I've always loved houses. First it was building little fairy houses with twigs for walls and a mallow leaf for a roof. Then, when I got a bit older, it was poring over Mum's book of Lockwood plans, and then bringing home Jeremy Salmond's Old New Zealand Houses or We call it home for a bit of light reading. And yes, before I decided to be a librarian, I did want to be an architect when I grew up.
So when I saw The Spirit of a Place on the new books list, I couldn't help but *squee*!! And I have enjoyed poring over it just as much as those old favourites! (even though I'm sure this makes me a bit of a wierdo to get so excited about a book about a house!!).
I expected this book to be a lovely bit of coffee-table eye-candy, full of lovely photos of a beautiful, old, colonial home. And it is. But what I didn't expect is a beautiful--even poetic--text together with a interesting, eclectic mixture of artwork and artifacts, antiques and architecture, and vivid, fascinating stories of the people who lived and worked at the mission house now known as The Elms Te Papa Tauranga.
The house, built in the 1840s, is one of New Zealand's most significant heritage buildings. Not only is it one of just a handful that still remain from that time, it also has remained almost unchanged since it was built. Once a mission house and home to Reverend Alfred Nesbit Brown and his family, now it is a museum--and a chance to step back in time. As well as the main house, there are several buildings on the site, including a chapel, bakehouse, servants' quarters, and... a library! The library was actually the first timber building to be built, while Alfred and Charlotte still lived in a raupō house. Of course the books needed a good, strong, well-heated home more than the wife and kids! I think the section on the library is my favourite bit of the book-- the quilts and toys come a close second! There's a watercolour painting of the Library by Henrietta Hinks Pulleine, from the 1940s, that makes it look like the sweetest little cottage ... and basically my dream home, though it's really just a room full of books plus a fireplace...but that'd be a great place to live, right? If I could just tuck a bed between the bookshelves, I'd be right at home!
Although I've never been to Tauranga, and I have to admit I'd never even heard of The Elms before, I can assure you that going there has now been added to the bucket list! In the meantime, Sarah Ell's lyrical descriptions and fascinating stories of the place will just have to do!
If any of you are a bit or a weirdo like me, and love houses too, I've put together a list of some favourites you might enjoy:
The Spirt of a Place by Sarah Ell is out now from Sherlock & Co.
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