Fundraising at the Ford Day

Yesterday, museum folks were fundraising at the Ford Day in Holt Park. We had three main items - candy floss and homemade jams which didn't sell well, and the chocolate wheel which seemed to do much better.

Muriel Brown (left), Peter Campbell (right), and Margaret & Peter Gutsell (sorry, no photo) worked the crowd most of the day, selling tickets for the chocolate wheel. Each ticket had a one-in-30 chance of winning so the odds were very good. The winner of each draw got their pick of some very good prizes.

Thanks to everyone who bought tickets. Your support keeps the museum going.

We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

Senior Citizens Visit

Last Friday, the Otautau Senior Citizens came for a visit and afternoon tea. Pictured above and on the left is Jean Watt whose wedding dress (1947) is on display along with her wedding photos. Her friends looked at her photos and told her 'you haven't changed a bit'.

It was a really enjoyable afternoon. Thanks to Judy Morris for organising the visit. As always, groups like Senior Citizens bring a special feeling to the museum that simply doesn't exist without them. We look forward to their next visit.

We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

Caring for Wedding Dresses

Te Papa has a nice article on Caring for Your Wedding Dress by textile conservator Anne Peranteau. Storing textiles in an acid-free box is preferable to storing them in bags. Creases and wrinkles can be avoided if using rolled acid-free tissue paper or even unbleached cotton fabric to pad out the garment.

We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

Research Enquiries

We've had two family history research enquiries lately.

Corkhill Maternity Home
We had an email requesting the date that Louisa Corkhill's maternity home on Elles Road burned down. We've explored a few avenues but not have come up with a specific date yet. If you know, please contact us, and we'll forward the information.

George A. & Rebecca Wohlman (or Wohlmann)
George owned the Railway Hotel for a little while then went into farming. George died in 1899, and Rebecca in 1925. They are buried in the old Otautau cemetery. If you know of this family, please get in touch by emailing the Museum.

We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

Brides of Otautau

The new display - Brides of Otautau & Beyond - opened last Saturday coinciding with the inaugural Three Churches Flower & Quilt Walk.

Brides of Otautau & Beyond features 16 dresses from women with a local connection. The dresses range from 1934 to 1973 and are on loan from their owners. Fabrics include satin and crepe occasionally accompanied with Guipure or Chantilly lace.

There are three sets of mother and daughter dresses represented: Daphne Kennedy and her daughter Judy Gimblett; Mary Smith and her daughter Heather Guise; and Peggy Manson and her daughters Margaret and Sheila.

The display ends 29 April so make sure you see it.

As always, there is no entry fee. We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!