Collection Stories

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Silk, Style and Suffrage

In 1873, 21-year-old Annie (Anny) Eliot married draper Thomas William Blennerhassett.
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Karen Hughes
8 December 2025
Fashion Talks

Silk, Style and Suffrage

In 1873, 21-year-old Annie (Anny) Eliot married draper Thomas William Blennerhassett.
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Karen Hughes

8 December 2025

‘Mona Lisa’ and modernity

A dress that captures early 1960s fashion with quiet confidence and beautiful dressmaking.
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Karen Hughes

17 November 2025

Pleats and Promises

A fascinating glimpse into the style and elegance of late-19th-century wedding attire.
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Karen Hughes

6 October 2025

Dressed in Grief

Harriet Tripe was just 30 years old when she became a widow.
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Karen Hughes

9 September 2025

Watch: The Museum My Ancestor Built

One Ancestor at a Time with Simon Young
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Karen Hughes

13 August 2025

Artful Homage

A unique creation by pioneering textile designer Fanny Buss.
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Karen Hughes

3 August 2025

Perfect Plaid

A classic woollen dress with a stylish twist in striking tartan that lit up post-war fashion.
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Karen Hughes

8 July 2025

Beaded Beauty

A fascinating family heirloom with possible origins in the Netherlands or Indonesia journeyed to New Zealand in the 1950s.
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Karen Hughes

9 June 2025

Health and Beauty Movement

A small programme of exercise for women proved so popular it grew into a mass movement.
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Karen Hughes

21 May 2025

Mother of the Groom

Margaret Wills generously gifted more than 20 garments to the Museum’s clothing and textile collection.
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Karen Hughes

4 May 2025