EARLY PAYS OF CITY

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21245, 17 August 1934, Page 21

EARLY PAYS OF CITY

* COUNCIL CHniHEUS AS Ml'SEi'M ax kxthnsivk cou.kc nox One of the least kmnvn facts about the Christchurch City Council chambers is that 11 icy arc a repository of many historical paintings, photographs and articles associated with the early days of the city and the province. The most valuable of these are included in the collection of the Canterbury Pilgrims' Association, which'is housed in one of the rooms, but in its photo,graphs and paintings of practically all the chairmen of the council mid later mayors of the city, as well as views of the city showing changes that have taken place, the council itself has an interesting collection. The Deputy-Mayor (Mr ,1. K. Archer) remarked on Wednesday that few citizens were aware of the existence of the Pilgrims' Association's collection. or if they did, they did not know it was housed in the Council chambers. He regretted that the Canterbury Museum had not the space to display this collection, along with ■its own early Canterbury exhibits—which were at present housed in an out of the way room—in a way which would make it possible for the public to have ready access to them. The photographs in the possession of the council were also interesting, but few people ever looked at them. Advertising: for Emigrants The Pilgrims' Association's collection contains such valuable documents as copies and originals of diaries of persons who came to Canterbury in the First Four Ships, letters of Mr J. R. Godley and others, a very extensive photographic and pictorial record of the growth of the city, and articles used by early colonists. One of the most interesting is a poster issued by the Canterbury Association in England. This reads: "Emigration for the Working Classes. The Canterbury Association, incorporated by Royal Charter. November 13, 1849. . . The association will grant assisted passages-to port Lyttelton, in the Canterbury settlement, in ships to sail during February and March, t6 a limited number of the working classes, being gardeners, shepherds, farm servants, labourers and country mechanics. _ The emigrants must be of the highest character for sobriety, steadiness and respectability, as certified by the clergymen of their parish." The photographs of early mayors show, in addition to their personal interest, a change in men's appearance. Up to 1885 most of them have heavy beards or side-whiskers, the first, to appear with moustaches only being in 1884. The first cleanshaven face appears after 1911. The gradual development of the Mayoral chain is also illustrated, from the days when it consisted of a velvet collar with only four medallions, until it reaches its present size. Mr Archer spoke of one of the early mayors, before the city had invested in mayoral robes, who thought he should be represented in robes suitable to the dignity of his office. The city had none, so he had them painted on to his photograph.