What connects a 1956 leather rugby ball and a shiny blue bike helmet? Simon Morton dives into the history store to find out. more>
What happened if you were shipwrecked on NZ's outlying islands? Find a hut filled with treasures like biscuits, wool suits and leather boots. more>
The fossil that started the study of dinosaurs is one of Te Papa's greatest treasures. Dr Hamish Campbell shows us the very first artifact from the giant lizards. more>
One of the wonders of the ancient world, the young lady 'Mehit' is a long-time companion for Collection Manager Ross O'Rourke, 2300 years after the funeral. more>
In the 1940's women traded their fancy frocks for overalls - all in the name of the war effort. Riria Hotere learns the stories of two avid land girls. more>
Riria Hotere discovers some racy togs from the 1920's. A time when wearing a bikini would have made you a criminal! more>
After it opened in 1921 the Wellington dental nurse clinic was dubbed "The Murder House". Simon Morton says it's no wonder when you see some of the ghastly tools used in the dental nurse trade. more>
Take a primus stove, a safety razor and some brass hinges. Mix them with a healthy dose of German ingenuity, and you've got the makings of a nifty navigational tool. more>
You don't have to travel to the Tower of London to see the Royal Crown Jewels. An exact replica is part of the Centennial memorabilia at the Museum of Wellington. more>
Many brave recruits have served our country in the Royal NZ Airforce, but they're not all human. Simon Morton meets a special bear with some sky-high stories. more>
Riria Hotere discovers one of our country's oldest and most controversial flags. First flown on Wellington Harbour in 1839, will it fly again one day? more>
For our grandmothers, sentences were not the only thing being stitched together in school. Girls had to learn a whole range of embroidery, and the best way was by making samplers. more>
The famous cast of Play School make a curtain call, twenty years after their final show. But there's one important character missing&.anyone seen Little Ted? more>
In the 1930's a New Zealand horse became a racing legend in Australia. Since then we've been sharing his success, and what remains of his body. Simon meets Phar Lap's skeleton. more>
Simon Morton discovers beautiful art that is made for a human canvas. Women's handcrafts and fashion combine in a stunning dress by Marilyn Sainty and Vita Cochran. more>
Wonder Woman isn't just a star in comic books. Simon Morton learns why Mary-Annette Hay was nicknamed the 'wonder woman of wool'. more>
Conservator Rose Evans spent two years giving a Samurai suit an extreme makeover. Little was known about the history of the armour, or how to restore it. more>
The flappers were the original 'it girls.' Find out what these trend setting women wore out on the town in the 1920s. more>
You often don't pay much attention to what's covering your walls -- however, Te Papa's collection of historic wallpaper may have you looking twice next time. more>
Dorothy Broad came up with a special way to keep her soldier boyfriend close while he was overseas during the First World War. more>
Michael Fitzgerald shows us the type of weapon that generated the expression 'a flash in the pan.' more>
E.P. Cox's diary offers a precious first hand account of life from the front lines during World War One. more>
A Kiwi doctor brought back these keepsakes from ground zero at Hiroshima. Find out whether they are radioactive after all this time. more>
Turning 21 has always been a big deal, even during wartime when cake decorations were forbidden! more>
Bessie Murray made these beautiful dolls to support her family. Riria uncovers her attention to detail in portraying than Maori women she saw down at the local store. more>
Peter McIntyre's painting of his batman Cyril Hurne-Miller, is one of the most recognisable images of a Kiwi soldier during World War Two. Find out how this image was shared with those back home. more>
What childhood treasures were hidden in the walls of Randell Cottage? more>
The traditional characters of Punch and Judy have entertained throughout the centuries. Te Papa curator, Lynette Townsend shows us some Kiwi versions of these much loved puppets. more>
'Xena - Warrior Princess' was an all-action TV series with extreme costumes. Riria discovers what caught the imagination of Xenites like Te Papa's own Anna Greaves. more>
Thanks to email, it's super-quick to contact people on the other side of the world. But NZ's very first letter took 6 months to arrive from England. Simon goes postal with our original letter and stamps. more>
Lots of people dream of owning an iconic Kiwi bach. But in the 1930's owning a caravan was just as popular, even for honeymoons! Simon discovers a DIY love shack. more>
Today posties face the challenge of steep streets, bad weather or the odd angry guard dog. But the original "airmail" posties had to fly across 90 kilometres of rough sea with letters tied to their legs! more>
We take it for granted that women can join the armed forces. In 1899, when New Zealand sent its first fighting force overseas, that certainly was not the case. But that didn't stop women dressing like the fighting soldiers as they waged their own campaigns at home. more>
Over 100 years ago, people didn't have easy access to doctors. If they were sick, they often had to rely on 'remedies' that may not have had any real medical value. Not all of the 'cures' on sale were fake, though. more>
Different wars can still have connections. How can today's Olympic shooting teams trace their origins back to the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s? How did a Pakeha volunteer soldier fighting Maori in Taranaki come to have his revolver carved in a traditional Maori pattern. more>
Twelve thousand New Zealand soldiers died in World War I. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in remembering the soldiers who lost their lives so far from home. The mementoes of one soldier represent those who were not able to leave anything behind to tell of where, when and how they died. more>