Annual ‘at home’ for museum

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32430, 17 October 1970, Page 21

Annual ‘at home’ for museum

The Canterbury Museum should hold an annual anniversary, including an “at home” to the public, to consolidate the public impact made by its recent hundredth anniversary celebrations, the director (Dr R. S. Duff) suggested in his report to the Museum Trust Board this week.

The “at home” should be held on the nearest Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday to the museum’s anniversary day, October 1. For instance, next year’s celebration could be held on Thursday, September 30, Dr Duff said. “It Could well be a focal point in ‘Museum Week’ shop window displays to introduce a house-to-house collection on the Saturday, October 2, and in the light of recent fund-raising that such an appeal should conclude the appeal to the Government, local bodies, and the business and professional community,” he said.

He was referring to the $lOO,OOO public subscription appeal towards the financing of the anniversary wing. '

Dr Duff reported that donations already totalled more than $5OOO, from 120 individuals and six societies, the

Teachers’ College primary division, and one business firm, although the appeal had not yet been formally launched. To questions, Dr Duff said he thought the annual “at home” would consist of a concert and a gallery tour, on the one evening. He was confident that it would be very popular. Members supported the proposal, and it was felt that other ideas to get the public intimately involved with the activities of the museum should be followed up. Mr H. G. Hay suggested that invitations should be sent to certain sections of the public to visit the museum to see what was going on.

On the motion of Mr F. Gilbert, it was resolved to hold an annual “at home,” the exact form it would take to be decided later.