The Wellingtonians: online exhibition from Turnbull Library

4 February, 2011

The Alexander Turnbull Library has launched a new online exhibition of Wellington historical images.

The Wellingtonians is a series of often-quirky pictures that capture the look and feel of Wellington and its inhabitants over the last 150 years. It is based on the popular feature that runs weekly in local community newspaper, The Wellingtonian.

The exhibition is the brainchild of the Turnbull’s Curator of Manuscripts, David Colquhoun, who also pens the stories that accompany each photo, placing it in its historical and cultural context.

“The aim is to provide a fresh and quirky look at Wellington history,” said David Colquhoun.

“Most of the images come from the photograph collection but there are artworks and maps, posters and manuscripts, quotes from oral history interviews, and more.

“The exhibition does not concentrate on big events and well-known people (although there are certainly some of those). It provides snapshots of a city and its people over the course of a century and half.

“It’s an exhibition to bookmark and revisit: each week a ‘new’ image and story will be added. Over time it will give a very unique historical view of the ‘best little city in the world.’”

Keep an eye on it at: www.natlib.govt.nz/wellingtonians

ENDS

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