Collage

This collaged panel once hung in Wellington’s Evergreen Coffee Lounge in Vivian Street. 

It is part of a collection of panels and other items that relate to the life of Chrissy Witoko, the  Evergreen Coffee Lounge, and the communities of people who congregated in the cafés and night clubs around Cuba and Vivian streets between about 1970 – 2002.

Each panel includes a combination of photographs featuring people that Chrissy associated with, news or magazine clippings, business cards and other ephemera.

This panel may have been hung when the café opened in 1984, but it includes images that date back to the late 1970s including photos of other Wellington cafés such as the Sunset Strip and Sunset Disco. The cave-like décor belongs to a cafe first named Alibaba's in the 1960s, and then The Cave, 1960s – 1978.

This particular collage references the Miss Wellington Queen Pageant 1978, possibly the first drag pageant to be held in Wellington (Auckland hosted the first Miss New Zealand Drag Queen Contest in 1975).

Some of the people featured in this panel are:
Frank Lund, Bobby Myles, Sue Timbs, Lane Edwards, Ella Wilson, Shiree Haye, Serena Barrett, Rikki Love, Sonia Kapa, Tiffany Jones, Donna, Doug Timbs, Chrissy Witoko, Geraldine, Gypsy Tawhaki, Direlle, Niccole Duval, Old Sheba, Rita Edmunds, Lyna Kopu, Kim Royal, Shirelle, Young Sheba, Helena Brown, Symon Witoko, Elaine, Rusty, Marcia, Sheila, Nicole Wainare (known as Maori Nicole, but was Rarotongan), Cassa, Laura Williams, Ayesha, Karen Timbs, Rangi Carrol, Charlene, Selina Ihaia, Toni, Nicki Eyenon, Robena, Vickie Motu, Edwina King, Terri Eyenon, Andrew (Anaru) Manuel, Fran Whaitiri, Louise, Paula and Rachel Hakara.

Te Papa is working in collaboration with LGBTIQ+ communities and individuals to discover the histories represented in the panels. If you have any information you would like to share in relation to this panel please contact a history curator at Te Papa on +64 (0)4 381 7000.