A unique glimpse into the life of the Royal Wanganui Opera House will be shown to the public during Whanganui Vintage Weekend.
But the future of the 10 wooden boards, containing nearly 100 years of graffiti from the walls of the opera house's old dressing rooms, is uncertain.
Fred Holmes from the Friends of the Royal Wanganui Opera House said the graffiti was discovered in 2016, during renovations to extend the theatre's orchestra pit and build new dressing rooms.
"When the hardboard was taken off the walls, the originals walls were exposed with all this writing on it," he said.
It appears to have been a traditional for performers to sign their name and the date on the dressing room walls. Some also include the name of the production, and there are even some sketches of cast members. The graffiti was written in pencil, biro, crayon or even chalk.