Otago Museum chief executive Shimrath Paul (rear) and
Richard Skinner reflect on an information panel
acknowledging the achievements of Mr Skinner's father,
award-winning former museum director Dr H.D. Skinner. Photo
by Peter McIntosh.
The Otago Museum yesterday installed an illustrated
information panel highlighting the major contribution which the
former long-serving museum director Dr H.D. Skinner made to the
museum.
Dr Skinner's son, Richard Skinner (88), who is a former
member of the museum trust board, and a group of family
members attended the 3pm installation.
Mr Skinner said the installation was a positive move, and
recalled, as a child aged about 5, accompanying his father
and mother on a visit to the Cook Islands during which items
were obtained for the museum's Pacific collections.
Museum chief executive Shimrath Paul said that, following the
museum's redevelopment, a small plaque had been placed in the
museum's Hall of Polynesia in 2000 acknowledging Dr Skinner.
Subsequent discussions with Richard Skinner over the years
had made clear there was a much greater story to tell about
Dr Skinner as director, and his role in "amassing an
outstanding collection of Pacific items".
Dr Skinner had made an "immense contribution". He had been
integral to the development of the organisation, "critical in
the creation of what is recognised as an outstanding
humanities collection", and vital in the forging of
relationships which resulted in an unprecedented level of
community benefaction to the museum.
It was also good to be able to celebrate the panel's
installation with Mr Skinner, who was himself "a long-time
and ardent supporter of the museum", Mr Paul said.
• The panel text noted that before his retirement in
1957, Dr Skinner had facilitated the addition of more than
65,000 individual objects into the museum's humanities
collection, and many artefacts in the Pacific Culture
Galleries.
Dr Skinner had already achieved much, holding curatorial
posts at the museum from 1918, and holding University of
Otago positions such as Hocken librarian and lecturer in
anthropology, before being appointed museum director in 1937.
Dr Skinner worked closely with pre-eminent Otago Museum
benefactor Willi Fels to expand the collection, and to
develop the museum buildings to house it appropriately.
john.gibb@odt.co.nz
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