Heirlooms From Pioneer Days Given To Museum

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29714, 6 January 1962, Page 2

Heirlooms From Pioneer Days Given To Museum

As Canterbury moves farther into its second century, descendants of pioneers often find great-great-grandfather’s favourite fireside chair a bit of a burden. Modern sitting-rooms seldom have a corner for it and storage space in the garage is usually filled with garden tools, a motor mower, and spare beds. Many household chattels, which were part of the early settlers’ day-to-day living, have little practical use in 1962. But they sometimes have a historic value to the Canterbury Museum.

Miss Rose Reynolds, honorary custodian of colonial exhibits at the Museum, said yesterday that many heirlooms had been accepted by the museum recently. “Young people in small, modern homes do not have the space for them, yet are reluctant to dispose of them,” she said. “If these relics are suitable we are happy to accept them. Unfortunately, we have to turn many down because we have duplicates of them or not enough space in our store rooms.” When the gifts are accepted they are catalogued and made ready for future displays or as replacements in the present colonial exhibition. Batter Bowl Yesterday Miss Reynolds showed an earthenware batter bowl and egg beater among her latest collection In its day it probably had some kind of mixing mechanism and may have been a status symbol in someone's Victorian kitchen. A wooden drum-shaped knife cleaner, with a turning wheel inside, probably broke many knives brought from England in the cleaning process. Housewives who can

remember this model say it usually did. An old food chopper shown was a small edition of the meat mincer used today and worked on the same principle. A carving knife with an ivory handle came to the museum with a history of use on the West Coast in the gold rush days of 1860. Letters Home A portable black lacquer writing case, hand-painted in a tulip motif with a shell inlaid border seemed to speak of “letters home" in Victorian times —to tell of the birth of a baby or perhaps, of some tragedy in the young pioneer community. Scarlet plush beaded wall pockets and a velvet bracket drape embroidered with poppies and com. were small items of furnishing which have outlived the hands which worked them. A solid silver button hook and shoe horn, embedded in the blue velvet lining of a manicure box, were reminders in this age of jandals of button-up boots. Musical Instruments Pioneers had to make their own music, and musical instruments were the pride of most families. An old piano, made by Clementi, Collard,

and Collard between 1830 and 1840, was given to the museum last year. It is not difficult to imagine the tinkling accompaniments it produced for family sing-songs. Other musical instruments sent to the museum recently include a flute brought to New Zealand by a passenger in the Randolph, and an old cornet which accompanied an army officer to two wars. From a later period came the Edison standard phonograph bought about 1904. With it was a box of cylindrical discs, carefully packed in their original cardboard containers. “I’m trying to build up our musical instruments,” Miss Reynolds said. Toys Toys have a special way of stirring the imagination of child visitors to a museum. Miss Reynolds has been given a child’s wooden cart which was taken to Akaroa in the 1840’s. In her collection she has scrap books, probably compiled on rainy days, and dolls which show much loving care. Then there is a set of battledores and shuttlecocks. One of the dolls, dressed in the fashion of little girls who disembarked from sailing ships at Lyttelton, is beautifully preserved. Not a mark from a sticky hand blemishes the rich blue satin and ecru lace on the frock and bonnet, its four petticoats or the pretty porcelain face. Made From Pews A carved mahogony mantelshelf and fender, designed by Dr. A. C. Barker for his Christchurch home, are other recent gifts. They were made from the first pews in old St. Michael’s Church. Several samplers, including one done in darning stitch in 1804 by a child of 13, are indications of how Canterbury’s ancestors spent their youthful leisure time before the days of films and hi-fi jam sessions. The oldest of the recent gifts to the museum is a beautiful carved oak chair. This belongs to the Charles the Second period. The seat and back panel are upholstered in claret embossed velvet and carved at the top of the panel are two child angels holding a crown. And it is still comfortable.