Our Treasures: Whangārei Museum inkwell collection in class of its own

Whangārei Museum's inkwell collection is small but diverse, showing simple to ornate designs made from cut glass, cast iron, wood, plastic, ceramic, and metal alloys.

Before the rise of commercial plastic production in the early 1900s, and for a few decades after, everyday utilitarian items were often made better, to last longer, and even to augment fashions of the time.

Ink wells are a good example of common home and office supplies which were once in a class of their own in terms of the effort and craftsmanship given to produce a diaspora of luxury home accessories available at local department stores or through mail order.

While ink bottles, discussed in a previous Our Treasures article , are the vessels for transporting, storing and sometimes holding ink on a desk, inkwells are their fancier older sibling, on display and often trussed up with many trimmings.

The Kiwi North collection includes an example made from cut "uranium" green glowing glass and another from ornately patterned brass.

Not all were beautiful ornaments though, especially those mass-produced for large scale businesses and schools.

Many a New Zealander today will still remember little white ceramic inkwells sunken into school desks, probably also the stains of ink spattered across everything. Through changes in technologies and materials over the 20th century, the variety of inkwells have now dwindled down to the basic ballpoint pen.

In a museum it is often not just the aesthetics or technology of an artefact that holds interest but most importantly the origin and story it possesses.

Our rather unassuming black plastic inkwell with an "improved non-spill design" (2006.37.1a, b) is of interest technologically as it is made from Bakelite, an early form of plastic.

However, of more significance to Whangārei, it belonged to our city's Chief Postmaster Des Dowie, who worked for in this role from 1975 to 1985. One can imagine Des' desk scattered with letters, envelopes, pen nibs, this black ink well, and probably an ink bottle or two.

Another inkwell, this time of greater beauty, has a fascinating family connection (1992.50.27). Made of a silver-painted metal, the inkwell is large with two legs out front that gracefully curve up to the body in leaf shapes.

A delicately curved shelf rests between for resting pens. It is both ornamental and functional, being an attractive desk ornament when closed, but revealing two white "milk" glass ink wells once the lid is back.

As part of the estate of Edward John Drake, it was donated by Mrs Strong in 1992. The Drakes were an early European family to settle in Purua area, Northland.

Other items in our collection help to tell the Drakes' story, such as a Bible gifted to Jessie Drake in 1887 when bringing her family from Bristol to New Zealand to meet her husband Richard George Drake who had already emigrated from the UK in the SS Aorangi.

Their descendant E. J. or "Ted" Drake was born in Purua in 1916, but we are unclear on the rest of the details regarding his life. Any information would be appreciated and could also serve to connect other items with the Drake name.

Such are the complicated lives and stories these small artefacts have born witness to and we so love to share at Kiwi North.