For quite some years Whanganui Midweek and the Whanganui Regional Museum teamed up for a series of articles titled "From the Vaults", in which a museum staff member chose an item stored somewhere in the collection and told its story. We covered a vast range of items from Whanganui's past
and gave those people a chance to say why they caught their interest and what they learned when doing their research. At the same time, this reporter and those who read the stories found themselves a little more enlightened. After all, Whanganui Regional Museum's collection is vast, with so much of it below decks, waiting to be displayed.
"From the Vaults" came to a stop when the museum staff left their home in Queen's Park to set up temporary headquarters in Ridgway St while the museum building underwent earthquake strengthening and a giant makeover.
I'm happy to say that the collaboration has been restored, and with the approval and assistance of museum director, Dr Bronwyn Labrum, and the staff, we resume a version of the original series, but now with an emphasis on items and artefacts accessible to the public. This time, the stories being told are about items on display. It is now called WRM Showcase.
This month, archivist Sandi Black chose an 1897 edition of Weldon's Ladies' Journal, published in London and obviously sent to many parts of the globe, including Whanganui, New Zealand.
Thanks to Karen Hughes, museum marketing and communications co-ordinator for being interested enough to restart and rename the series and bring the Midweek editor back on board to resume the fascinating tales to be told.
I felt honoured and privileged to have been able to write the yarns as told to me in the original series, and those feelings have returned with the new format. To spend time in the grand old building, amongst its precious collection, listening to and learning from expert people who live and breathe history every day, is something I will always treasure and never take for granted.
For these stories, museum staff are giving up their time to research the items and spend an hour or so with me to explain what they have discovered or already knew, and then they have to succumb to the usual photographic requirement to give the page in this paper visual appeal. I feel it's worth it: I hope you do too.