Auckland Libraries: Centuries of scrapbooking go on show

29 November 2011

Centuries of scrapbooking go on show

If you think the current craze of scrapbooking is a new fad – think again! Scrapbooking has been around since the 15th century and Auckland Libraries is celebrating 500 years of this fascinating hobby with a special exhibition.

‘Saved memories: scrapbooks 1570-2011’ features a selection of 60 scrapbooks from the Sir George Grey Special Collections as well as private collections.

Kate de Courcy, Sir George Grey Special Collections librarian and exhibition curator, says the word ‘scrap-book’ first appeared in the English language in 1825 but books with similar characteristics have been made since the 15th century.

“It is fascinating to see how the practice of preparing scrapbooks has changed through the years,” she says.

“What hasn't changed in 500 years is that people have continued to collect and display things that are precious to them.”

Scrapbooks are compiled for different reasons, from the simplest expression of fancy or taste, to telling an individual’s life story or focussing on a particular area of interest.

The display highlights a variety of materials used for pages such as paper, cloth and vellum (animal skin prepared for writing or printing), as well as the items added to scrapbooks including photos, paintings, magazine items, feathers, tickets, newspaper clippings, professional scrapbooking items, scraps and cartoons.

The exhibition runs from 1 December 2011 to 3 March 2012, on level two of the Central City Library on Lorne St. Viewing times are Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am – 4pm.

There are free guided tours on Wednesdays at 12-1pm (until Wednesday 28 February 2012), led by Kate de Courcy.

Items of interest include:

• a digitised version of the 1830 -1885 scrapbook of Sarah Mathew, wife of New Zealand's first surveyor Felton Mathew [also available as an e-book on Auckland Libraries’ website. http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/virt-exhib/NZMS81/index.htm from 7 December]
• highlights from well-known New Zealand politician and writer John A Lee
• a selection of travel scrapbooks and items from Victorian settlers
• the oldest scrapbook on display is a Comentarius or ‘Remembrance book’ 1570 – 1649, a leather bound scrapbook with paper and vellum pages.
• an 1830s ‘how to’ guide recommends dying wool with Argal, a by-product of wine-making
• since the early 1900s Auckland Central Library staff have compiled numerous scrapbooks on general topics, for example the NZ hip hop scrapbook
• Auckland Libraries’ Annie Coppell (Reference Librarian – Teens) has contributed her own scrapbook ‘The life and times of Anne Louise Coppell 1971-1989’.

www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz

ENDS