Private lives and public records

Interior of Sitting Room, Malvern Hills Station, Canterbury, New Zealand, July 1858

A new online exhibition Private lives and public records, which introduces the Aclands, a prominent South Canterbury farming family.

The exhibition brings together the private papers and artwork of the Acland family with the public records that document the family’s interactions with the government.

The purpose of this exhibition is to showcase the interconnected roles of the University of Canterbury’s Macmillan Brown Library – Te Puna Rakahau o Macmillan Brown, and Archives New Zealand‘s Christchurch office. By bringing together the public and private records of each institution, we are able to show how our collections relate to each other and contribute to a more complete picture of our shared heritage. Utilising resources from different institutions enables researchers to build an holistic view of their subject that more accurately reflects the reality of lived experiences.

Rutherford lampshades

'Red’ Lamp shade

The University of Canterbury Library has recently digitised and placed online the majority of archival material from, by and about Ernest Rutherford that is held in the Macmillan Brown Library.

Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) is one of the University of Canterbury’s most accomplished alumni. Rutherford became a scientist of immense international stature and in 1908 won the Noble Prize in Chemistry for his investigations into the disintegration of elements and the chemistry of radioactive substances. Rutherford’s work was pivotal in forming the theoretical framework for 20th century nuclear science.

Included in this digital resource are letters written by and to Rutherford, reminiscences of colleagues about Rutherford, a record of Rutherford’s involvement with the Canterbury College Science Society and
copies of Rutherford’s certificates, scrolls and medals.

The collection also includes images of the ‘Rutherford lampshades’ which were crafted from some of Rutherford’s many certificates and awards and later deposited with the University of Canterbury for safekeeping.

View the collection

Any comments and questions can be directed to:
macbrown@libr.canterbury.ac.nz

Cantage Quarterly – No. 2

Cantage Quarterly – No. 2

Where: MacMillan Brown Library, University of Canterbury
http://library.canterbury.ac.nz/mb/

When: Thursday December 11
3:00 pm start. Conclusion approx 5:00 pm.

What to expect: A behind the scenes tour of the MacMillan Brown Library. The MacMillan Brown Library has a varied and interesting collection of resources including their art collection, architectural drawings, audiovisual, and other special collections. Come and view storage facilities and learn more about how the collections are managed. There’s something for everyone!

Note: Limited to 15 people. First in, first served.