Otago Museum director of collections, research and property
services Dave Wright examines New Zealand stamps dating
back to the 1860s. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.
Staff at the Otago Museum are about to begin a mammoth
task - piecing together all the information they hold about the
museum's vast stamp collection and putting the results into
electronic form.
It was not known exactly how many individual stamps were in
the collection, but with three large, 13 middle-sized and
dozens of small albums full, the total was in the "several
thousands", exhibits, development and planning director Clare
Wilson said yesterday.
They included "rare and beautiful" examples from New Zealand
and all parts of the word, some dating back to the birth of
postage stamps in 1840.
Most of the collection was donated before 1936, with
particularly large donations or bequests from Willi Fels and
Hugh Robertson.
In the 1960s, the Hocken Library presented many stamps which
had been found in its collections.
Two honorary curators, Mel Carr and Mark Jurisich, work with
staff on the maintenance and building of the collection.
Staff had begun scoping the information project, to see how
much work would be involved in poring over the albums and the
papers and correspondence which went with them, then
cataloguing the information on computer.
It was not yet known how long the project would take.
The aim was to ensure the content of the collection and the
information which accompanied it was easier to find in the
future, Ms Wilson said.
"Occasionally, the stamps make their way into a special
exhibition when they help illustrate a story. Once the
collection is computerised it should make it easier for
stamps to be used."
Collections, research and property services director Dave
Wright said staff would not be valuing the stamps.
"We're not interested in that. We don't deal in the
commercial market."
Ms Wilson said stamps were still being collected by the
museum.
A set of each new release was obtained from New Zealand Post,
and philatelists and members of the public also donated
stamps and albums.
They were accepted, provided they fitted with the museum's
acquisitions policy.
Stamp collecting was something most New Zealanders could
relate to, she said.
"It was de rigeur [to have a collection] for a long time and
most New Zealanders of a certain age... have a direct
connection at some level.
"I am sure there are some treasures out there under beds and
in attics."
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