Museum’s muslin dress shows romantic summer style

Kaihāpai taonga/collections and curatorial lead Trish Nugent-Lyne and kaiāwhina/collections assistant Kathy Greensides preparing the dress in the museum’s textile workroom. Photo / Karen Hughes

Whanganui Regional Museum resumes its Outfit of the Month series next month with a fine cotton muslin dress that dates back to the early 1840s.

The dress selected for February is made from a self-striped cotton muslin that has been printed in six colours, using a mix of rolling and hand-blocking.

Kaihāpai taonga/collections and curatorial lead Trish Nugent-Lyne said the origin of the dress is unknown. “A label inside tells me that this dress came from the Wanganui Repertory Theatre, so we are not sure who the original owner or wearer was, but we know that she was tiny. She would have been five feet or less (about 150cm) and with a 21-inch (53cm) waist.” The dress is entirely hand-sewn.

Nugent-Lyne will present and discuss the dress with an informal public talk. Members of the public are invited to hear her presentation in the museum at 12.15pm on Friday, January 26.

Entry to the event is free. Koha for the museum is always appreciated. No booking is required, and all are welcome – meet in the atrium. The dress will be on display at the museum throughout February.

■ Founded in 1892, the Whanganui Regional Museum is internationally renowned for its taonga Māori collection. Located in Pukenamu Queen’s Park, visitors can view the exceptional creations of tūpuna [ancestors] of Whanganui tangata whenua (indigenous people) alongside a changing exhibition programme encompassing a world-class collection of natural and human history, with a regional emphasis. The ground-level boutique museum store sells a range of local and Māori jewellery, books, cards, art and other New Zealand-made gift items.

The Whanganui Regional Museum Trust is an independent legal entity that owns the collection and governs the development of the Museum on behalf of the Whanganui community.

Open to visitors daily from 10.00am to 4.30pm (except on Christmas Day and Good Friday), entry to Whanganui Regional Museum is free. Connect with Whanganui Regional Museum at www.wrm.org.nz or on Facebook and Instagram.