Catalogue of the Otago Fine Arts Exhibition held at Dunedin, N.Z., 1869

1869

Hocken Library Bliss V5 Cat.

Dunedin: Henry Wise

The first Fine Arts exhibition in New Zealand was opened in February 1869. Instrumental in bringing a number of New Zealand and overseas art works together was William Hodgkins. It was open from 11 o’clock till dusk each day. It ran for 50 days, closing in April 1869. There was 5000 people, paying either 1 shilling, or on ‘Special Days’, 2s 6d admission. This last caused concern. One fellow was grieved to find that Saturday, the only day he could visit, was ‘Special’ thus costing 2s 6d. And when he got in, the place was ‘crowded with snobocracy’ (ODT, 25 Feb 1869, p.3).
This is a photocopy of the original which is rare and held at the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington.