Dress

This dress was made in Niue in the early 20th century. It is a type of dress that may have been worn on special occasions or for dance performances. It comprises a net like bodice with two shoulder straps and a skirt. It is made from hibiscus bast fibre. The bodice is decorated with six rosettes and the skirt consists of long natural and pink coloured fibres.

Significance

This dress belonged to Ivy Gertrude Avery who was born in 1899 and lived mostly in Palmerston North, New Zealand. Around 1915, Ivy had a penfriend in Niue, who sent this and two other items to her by mail. At this time, Niue was under New Zealand’s colonial administration and there is evidence in newspapers of young New Zealanders seeking or engaged in penfriend correspondence with Niueans and other Pacific Islanders (1). In a few instances they report on their penfriends and remark on gifts they have exchanged, as the following extracts demonstrate::

“I have a pen friend in Niue Island who has sent me four hats made of something like flax and two jolly little, baskets —and three kumeras! (sic)”

"My pen-friend at Niue Island sent me a big parcel of native things and he wanted a torch, a pack of cards, and some other little things which I have sent." "SYDNEY DAMSEL" (14), Lyall Bay (2).

Acquisition history

This dress was donated to Te Papa by Ivy Avery’s daughter Jillian Mills.

References

1.Pen-friend wanted. Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18396, 1 August 1931, page 16(supplement)https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT19310801.2.115.17.9

A Note From Lady Gay Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22751, 1 July 1939, Page 8 (Supplement) https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19390701.2.17.20

Stamp Stories Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21630, 14 November 1935, Page 2 (Supplement)https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19351114.2.158.4

2.Typical Of Gladys; A Kaitaia Letter Northern Advocate, 2 March 1939, Page 3 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NA19390302.2.17.6

3.An Island Penfriend Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 9, 10 July 1937, Page 20 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19370710.2.133.26