MUSEUM POPULAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23227, 22 December 1938, Page 14

MUSEUM POPULAR

PUBLIC ATTENDANCES 131,746 PEOPLE FOR YEAR REPORT BY THE DIRECTOR A total of 131,746 people had attended the Auckland War Memorial Museum this year, stated the director, Mr. Gilbert Archey, in a report presented to the museum council at its final meeting of the year yesterday. Since the last meeting a month previously attendances totalled 7569, a weekly average of 1892. The rearrangement of tho Maori halls was being continued and the stone bowls, lamps and pounders had been arranged in one case leaving the other cases free for the stone carvings, the report added. A temporary rearrangement of tho feather cloaks had been made pending the electrical installation for the new internally lighted display. A total of 13,263 school pupils, 1 raining College students and teachers had attended classes, lectures and discussions at the museum. In co-operation with the Visual Education Association three film strips on Maori life and bird life bad been made for uso with thy new film strip projector. Mr. A. AY. B. Powell reported that the Natural History Club had met for lectures during nine evenings and had also held held tla . vs - , , . , "The exhibition of natural history illustrations and their reproduction is still in progress," said Mr. Archey. "We have also made a display of the school loan cases."

The relaying of the floor covering was proceeding very satisfactorily, Accessions made since tho last council meeting numbered 46, making a total of 280 for the year. The gift of Ocean and Nauru Island specimens by Sir Albert Ellis and of ancient Chinese articles had already been mentioned. In addition, concluded the report, note should be made of the collections of Maori weapons and implements presented by Mr. T. 11. Barrett, of Coiomandcl.