NEW ZEALAND POORLY REPRESENTED

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 120, 14 February 1940, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND POORLY REPRESENTED

Important London Museums

OPINION OF WELLINGTON

SCHOOLMASTER

Disappointment with New Zealand's

representation at some of London’s im

portant museums was expressed by Mr. Harry M. Campbell, of the staff of lhe Kelburn Normal School, Wellington. who has returned to New Zealand after a year’s exchange teaeiiiug in England. . . Other travellers who had visited ILc same institutions supported Mr. Campbell's statements Tlie present display at the But.sb Museum in the New Zealand section was ’described by Mr- Campbell as a “conglomeration,” comprising a few cases of Maori weapons, mats and heads It was insufficiently separated from the rest, of the Pacific section.

Old Photographs.

In the Imperial Institute, Kensington, which is devoted to products of the Empire, some of the New Zealand photographs were many years old, though some of the displays ~rcm other parts of the Empire were not much better. “A few repulsive-looking Maou heads and prints taken from some ancient volume,’’ Mr. Campbell said, were among the leading ‘‘attractions in the New Zealand section of the Natural History Museum in Kensington. “After seeing the Dominion Museum, with its attractive display of exhibits, one is forced to remark on the insignificance of the New Zealand dsplays at these museums,” he said. Much better advantage could be taken of these opportunities of advertising the Dominion and he suggested that Hie New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Department should approach the London museum authorities and offer their co-operation in improving or modernizing exhibits where necessary.

Children's Brandies.

A feature of the Science Museum in Kensington was the great success of the special children’s branch, a department which had been copied with perhaps even more success in the Adelaide Museum. In both institutions the art of visual education had been highly developed. Dioramas and working models, actuated by the pressing of a button by a child, were widely used and the idea was one which it would be well worth while for New Zealand museums to adopt. Incidentally, the science museum, m the geology section, has a good exhibit devoted to the Napier earthquake. Mr. Campbell was able to make extensive use in senior and central schools of the films and slides, maps and literature provided by New Zealand House. Its work was generally commended by those returning from England. Commenting on other aspects of New Zealand publicity abroad, Mr. Campbell and several of his companions said that posters advertising New Zealand products were far more frequently seen than those advancing lhe Dominion’s claims as a lourist centre. They felt that more of the second type of advertising could be undertaken with advantage.