Otago Settlers Museum senior conservator Francois Leurquin
reflects on part of a grand old desk which is being
dismantled at the museum.
One of Otago Settlers Museum's best-known and most
popular artefacts, an ornate carved desk which long graced a
Dunedin bank building, is being dismantled for storage and
conservation.
The large star-shaped desk, designed by leading city
architect R. A. Lawson, held pride of place at the Princes St
branch of the Bank of New Zealand for 77 years.
Construction of the bank building itself began in 1879.
The desk stands about 2.5m high, including an ornate carved
spire which prominently displays the calendar date in several
directions.
Over the years, successive generations of customers sat at
the central desk, separated from others by ornately carved
partitions, and initially used
Fragments of feathers from 19th century quill pens found
when the desk was dismantled. Photos by Peter McIntosh.
goose feather quill pens to write out their deposit and
withdrawal slips.
Museum senior conservator Francois Leurquin noted the
successively overlaid impressions left in the desk's woodwork
over the decades by thousands of pens.
During recent dismantling of the partitions, parts of
feathers from the old pens were found.
The desk is being dismantled before being moved from the
museum's Otago Hall of History for conservation assessment,
storage and further conservation work, as part of the
museum's $35 million redevelopment project.
This is due to be completed in late 2012.
The desk, which was beautifully designed and carved, posed
significant conservation challenges, Mr Leurquin said.
The desk, with its lofty calendar display, before
dismantling began. Photo supplied.
"It has had a hard life. Some cracks have started to
appear."
Over the years, the desk - which was presented to the museum
by the BNZ branch in 1959 - had been displayed in different
parts of the museum complex.
It was a work of art in its own right - "an absolutely superb
object"- and also reflected a great deal about the time it
had been created, he said.
It gave an impression of grandeur and solidity, partly
intended to reassure investors about the bank's reliability
and durability.
And lion motifs on the legs were reminders of the British
Empire.
The desk will again be displayed prominently in the
redeveloped museum, he said.
Because of continuing redevelopment work, the settlers museum
complex was recently temporarily closed to the public, and
some museum facilities at the former bus station hall will
reopen on December 4, officials said.
- john.gibb@odt.co.nz
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