Friday 20 January 2012

Wanted - Dress Forms

We need a few more adjustable dress forms for our wedding dress display. If you have one lurking in your closet that you don't need, please get in touch!
We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

Thursday 12 January 2012

Handpainted Dish Raffle

We are raffling this beautiful handpainted dish made by the inimitable Jean Watt of Otautau. It measures 23.5cm x 11.5cm. Tickets are a steal at just $1. Come by the museum to view and buy a ticket or two.

We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

Sunday 8 January 2012

Low-cost Mannequin

In the museum world, mannequins can be expensive. They are made out of special acid-free materials so that they don't harm fragile garments. We don't have our own mannequins so we've had to borrow when we wanted to feature clothing in a display.

But for our upcoming wedding dress display, we anticipate needing at least ten mannequins, and so we've taken a chance at making our own.

The initial prototype was made completely out of chicken wire, however, I think this one is more suited to the task. The torso is a dress form made out of card, and the bottom is made out of chicken wire, using a Simplicity skirt pattern. The idea is to cover both top and bottom with calico cotton to protect the dress.

What do you think? Will it work for wedding dresses?

Your comments are always welcome! We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request.

Thursday 5 January 2012

Family Enquiries

Yesterday, we were visited by the granddaughter, great-granddaughter and great-grandson of Dan & Johanna Lynch. Originally from County Kerry, Ireland, Dan & Johanna arrived in Auckland on the ship, Hydaspes, in 1873. They spent a little time in Gisborne but spent all of their years in Otautau.

Dan was one of the early blacksmiths of the town. His shop on Main Street was approximately where the St John and Simple Systems buildings are now. The picture above shows Dan standing next to a white horse at his former blacksmith shop which had been taken over by Sheedy in 1913.

Dan also ran the mail service from Otautau to Scotts Gap with a horse and buggy. He was known for his reliability regardless of the weather. The white horse is the last to have been used for the mail run.

Dan died in 1919, age 80; Johanna in 1931. They had seven sons, who at various times played on the Otautau Football team.

It's always wonderful to meet the descendants of early settlers, and this visit was no exception.

We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!