Collectors II: Walter Cook – ceramics collector Wellington

I knew nothing about this Walter Cook collector whose pieces are on display at Te Papa on level 6. He is a librarian who started a collection of pottery and ceramics inspired by his reading of William Morris of the Arts & Crafts movement. Morris’ most famous line:

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
I like the fact that Te Papa has featured the collector (a short video with him talking about the collection is included). The only thing that alarmed me somewhat was that some of these pieces looked like things my Mum had in her house which we threw out after she died – I hope they weren’t Liberty & Co or Royal Doulton!

Collectors I- Contraception & Carmen

Dame Margaret Sparrow has been a doctor for many years with Family Planning, and in her role as educator has collected different kinds of contraception over time. That collection is on display at Te Papa Museum in Wellington in the Illot Room on the fourth floor at present. Very interesting to see the changes over time in the presentation of condoms, in the devices used on women (I cringed looking at some of them) and the advice the public has written and displayed for their younger selves. A nice short video of Dame Margaret Sparrow talking about her work too. Shame it’s a small space tucked away, but I felt there was some nice synchronicity in having a display of Carmen’s head dresses outside, with her comment that she was ‘trisexual’ because she’d try anything. Carmen was a legendary entertainer who ran two very successful bars (or ‘coffee houses’) in Wellington. She died in Sydney, but left chosen materials to Te Papa.

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