THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 254, 28 October 1901, Page 2

THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP.

Foe many years Mr J. Butterworth's Old Cariosity Shop has been one of the attractions of New Plymouth. It will ba very gratifying to many old residents who, in the .absence of a museum, have b?ea in the habit of taking their friends to " Butterworth's," to know that increase of business has coms ellid Mr Biittsrwor'thi to seek larger ad mire suitable premises. These hsice been found n».;r Mr Carter's well-known (-rocery e nporium. Al(chough the uew promises enable a much better display, Mr Butterworth's stock of Maori, South Sea Island, and Australian curios is so large that they would fill a much larger building. We venture to say that nowhere else in New Zealand can such a collection of curios be found, and this is proved by letters Mr Butterworth receives from all parts of the colony containing ot'iters for articles not to be obtained elsewhere. Mr Butterworth is wellknown, an a collector, to both Maoris and Europeans, and generally gets the refusal of anything that is going. He nftver loses a chance of addiog to hid valuable collection, which must be worth thousands of pounds. Almost everything that is rare and valuable in Maori, British, and foreign art, is represented therp. Old Maori curios, worth considerably more than their weight in gold, ate amongst this valu able collection. Some of them, if lost/ could never bi rrplaced. It would] take columns of our npace to give even an outliue of what is to be seen Many articles are packed away in iron safes, etc., being too valuable to keep exposed. Mr Butterworth has spacimens of native carving and curios which thould base aired by the museum authorities, or the Government, for a national collection, without delay. No one visiting N*w Plymouth should f*il to visit ihe 0;d Curiosity Shop. Both Mr and Mrs Butterworth are exceedingly courteous ia showing people all iheir valuable stock and coin. Those who c-mnot buy are ma'le heartily welcom mn i shown everythi'i 3 ' wichout being pr ssed to purchase.