One of the joys (yes there are some!) of archives and doing archival research is coming across those utterly random things you weren't even looking for. Sometimes it's wonderfully helpful to the work you're doing in a way you didn't even consider. Sometimes it's just something memorable that makes you laugh, surprises or shocks you. Like during my own research where I found a memo where back-office army bureaucrats were very insistent on the importance of getting some good German beer to the Frontsoldaten. Got to keep up morale of course. It really makes up for all those papercuts.
Archives are truly the treasure troves of written history, and you never know what you'll find there, and our lovely archive here at Tūranga is no different.
This year's WORD Christchurch Festival programme includes the session Gems from the Archives,on Saturday 31 August at 4:00pm, at Tūranga Central Library. Librarians and actors will be bringing the "intriguing, quirky and even salacious stories of Ōtautahi's past" to life and giving one and all an amazing insight into the experiences of new settlers and how they faced building new lives in a different place.
Come and learn about:
- The travails of journey by ship in 1864 and "beating the dead horse"
- What did happen to Dr Henry Fleetwood's trousers in 1859
- The humble bumblebee and how it got to Canterbury
- Whether the right diet, exercises, and positive thoughts can lead to mind control
- What really did happen at the NZ Settlers Club New Year's Eve Party?
- The real gems here are those little things that help give colour and life to our past, a past filled with people just like us and a world filled with the small oddities of everyday life!
This event is sold out, but check out the rest of the WORD Festival Programme for some great events.
See more
- Visit the WORD Christchurch 2024 website
- Check out the WORD Christchurch Festival 2024 programme
- Find more coverage on our WORD Christchurch 2024 page
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