Planetarium Highlight:
Dinosaurs: A Story of Survival
Rakahau te Kohika
Archives
letter, 23/03/1934, Mr N. Cohen, Dentists Supplies ( N.Z. Ltd.), Civic Square, Auckland to W. Fels, Hallenstein Bros. Ltd. Dunedin. , Notes he will send greenstone by registered post. Discusses possible place of this piece of greenstone in museum collection.
letter, 15/03/1934, Mr N. Cohen, Dentists Supplies ( N.Z. Ltd.), Civic Square, Auckland to W. Fels, Dunedin , Mr. Hovell of Waihi has suggested Cohen contacts Fels about greenstone given to his wife by Maori in Rotorua, 35 years ago.
letter, 27/10/1934, District Public Trustee, Wanganui to Willi Fels, 84 London Street, Dunedin, Estate of Henrietta Jane Parker: encloses a schedule of articles, comprising a Maori and South Sea Islands collection
letter, 04/11/1935, H D Skinner to Mr Fels, W O Oldman, Fuller and Beasley collection will ultimately come on the market and I hope we will have a thousand or two and an agent to act for us. Teviotdale donated the balance of his collection. Received from Lady Nicholson of Banff, Scotland four kahwai hooks and 6 shark hooks collected in Wellington in 1842. Working on exhibition of textiles and lace. Hope to see you in London in January.
letter, 02/10/1935, H D Skinner to Mr Fels, Received photos from Dr Kandern of nice Marquesan pounder We have similar one which has been altered by a file and an unfinished head. Written to Dr Fritz Sarasin in Basel suggesting an exchange, they were collectors from Nordmann of Papeete. He is clearly getting better prices in Europe than here. Dr Benham's knee is better. Dr Inglis died. Librarian Harris is back from training in England. Lecture from Dr Bertram Thomas Arabian explorer. MacLachlan taken photos of canoe for handbook. Saw collections of Pritchard and Vangioni and Hornsey. 2 cases of material from Drury Low at Mauke
letter, 25/06/1934, George Broadhead, Wanganui to Willi Fels, I have not yet decided to dispose of my Maori curios but will give you first offer when I do. List of objects enclosed.
letter, 03/12/1935, H D Skinner to Willi Fels, 36 elementary students due here tomorrow. Hope Adolf Mahr will carry out promise of Irish material. Anthropological material has gone off the market. Exception is the 3 great collections in London at some time. Voyce and Drury Low continue to send in stuff. Just purchased 100 adzes from estate W Brown of Southland for £30. Dr Benham is retiring but will stay on till my return
letter, 17/06/1935, H D Skinner to Willi Fels, Ebony lime knife from Mrs Webster sounds good. Wooden Mere in Kensington sounds reasonable at £12.10.0. Marquesan fan £6 from Oldman arrived. Drury Low sent remainder of stone cut canoe found in a taro swamp. A H Voyce sent large collection of kapkaps from Bourgainville not a gift. 2 small collections from Papanui and Wycliffe bay have been presented. Wicker whitebait trap from a cave in the Taieri gorge. Purchased McCully slab of cut greenstone for £15. Purchased from Muirhead of Glasgow a Maori tokotok steel carved for £1. 2 canoe balers from Wanganui arrived. T W Downes brought in a small hei tiki and wanted books in exchange. Marquesan fan needs cleaning and a little repair. Scott Russell has photographed the Maori house and it is ready for writing up in time. Professor Speight has been sacked by Canterbury Museum. Carnegie corporation has asked Dr Hercus to chair and convene their New Zealand committee.
letter, 16/08/1935, H D Skinner to Willi Fels, Describes a number of exhibits from Fels which are now on display. Mentions the newly formed Agricultural Branch of the Otago Institute, which wishes to see exhibits relating to agriculture being displayed. £20 sought from Colquhoun Fund to purchase rudder gudgeon and pintel from HMS Bounty salvaged by Parkin Christian. Museum Management Committee also authorised £10 for Skinner's trip to Blenheim. Otago Institute membership increase discussed including Field Club.
letter, 26/08/1935, H D Skinner to Willi Fels, Passed on materials to Mr John Begg, Dr Hercus, and Dr Bell. Interested in organisation of the Amsterdam Museum. Two cases from England have arrived and been divided equally between the Museum and Mr Fels' collection. Missionary Society material comprises best buying the Museum has done, especially Marquesan clubs. Notable material purchased from Whitaker at Cambridge, especially the Indo-Persian helmet and arm guard. Comments on material given from the British Museum. Discusses possibility of combing with Otago Art Gallery to secure an exhibition hall in common.
letter, 25/07/1935, H D Skinner to Willi Fels
letter, 15/07/1935, HD Skinner to Willi Fels, Discusses need for public's support; mentions discussion with Repertory Society. Laments the museum's connection with the University in preventing support through the Otago Institute. Discussion on Adolph Moritzson's will. Comment on the size of Mrs Cox's collection. Mentions photographs of a canoe by Low. He gave Downes Dieffenbach's two volume work and Westervelt's "Hawaiian Tradition". Downes has sent a Maori splint comb not to be identified as coming from him. Discussion on where the Hocken Library will end up. Mentions a serpentine pendant costing £7.10.0. Unable to persuade Dr Simcox to gift the greenstone reel. Provides C.T. Seltman's address.
letter, 25/06/1935, H D Skinner to Willi Fels, Advises sending a number of photographs of "Matatua" the carved house, taken by Scott Russell. Total cost of photographs was £2.15.0.Dr Simcox advises that he does not wish to part with his collection, which includes a large greenstone cotton reel. Discusses value in visiting Kaikoura and Blenheim to interview collectors, including the Love family, half-caste descendants of Rauparaha.
letter, 02/05/1935, H D Skinner to Willi Fels, Regarding management of expenditure of the Fels Fund while Fels is absent. Discusses pieces on offer including some from South Canterbury and Whanganui. Mentions Hornsey and Downes. Skinner notes that he has been working on syllabus for the Otago Institute and for the Science Congress. Mentions sale catalogue for Revelstone's collection of Greek vases but notes that Fels will not be in London for this sale.
letter, 14/03/1935, President, Royal Society of New Zealand, Otago Branch to Willi Fels, Thank you for gift of five Dunedin City Debentures. The income will be paid into a special Museum Auditorium account.
letter, 10/12/1934, Whelen Mirow, Waimate to Mr Fels, Trust you received small parcel of curios from Bray Bros. Auctioneers. I hear of a very good collection of Island curios which belonged to Rev W Cox. I know she has to sell them and would accept as little as £25
letter, 04/09/1935, Gosta Montell, Stockholm to Wili Fels, Pictures of Maori capes are ready, I hope the details are enough to enable study, We have a small Maori collection and would be interested in exchanges
letter, 05/11/1936, John Forsdyke, Keeper of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum to Willi Fels, The Trustees of the British Museum are grateful for your contribution and I assure you we will continue to do what we can to support Otago Museum.
letter, 12/01/1936, E.J. Frost to Willi Fels, I have been making some moa bone discoveries and thought you might like some for public museum collections. I also have some other Maori curios such as cultural eagle bones. Doubtless bay is a good hunting ground for curios. I can get a moa specimen for you, probably from head and toes.
letter, 12/05/1936, H.D. Skinner to Willi Fels, describing Skinner's trip to England and an artefact for sale he was interested in including a wooden bowl from Tibet. Mr E.J. Seeds offered to send restored Roman pots. The Welsh National Museum offered the choice of their ethnographic material, and spears, clubs, adzes, Japanese knives and arrowheads were all selected. This museum has a lot to teach us and enclosed is a short guide. McCormick says the University Council is considering a new university library and the committee has voted for it.