Louise & Greg's converted shipping container and caravan, Mokau, North Island, New Zealand

View down river from Louise & Greg's, Mokau

On our way to Mokau from Hamilton it just so happened that it was the day before whitebait season started. These guys were setting up their stands and moth nets.

The hills opposite the whitebait stands and river

Nathan and the whitebait fisherman's dog

Mokau back beach, driftwood heaven

Driftwood shack, back beach, Mokau

I have met with two disappointments on my quest to blog.
Firstly, I got my roll of film back - the results are pretty underwhelming! I will (maybe) publish 2 images out of a roll of 36!! I am in the process of rescanning my slide film in the hopes of better results (wishful thinking)  - so this is to be continued. . .
In the meantime here is one image I am happy with. I took it on the black sand beach at Mokau, North Island, New Zealand.

The second impasse I have encountered is my mum, who claims to no longer be able to read Hebrew! So no luck with translating the stamp on her school book, if it was even hers? Potentially the book could have belonged to her stepfather - who I believe served in the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 (known to Israeli's as the War of Liberation and in Arabic,  'The Catastrophe')

I have very nearly conquered my study! I can see the floor and the desk is very nearly clear, most things are bundled neatly with other things of their kind -  it is very nearly a functional environment for future projects AND my new sewing machine (thanks mum, thanks sister!).

Until then, here are a few more unearthed treasures. These were my mother's school books when they moved to Israel and I think are some of only a few surviving objects from that time in her life. . . when did I first discover these? I rediscovered them during my inventory/culling of possessions,  squirrelled away in a chest of books which was itself buried under a suitcase and more boxes brimming other with cached items. Unfortunately I don't speak or read Hebrew, so I will consult with mum and get back to you with captions . . . the first few are self explanatory anyways but I am really intrigued by the last scan and it's translation.

Compiled by W.J.Stokoe, Frederick Warne & Co., Great Britain, date unknown

I forgot to post this wonderful article that BJ Epstein wrote about my project for Bristol Biennial!

here are some more pages I scanned from various books... each image is credited with it's original caption and bibliography

The Ocean Yields It's Treasures, The Wonderland of Science, J.C Sanford, Australia, 1945

Heller Brothers Company Catalogue, circa 1910, Newark, N.J, U.S.A

Heller Brothers Company Catalogue, circa 1910, Newark, N.J, U.S.A

Heller Brothers Company Catalogue, circa 1910, Newark, N.J, U.S.A

Out of the Test Tube . . . Petroleum possibilities are even yet only suspected,
The Wonderland of Science, J.C Sanford, Australia, 1945

Deficiency symptoms in Sugar Beet , The Wonderland of Science, J.C Sanford,Australia, 1945