Mangorei Peak of Perfection Pure Creamery Butter wrapper, ca. 1970-1975

Mangorei Peak of Perfection Pure Creamery Butter wrapper, ca. 1970-1975

This is one of approximately 70 butter wrappers donated to the Alexander Turnbull Library by Mrs Gillian Miller in 1997. Miller wrote to dairy producers between 1970 and 1975, asking for pristine samples for her collection. Miller’s collection is an excellent example of the humble and everyday items that form a key part of the contemporary Alexander Turnbull Library’s collecting activities. These butter wrappers are also a dramatic illustration of the change that collections undergo when they enter a public institution like the ATL.

From an entity – and activity – that was related to Miller’s private identity, the collection has become an example of social history, a statement of New Zealand identity, and a source of information related to economics and this country’s status as an agricultural producer. The collection remains the same, but its meaning and value is significantly transformed.

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga O Aotearoa, must be obtained before any reuse of this image

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