Alexander Turnbull Library Collections Recognised In UNESCO Register

Two of Alexander Turnbull Library's important historic collections have gained inscriptions on the UNESCO Memory of the World register for Aotearoa. The register, established in 2010, allows for significant pieces of Aotearoa's documentary heritage to be preserved and protected.

The Frank Sargeson Collection showcases the life of notable Aotearoa author Frank Sargeson. It is known to be the most comprehensive collection of Sargeson material in Aotearoa, providing a rich exploration of his personal and professional life over 85 years.

Curator Manuscripts at the Alexander Turnbull Library at the National Library of New Zealand, Sean McMahon, says the inscription is “a great honour” and would not have been successful without the support of The Frank Sargeson Trust in Auckland, and the expert advice on Sargeson’s life from Dr Sarah Shieff (University of Waikato) and Professor Alex Calder (University of Auckland).

“Sargeson is one of New Zealand’s most influential and celebrated writers," says Sean.

"Noted as a master of the short story and novel formats, Sargeson also wrote plays, essays and autobiographies. As well as his creative writing he was a mentor for many other aspiring writers including Janet Frame, Maurice Duggan and Kevin Ireland. His work was hugely beneficial to succeeding generations of New Zealand writers who sought to establish a quintessentially New Zealand literature.

“The Sargeson Collection comprises 878 folders of his literary and personal papers, 400 photographs, oral histories and an artwork. The completeness of the collection makes it a highly valuable resource for researchers, literary scholars and students.”

The William James Harding collection was also recognised. In collaboration with Whanganui Regional Museum and Alexander Heritage & Research Library, the Harding collection captures the Whanganui Rangitīkei region during the settlement period of the 1850s to the 1880s. With more than 6,500 photographs, it's described as a unique record of a developing settler society and a source of information relating to Māori and Pākehā subjects of the time.

"Harding’s choice not to re-touch his numerous studio portraits of local community members imbues the images with a striking immediacy in which the sitters seem to look directly back at us, across time, warts and all," says Alexander Turnbull Library Curator Photographic Archive, Louise Garrett.

These inscriptions add to the five already recognised by UNESCO in the Alexander Turnbull Library's collections. Others include the Katherine Mansfield Literary and Personal Papers, Overture Aotearoa and the Cambodian Women Oral History Project.

Both inscriptions will be celebrated on Thursday 10 October at the UNESCO Awards, held at the National Library auditorium in Wellington.

The Alexander Turnbull Library is part of the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa.

For the full list of this year’s inscriptions (numbers 52 to 55), please click here: https://unescomow.nz/new-zealand-register

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