NOTES AND COMMENTS

Turnbull Library Record, Volume 9, Issue 1, 1 May 1976, Page 54

NOTES AND COMMENTS

The Beverley Randell collection of infant readers

Hugh Price, co-editor and publisher with his wife Beverley Randell of the P.M. story books, presented to the library ninety-nine infant readers widely used in New Zealand as the nucleus of a collection of particular interest to educationalists and historians. The library, in recognition of Beverley Randell’s considerable contribution to the writing and publishing of contemporary children’s readers has designated this as the Beverley Randell collection.

These books, written specifically to help young children to learn to read, span a period of eighty years from 1882 and fall into twelve series. The earliest, the Royal readers, were published in England and widely used throughout the Empire until the outbreak of World War I. The first reader in the collection to be published in New Zealand is the third standard reader in the Southern Cross series published in 1888 by Whitcombe and Tombs who were also responsible the following decade for the Imperial readers. Whitcombe’s third series, the Pacific readers, appeared in 1911 and with the restrictions imposed by World War I were in almost nation-wide use by 1919. These early primer readers were phonic exercises without meaning or story and it was not until the advent of the London-published Beacon readers in the 1920’s that scientifically prepared basic readers were introduced into New Zealand schools. Whitcombe’s followed with the publication of Live readers for the modern child which they in turn replaced in 1929 with the Progressive readers to support the new primary school syllabus. These readers were used throughout New Zealand for more than twenty years with some revision about 1940 but had become very dated by the time they were replaced by the Janet and John books published by James Nisbet and Co. of London which have now been superseded by the Ready to read series prepared by the School Publications Branch of the Department of Education.

This representative collection gathered over a number of years adds another dimension to the country’s social history and is described by Mr Price in an article entitled Lo! I am an ox! to be found in the book supplement to Education vol. 24, number 3, 1975. The intriguing title is taken from the first page of a Whitcombe’s Imperial reader of the 1890’s where the young reader is carefully introduced to only two-letter words including the lovely question: Is my ox to go in as we go by?

Rare maps purchased from National Library of Australia The Library’s map collection has benefited recently from a neighbourly gesture by the Australian National Library. Duplicates from the Tooley

Collection purchased by the Australians in 1973 have been offered to Turnbull on a first refusal basis and recently eight maps were selected for purchase. R. V. Tooley spent over 50 years in the London antiquarian map trade working for Francis Edwards and built up an extensive and important collection of maps of the Australasian area. The maps received by Turnbull are a coloured map of the Pacific Ocean 1842 published by J. Arrowsmith. The library now holds three of the seven editions/issues that have been traced. The Arrowsmiths produced many fine and accurate maps during the nineteenth century. Carte reduite des Mers . . . entre L’Asie et L’Amerique 1756; a coloured map with cartouche by J. N. Beilin, an important French cartographer. The map shows the then known parts of Australia and New Zealand. Asia (two sheets) 1696; uncoloured maps by V. M. Coronelli (an important Italian cartographer) which are missing from the Library’s two atlases. The then known parts of Australia and New Zealand are shown. Carte reduite du Grand Ocean 1802; an uncoloured map by J. B. Poirson, a French map publisher. Hemisphere Inferieure 1774; a coloured map by N. A. Chrysologue, a French cartographer. Oceanie 1845; an uncoloured map by C. V. Monin, a French cartographer. The library holds the 1830 edition. General charte von Australien 1801; a coloured map by J. M. Reinecke, a German cartographer. The library holds the 1812 edition.

Chief Librarian’s visit to Australia The Chief Librarian, Mr J. E. Traue, visited Australia on official library business between 12 October and 7 November 1975. The primary objects of the visit were to complete negotiations with officers of the National Library of Australia for an exhibition of pictorial items from the Nan Kivell Collection to come to New Zealand in exchange for an exhibition of pictures of Australian interest from New Zealand public collections, to discuss matters of common interest (especially policies on manuscripts, maps, music, oral history, publications, and the acquisition of current Pacific Islands printed materials) with National Library staff and to seek manuscript materials in private hands relating to New Zealand. As well opportunity was taken to visit antiquarian booksellers, collectors, and a wide range of research libraries and to attend the sale in Launceston of the Clifford Craig Collection of Australian and Pacific books, manuscripts, maps and pictures. Visits were paid to Launceston, Hobart, Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.

Howard Mallitte Antarctic Paintings and Drawings In 1963 the N.Z. Navy decided an artist should make a record of one of the expeditions H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour made to the Antarctic. Howard Mallitte was working for the Tourist and Publicity Department and, as

an ex-naval officer who had drawn ships from boyhood, seemed an obvious choice. He flew down to Scott base in October, 1963, and stayed there for about two months, making the return trip on H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour. The majority of the paintings and drawings he made have generously been presented to the Alexander Turnbull Library by the Tourist and Publicity Department. There are 74 items in a variety of mediums and they make a fascinating and lively account of life for the men who visited and worked in the Antarctic. There are many individual portraits, including one of the Governor-General, Sir Bernard Fergusson, who made a flying visit that year. Then there are detailed drawings of the places where the men spent their time, at Scott base, Hallett station and on the ship. The galleys even show salt and herbs and Kiwi lard. The machines are there, too. There are scenes inside the radar hut, in the generator room and in the workshop. A moment of relaxation shows ‘The Antarctic’s first resident budgerigar and owner’. Outside there are penguins in the snow, midnight in October and strange clouds. This is a welcome and valuable addition to the Library’s collection of Antarctic material.

The Gold Prints 1976 The Endowment Trust Board has decided on three watercolours by Col. Charles Emilius Gold (1809-71) as the 1976 Turnbull Library Prints. The artist, little known, commanded the 65th Regiment (“Royal Tigers”) during the time it was stationed in New Zealand, 1846-65, being based on Wellington much of this time. Gold was for a time in command of the operations in the Taranaki Wars. Irrespective of his ability as a soldier, he made many most attractive paintings, of which the Library holds a large collection. Janet Paul contributes an appreciation of Gold the artist, in the accompanying text-sheet. The three prints reproduce Rata Tree, Wellington [Harbour], 1849; New Plymouth, 1860; Tree-fern and Ferns. The folder for the full set will bear a fourth print in colour, Camp of 65th Regiment, Waitara, 1860. It is anticipated that the Gold Prints will be released in early September.

Distinguished Visitors An unusually large number of visitors, especially from overseas, called at the Library in recent months. The French Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (M. Bernard Destremau), accompanied by the French Ambassador (M. Albert de Schonen), two officials from the Quai d’Orsay and Mr Ken Comber, M.P., Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the

Minister of Arts, inspected material relating to early French associations with New Zealand, particularly the Chazall watercolours deriving from Duperrey’s voyage and the Charles Meryon depiction of the death of Marion du Fresne. M. Destremau was received by Sir Alister Mclntosh, who presented him with a copy of Andrew Sharp’s Duperrey’s Visit to New Zealand in 1824 and a set of the Colonial Wellington prints. Mr W. L. Brown, State Librarian, Tasmania and current President of the Library Association of Australia, came on from the Library Conference in Christchurch to spend a day or so studying Tasmanian associations. Sir George Cartland, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Tasmania, in Wellington for the Vice-Chancellors’ Conference, was also interested in the same subject. Both had been hosts to Mr Traue on his Australian visit in October last, as had Sir Thomas Ramsay, leading Melbourne industrialist with New Zealand associations, founder of the Kiwi Shoepolish empire and a noted book collector. Dr E. F. D. Roberts, the National Librarian of Scotland, and Mr Harry King, Librarian of the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge, also visited the Library; the latter is on secondment to the Canterbury Museum to assist in setting up the P. J. Skellerup library in the new Antarctic Wing. Fleur Adcock, whose poetry has been accorded high critical acclaim, was on the Turnbull staff some twelve years ago, before joining the staff of the Foreign and Colonial Office Library in London. She called in to see the few remaining colleagues here. Richard Adams, best-selling author of Watership Down and Shardik, was interested in the Milton collection and also admired the strength of the Pacific voyages collection.

Another visitor of note was Mr John Maggs, a principal of Maggs Brothers, the famous antiquarian booksellers of Berkeley Square, London, who carry stock valued at around £1,000,000. He came on from the Craig auction in Tasmania to spend three days at the Turnbull. Although Mr Maggs called briefly several years ago, this was the first occasion he had an opportunity to study something of the manuscripts, rare books and paintings, to get a better idea of what the Library seeks, and why. The late Mr Turnbull built up a major part of his collections with the aid of the greatest booksellers in the world, Bernard Quaritch, Francis Edwards and Maggs Brothers, all of London. The Library has maintained contact with all three but only Maggs still remains a family firm. In recent years John Maggs has acted for the Turnbull whenever it buys at auction at Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Mr Maggs was particularly impressed by the Conservation Laboratory, one of the best he had seen. He believes firmly that it is the duty of institutions to take all possible measures to preserve the treasures they acquire. Subsequent information from Los Angeles, his next professional stop after relaxing in Tahiti, confirmed his warmest appreciation of the hospitality afforded him by the Turnbull

and senior staff members: he was still praising our conservation techniques, and in his position proves a most valuable unpaid public relations officer for the Library. Following the March meeting of the Art Galleries and Museums Association of N.Z. the directors of three provincial museums visited the Turnbull, Messrs Ron Lambert (Taranaki), Warner Haldane (Gisborne) and lan Rockell, formerly on the staff here (Rotorua). Mr Austin Davis, newly appointed director of the Bishop Suter Art Gallery, Nelson, Miss Jan Eskett, Art Librarian of the Hocken Library, and Mr David Harrowfield, librarian of the Antarctic collection of Canterbury Museum, were among other visitors from A.G.M.A.N.Z.

Exhibitions Major exhibitions have been mounted at regular intervals on a much larger scale than previously, involving many staff members. All have been very well received by the public. Electioneering New Zealand Style was a new departure in presentation and some of the techniques then developed have been retained, one of the most striking being the display of photographs in two large plastic panels suspended from the ceiling. With the very generous assistance of Pacific Films Ltd., a special fourminute sound film montage in colour was made to the ideas of the coordinators of the exhibition, Mr Tom Wilsted (Manuscripts Librarian) and Mr Jeavons Baillie (Conservation Officer). This was presented on a do-it-yourself push-button projector, proving extremely popular. The film was also shown in its entirety on television, with a good coverage of the exhibition as a whole. Another innovation was the continuous playing in the foyer of tapes of speeches of political leaders of the past 40 years: which sounded incredibly timeless apart from escalating figures in financial matters.

The December exhibition, linked with the “Come Alive” campaign, was on the theme of New Zealand at Play: Sport and Recreation [past and present]. Again very extensive use was made of photographs, posters, programmes and other ephemera to present a varied and colourful display that was both informative and of general appeal. The exhibition was particularly well attended by visitors to Wellington over the holiday period. The Turnbull’s contribution to the Wellington Festival in March was an exhibition depicting Wellington 50 and 100 Years Ago, based on the years 1876 and 1926. Paintings, books and photographs contrasted the two periods, employing recurrent themes and in many instances presenting comparative developments. Visitors were admonished to note recognizable scenes as they are to-day, and to consider what they want their city to be like in another 50 years, in 2026.

Functions Electioneering New Zealand Style was opened by the then Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. W. E. Rowling, and the large guest list was extended to include many politicians (of both persuasions), historians and social scientists, as well as the more usual representatives of cultural and commercial circles. It proved a most rewarding public relations exercise in bringing in many who previously had little knowledge of the extent of the Library’s holdings. Despite a strenuous all night sitting of the House preceding the opening, a highly satisfactory turn-out of Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament was achieved. The Prime Minister spoke approvingly of the Library’s approach to selected serving Members to acquire their papers, thus ensuring the preservation of records of a cross-section of contemporary political life. The same day came the public announcement that Sir John Marshall had agreed to deposit his papers in the Turnbull. The flurry of publicity about the exhibition in all media included two editorials, one inspired by Sir John’s papers. The Friends generously met the not inconsiderable expenses of this reception, which was undoubtedly a milestone among such events held at the Library, and very well worthwhile.

The Endowment Trust held the usual preview to launch the 1975 Colonial Wellington Prints, in October. The ceremony was honoured by the presence of the Governor-General and Lady Blundell, on their first visit to the Library. Their Excellencies were received by Sir Alister, who mentioned that the new issue brought to 37 the number of colour prints published by the Endowment Trust in the past 12 years, about a quarter of these being now sold out, with others in very limited supply. Sir Denis praised the enterprise and spoke with appreciation of the significance of such pictorial records of our past. As a Wellingtonian whose family had been associated with the city for over a century, he found the current prints of particular interest.

The third book by Anthony Murray-Oliver, the Library’s Education Officer, was launched at a reception given at the Library by his publishers, The Millwood Press, in February. The guest speaker was Sir Alister Mclntosh, who emphasized how appropriate it was that the event should take place at the Turnbull, where the author has been employed for so many years: also, because Captain Cook’s Hawaii as seen by his artists had drawn heavily upon the resources of the Library, so richly endowed with Cook publications by the founder, reinforced by so much material from Professor Beaglehole’s unrivalled researches. Sir Alister recalled that when Ambassador in Rome he had the pleasure in 1970 of presenting to His Holiness the Pope, on behalf of our Government, a

copy of Mr Murray-Oliver’s second book, Captain Cook’s Artists in the Pacific, while his first, Augustus Earle in New Zealand, gained the Wattie New Zealand Book of the Year Award in 1969.