library. Miss Edwards illustrated her talk with excellent slides of items in the Library. Dr Norman Gardiner of La Trobe University on 30 May spoke of his research in the Turnbull Library on the Victorian writer, Geraldine Jewsbury, and by extensive readings from Miss Jewsbury’s letters in the Mantell Collection gave a most interesting portrait of this unusual woman. Publications

Two numbers of the Record appeared. The October issue was regrettably delayed until March but the May issue is being distributed now. Turnbull House Your Committee has been most active in efforts to preserve Turnbull House and to this end has submitted an extensive report to the Wellington City Council, the Trustees of the National Library (Special Committee on the Turnbull Library), the Director of the National Museum, the Chairman of the Council of the National Art Gallery and the Chairman of the Historic Places Trust. The proposal submitted was that Turnbull House be refurbished and used as a downtown art gallery for the display of 19th and early 20th century New Zealand paintings held by the National Art Gallery and the Turnbull Library.

Generally, the proposals have been very well received in principle, but negotiations are continuing and it is too early yet to judge our success. Major decisions by Government will be necessary in respect of roading plans and of preserving and earthquake-proofing the building, but it should have an immediate life of at least ten years, within which time it can be made an essential part of Wellington’s cultural life and heritage.

Officers President: Professor D. F. McKenzie Imm. Past President: Canon N. Williams Hon. Secretary: Miss M. Walton Hon. Treasurer: Miss D. Sherratt Committee: Mrs I. M. Winchester, Messrs J. Berry, D. J. M. Glover, L. C. Staffan, C. R. H. Taylor, J. E. Traue and I. McL. Wards. Hon. Editor, Turnbull Library Record: A. G. Bagnall. D. F. McKenzie President Annual General Meeting Following the Annual General Meeting on 4 July Professor P. A. W. Collins, Professor of English at the University of Leicester, gave an animated and entertaining lecture on ‘The Victorians and tears’. On this occasion the Friends were pleased to have as their guests members of the Victorian Studies Association of New Zealand.